While chatting to a client’s Chief Revenue Officer (isn’t that the coolest title?) last week, he asked me, “Neen, can you share with the sales team more about your systemized calendar approach?” … why yes, yes I can!!! You see, his team was struggling with:
- Feeling like there are never enough hours in the day
- Feeling like there was so much to do that they didn’t know where to focus first
- Getting to the end of their work days and wondering how was it already 6 pm
Does that sound familiar to you? If so, you might need a systemized calendar.
Systems Create Freedom!
It’s easy to think that creating systems and structure for your calendar will actually restrict your time, but I believe that systems direct attention. By creating systems of attention, you’ll be able to focus your attention to achieve your most strategic objectives. By far one of the most powerful yet simple systems to protect your time is to systemize your calendar.
Here are several strategies to systemize your calendar:
- Create a daily strategic 15-minute appointment — determine your top 3 non-negotiable activities you must complete before your head hits the pillow tonight!
- Schedule your morning routine — I talk about this more in Chapter 3 of my book Attention Pays. Setting up a system of activities you do every day can help you maintain consistency and focus. Mine are the 3 M’s: movement, matcha, and meditation! I have to move this little old lady’s body each day, I drink KoMatcha (my fave), and mediation is really just focused attention, which I love (check out Aditi on the Peloton app—you don’t need a Peloton to use the app, easy peasy—or Calm or Headspace).
- Assign certain activities to specific days of the week — group regular activities to maximize productivity and minimize distractions. This is really about what works best for you and how you like to work. You could try meetings with the team on Monday, focusing on revenue-generating activities Tuesday to Thursday, and following up from the week and resetting for the next week on Friday.
- Time block — schedule space in your calendar for strategy, email review, meetings, social media management, and personal time.
There are so many additional ideas in Attention Pays (check out pages 100 – 103 for even more ideas!). If you don’t have your own copy, you can pick it up on Amazon or your fave bookstore.
“Wheels up in 5, Ms. James!”
This pic was captured at a super fun event inside the fabulous Sheltair Hanger (a women-owned business!) where we also met the owners of Skyway Aviation (another women-owned business!) with champagne tasting by my friend Gina of A Vine Affair (yet another women-owned business!) and we were sipping Laurent-Perrier Rose (my most fave pink bubbles) and guess what it’s a …. you guessed it… women-owned business!
Why share this? While there were SO many things I could have done instead of this event (emails, meetings, projects, speech preparation) I chose to carve out time in my calendar to support other women-owned businesses.
Systemizing your calendar has many perks… maybe even flights on private jets.. one day!
