The 366 Method of Daily Planning

Today is one of those days where I really enjoy being in a business that helps other people. The entire reason that I went into business was to help other people avoid the mistakes in business I made. The more businesses that I can help and the more people that I can help, the better we all do. The mistakes I made are way too common in business and way too expensive to ignore.

I got an e-mail this morning with a great question. It was from a guy that I met in Scottsdale Arizona at a marketing conference. His question was this: "I have a problem staying focused on my daily tasks and I'm wondering if you have any tips to help me get work on things done."

As I thought through the answer, I tried to step out of my life and look at how I manage my day. I realize I use a very simple system. I call it the 366 approach. Think of it is really 3+6+6. The 366 method is something that everybody can do.  The 366 method can result in huge productivity gains which oddly enough, can lead to even bigger problems. One of the ironies that I find working with people is that they haven't accepted that there strictly workaholics. A workaholic is someone who works for the sake of work. These are the people that are always busy. When I teach them this method of daily planning they find that they have extra time in their day and that can cause a problem. Some great advice that I heard from another strategic planning coach was to make sure the person you are working with has a hobby first.

I thought to myself "what a great way to encourage people to leave the office." The real problem was I had a harder time defining a hobby than I did for helping them define their business. Let's face it, I am not a hobby coach. I like my hobbies but there's nothing that says you will like the same hobbies.

So before trying to implement the 366 approach I recommend you pick a new hobby. When you start your new hobby, you have a reason to leave after you've accomplished all of your daily tasks and goals. Instead of hanging around and trying to give yourself busy work. Having someplace to go is an excellent productivity enhancer. Have you ever noticed how much people get done the day before they leave on vacation? Act like every day is the day before vacation.

So here it is:

The first number is three, representing the three strengths that you bring to your business. Within your strengths are three specific and related tasks you can produce better than anyone else in the company. These are the three things you have not found somebody to outsource the activity to. For instance, one of my activities is writing, I haven't found a way to have someone else write what I think and have it be accurate or genuine. To make sure they keep up with my writing, I block one hour per day four days per week and dedicate the hour to writing.

The second number is a six, representing the six tasks I plan to accomplish each day. I used to have a giant list of things that I would try to do every day, and I was always disappointed at how little I could do. I found this to be a common trait among entrepreneurs. By limiting yourself to a fixed number of  tasks per day, you have an objective which is obtainable, leading to a positive finish every day. This is why a hobby is so important, because if you finish your day early and don't have something else to do you will start on other tasks and leave them incomplete. Anytime you leave tasks and complete you add them to your accumu-later adding stress and frustration.

The final number is also a six, representing the plan for the next day. By writing down six major task that you will accomplish the following day, you allow your mind to begin working on the method for accomplishment. When you write it down your mind starts to work immediately. I write my six tasks down on a glass board for everyone else in the house to see. I found initially this was a great way to get others to hold me accountable to my goals. Now I just do it out of habit. Planning your tasks the day before can exponentially increase your chances of success, don't skip this step.

That's all there is to it, the key to success is discipline and consistency so that this practice becomes habit. For people who work from home or in an open office, there is an added element of distraction. If you don't have private space with a closed door, then it may be time to rent a small space somewhere. When I go into my office each morning my cell phone is off, my Skype is on “do not disturb” and I work. During the time when I'm developing my six tasks for the next day, I check messages and return calls so that I can set my priorities correctly for the next days tasks. We think that everything in our society today is right now, I have found that customers will wait a little bit to just get it right.

The 366 method will help you accomplish more in less time and get it right for your customers more often the first time. Stay focused and stay on target.