productivity: the secret sauce for speakers
DESCRIPTION
Short presentation on how to find more time to boost your speaking business. This presentation was given at Engaging Speakers Boot Camp III in Chicago on 9/13/14.TRANSCRIPT
Productivity: The Secret Sauce for Speakers
Catherine MorganCareer Transition Coach | Business Consultant
Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.
Time is scarce
• Time is your most valuable commodity
• No matter how much time we have, it never seems like enough– Family
– Career
– Fitness
– Volunteering
– Hobbies
– Other?
Speakers are squeezed for time
• Speakers are running multiple businesses!
• Productivity becomes increasingly important
How to find more time
• Find out where your “leaks” are
– Keep track of what you do for a week
– Check for the usual time-sucks
What causes overwhelm?
“Overwhelm is caused by NOT knowing WHAT to do,
not by having too much to do.”~ Michael Port
How to get past overwhelm
• Get things out of your head
– Trying to remember too many things can cause immediate overwhelm
Capture all tasks
• Overwhelm will subside when you get into action
• Capture everything you need to do in some way (paper, software, phone app)
Create logical groups
• Once out of your head, tasks can be combined into logical groups or projects
– Business projects
– Personal chores
– Administrative tasks
First way to prioritize: Cha-ching!
• #1. Do the task that is the most important
– Hint: The fast path to the cash
Second way to prioritize: Gulp
• #2. Do the dreaded task first
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you
the rest of the day.” ~ Mark Twain
Third way to prioritize: Check
• #3. Do the easy things first
– Build momentum
Fourth way to prioritize: Whoo-hoo!
• #4. Gauge your enthusiasm
– Which task gets you excited?
– Do that first to get a little energy that can carry over to the ones that are not so fun
Add in constraints for productivity
• Work will expand to the amount of time you give it:
– Set deadlines - even if they are fake
– Bracket your time with other things that can’t move
– Keep to a schedule (and keep your sanity)
Notice avoidance behaviors
• Notice when you start doing something – anything – to avoid the dreaded task
– Laundry
– Organizing your office
– Cleaning
– Social media
Your friend the calendar
• Be hands-on: Use your calendar!
– Go through your commitments and other projects
– Define specific tasks and block out times
– Also schedule in breaks and fun
Banish crazy-busy
• Forget crazy-busy
– It’s the new normal
Questions?
Catherine MorganCareer Transition Coach | Business ConsultantPoint A to Point B Transitions [email protected] www.linkedin.com/in/PointAtoPointBTwitter @PointA_PointB
Catherine speaks on:- Productivity- Entrepreneurship- Small Business- Career Transition