Thus spake Vickie Austin during her Brand Called You seminar a while back. This phrase has really stuck with me over the months since that seminar, more so than anything else she said.
Show me your calendar, and I'll show you your priorities.
What is your priority? What are you letting slide? Pull out your Palm, your Google calendar, your day planner, whatever you use. Take a quick glance at your appointments over the last few weeks. Where are you spending the most valuable, irreplacable asset you have, your time? Are you meeting with new clients? Spending time with your kids? Building relationships by connecting with old clients and colleagues? Participating in Facebook? Answering email from clients, friends, colleagues? Writing that book? Working out? Writing your newsletter? Working on your marketing plan? Taking a seminar or class for professional development? Learning something new? Spending time with your spouse? Spending time alone, relaxing, watching TV or enjoying a favorite hobby? Reading a business book? Reading a pleasure book? Volunteering for your favorite cause?
Show me your calendar, and I'll show you your priorities.
You may feel you "should" spend more time reading business books, participating in your professional organizations, enjoying your favorite hobby or going on dates with your spouse. OK. So what are you going to do about it? First, look at your calendar. Where are you spending your time now? Before you can make time for this rising priority, you have to figure out where your time is going now. Divide your waking day into one-hour or two-hour chunks and look at the last two weeks. Where is the biggest percentage of your time going? What next? And next? And next?
Are you surprised at what your priorities actually are, based on how you choose to spend your time? If you're not spending time doing something, it's not a priority. And if you don't think your calendar reflects your priorities, change it. Drop anything that is taking a large amount of time that you do not consider a value or priority in your life. Is volunteering for that board taking a disproportionate amount of your time? Learn how to just say no so you can spend more time working out, with your kids or writing your novel. Are there activities that aren't giving you a return? Maybe you should adjust your newsletter or podcast publishing schedule so you can make time to take a professional seminar or work out two additional times a month.
Every six months, take a look at your calendar. Does it reflect your stated values and priorities? If not, be brutal. Make those changes so that your life reflects YOU.
