Review. Reflect. Renew. These are the three steps you can take to create faster and better decisions throughout your day, and in your personal life for that matter.
REVIEW
We are all prone to work “Long and Hard” if you grew up in the United States, particularly if you were raised by an A-plus set of parents who were always on the go. We all need to pick up a book and relax or go out for a cup of coffee but the problem is we usually do these things to interrupt and bring variety to our day.
A viable alternative to that approach is to order your day in three steps starting early in the morning, if you are able, with Reviewing what is important for that particular day. Focusing on just a few steps with high intensity is far more productive than trying to take too many steps in a short period of time. Yes, everything is important, but not everything has to be done all at once so why try and do more than one thing at a time?
REFLECT
Think about what worked out extremely well and why and what didn’t work out as well and why. Knowing this will allow you to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses you’re bringing to your projects and tasks. Often, people attempt to do everything with little to no involvement from others and this typically diminishes success because today’s complex marketplace requires many different skillsets and talents. Once you determine where you excel you will be able to decide who you need working with you to accomplish your tasks. Reflecting on all of your situations should allow you to keep yourself on track.
RENEW
This is tough for many CEO’s and executives… taking time off from work. If you are working on Saturdays and possibly Sundays that probably indicates you have not thought through a way to balance your work with your personal life and enjoyment. And that is always a cause for concern because once your energy gets low you will not function well in any circumstance. Finding ways to share your experience in ‘non-work activities’ such as volunteering for a cause, mentoring someone or providing coaching are great ways to spend your time relaxing with the added benefit of helping others.
By taking a few moments to plan your day and really focusing in on what matters for the day will allow you to be more productive and get more done in less time.