Living Life by Design

You Need A System!

It’s Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. Two San Francisco entrepreneurs are pitching their ventures to potential investors today. They’d both agree that this is one of the most important days of their lives. This is the story of Jane and Joe…

Jane was up until 4 a.m. putting the final touches on her deck. In fact, she spent the entire weekend fixed in her apartment, preparing the presentation. This morning, she woke up late and rushed putting together her most “investor-worthy” attire. She slammed a shot of espresso, grabbed her computer, and ran out the door feeling hungry and tired. She arrived right on time but felt anxious and flustered about the events of the morning.

Joe, on the other hand, went to sleep last night at 11 p.m., as he does most nights of the week. His presentation was ready Friday afternoon, after seven revisions thanks to feedback from advisors. He spent the weekend in nature connecting with friends. This morning, he woke up at 7 a.m., had a glass of water, ran two miles, meditated for 15 minutes, and drank a smoothie. He put on the outfit he picked out the evening before, grabbed his bag, and walked out the door. He arrived 10 minutes early, feeling confident, calm, and eager to share his vision with potential investors.

Which entrepreneur would you bet on?

And, which entrepreneur most closely resembles you?

Jane and Joe are fictional characters. The entrepreneurial world is of Jane’s. They work 16-hour days, seven days per week, and wonder why they aren’t getting the results they’re looking for. The truth is, results don’t come through hours spent. Great results often come by doing less and working smarter.

This is the reason you need a system. We all need something that will help us to accomplish not just the urgent things, but the things that are most important.

First you must concede the fact that you need to change…and that change will not come easy. However, I absolutely guarantee you will enjoy the results. Hey, you didn’t want to potty train either but how has that worked out for you…lol?

So, before you take this journey with me, you need to do two things:

• Purchase a day planner. The brand you decide on is completely up to you but it must be a two-page per day planner.
• Once you have the planner in your hand and assembled properly, throw away all notebooks, sticky notes and other sources of paper you could potentially write on. Everything you write will now be written in your day planner.

If you need help choosing a day planner, I currently use (and have used for over 20 years) a Franklin Covey Day Planner. You can typically pick one up from your local Staples or Office Max. You can also order them directly from Franklin Covey from their website: www.Franklinplanner.com or online from Staples or Office Max. Here are some additional options:

• DayTimer: www.DayTimer.com – Online, Walmart, Target, etc.
• Day Designer: www.DayDesigner.com – Online only
• Blue Sky: www.BlueSky.com – Online only
• Papier: www.Papier.com – Online only

Once you have your planner in hand, you’re now ready to embrace The Do Something Principal…

The Do Something Principal

How many times have you neglected a way out because it seemed too easy? As the saying goes, if it’s stupid but it works, it’s not stupid. Well, the Do Something Principle is so simple that it almost balances on the verge of silliness, to the point that we tend to overlook its incredible effectiveness.

Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, is the recent advocate for this principle that he defined in the aforementioned book. He writes that most of us take action when we feel motivated, when the reverse works much better because motivation is a three-part chain on a loop:

Inspiration → Motivation → Action → Inspiration → Motivation → Action → etc.

When you face a major life change, struggle to form a new habit, or start a new project, baby steps are the most efficient method in the long run. Therefore, the essence of this principle lies in doing something, taking the smallest menial step, and then harnessing the power of the generated momentum in order to motivate yourself to keep moving forward. To illustrate:

• To encourage yourself to train for a 5K, start running for five minutes a day.
• When you need to redesign your entire website, tackle the header first.
• If you want to write a book, type in 100 words into a document.
• Want to get physically stronger? Begin with 3 pushups a day.
• To switch to a healthier diet, add one vegetable to your dinner.
• To conquer social anxiety, try smiling at one stranger on the street.
• When you prepare for a job interview, focus on ironing your shirt.

Do something.

Action creates motivation. Start simple and focus on the process rather than the goal. The smallest viable step towards results is very often enough to get the snowball rolling because it gives you a sense of accomplishment that fuels motivation. With the destination in sight, it’s still all about the journey.

The secret to success lies in falling in love with the process…Let’s start with Step #1.

Step #1

Who are you?

Who you are should be clear, simple and easy for you to remember. It’s who you are…or who you want to become. It encompasses your personal and professional life. So, let’s jump right in!

Choose the 4 or 5 roles in your life that matter most to you. These roles could include; personal, spouse, parent, student, work, family, friends, school, church, etc.

For each role, decide what you want the future to look like. At your very best, what do you want this role to look like?

• Example:

Personal – I have a healthy lifestyle and am physically fit! I am debt free and have time to make my own schedule according to what I want.

Husband – I am the BEST spouse…kind, loving and engaging. I always make her feel needed and important. I am attentive to her needs, wants and desires.

Parent – I am always there for my kids. I will make lasting, lifelong memories with them and make them a priority each and every day. I will help them become happy, healthy and productive adults.

Manager – I am a great manager who exemplifies Zig Ziglar’s quote, “You can have everything in life you want if you’ll only help enough other people get what they want.” I’m intentional, I always seek to understand and am passionate.

Who are you!

• ____________________

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• ____________________

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• ____________________

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• ____________________

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Step #2

Big Rocks!

The “Big Rocks” concept came from Steven Covey in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First.

One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you’ll never forget it either.

As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

What are the big rocks in your life? A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these ‘Big Rocks’ in first or you’ll never get them in at all.

Your “Big Rocks” are the activities that align with who you are…your roles. Each of your individual roles should have “Big Rocks” or goals attached to them. These goals should be specific and measurable. You should have no more than 3 “Big Rocks” per role.

Example:

 Personal:

…I will eat healthier, exercise more and lose 30 pounds by December 1^st.

…I will read a minimum of 10 books this year.

Husband:

…I will take my wife on two dates per month. One of her choosing and one of mine.

…I show my wife in tangible ways that I love her.

…I will plan a one week vacation this year.

Parent:

…I will take both my son and daughter on a one-on-one date every month.

…I will make time to be present at my son’s soccer games and my daughters’ archery practice.

Manager:

…I will spend quality time with everyone on my management team.

…I will research ways to help my employees to increase business.

…I will encourage peers and employees by writing a weekly blog.

My “Big Rocks”

Role: ____________________

#1_______________________________________________________________

#2_______________________________________________________________

#3_______________________________________________________________

Role: ____________________

#1_______________________________________________________________

#2_______________________________________________________________

#3_______________________________________________________________

Role: ____________________

#1_______________________________________________________________

#2_______________________________________________________________

#3_______________________________________________________________

Role: ____________________

#1_______________________________________________________________

#2_______________________________________________________________

#3_______________________________________________________________

Step #3

Living your life by design!

Now comes the fun part! We need to break down your Big Rocks into daily, weekly or monthly actions so the most important things in your life get done. You can now be more organized, find balance, improve, relationships, be healthier. You’re doing the things that are most important in your life.

Example:

• Role: Manager

Big Rock: I will spend quality time with everyone on my management team.

Action: I will visit each of my 6 offices every month and spend 30 minutes with the branch manager.

Big Rock: I will research ways to help employees increase business.

Action: Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will schedule 45 minutes to research ne programs to help employees increase personal production.

Big Rock: I will encourage peers and employees by writing a weekly blog.

Action: Set aside Friday afternoons from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM to write a blog to publish Monday morning.

Be specific with your actions. If you want more than one action for each of your Big Rocks, that’s ok.

Once you’ve completed your actions, you are now free to put them into your daily planner.  

My Action Plan

• Role:   ____________________

Big Rock:       ________________________________________________________

Action Plan: ________________________________________________________

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• Role:   ____________________

Big Rock:       ________________________________________________________

Action Plan: ________________________________________________________

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• Role:   ____________________

Big Rock:       ________________________________________________________

Action Plan: ________________________________________________________

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• Role:   ____________________

Big Rock:       ________________________________________________________

Action Plan: ________________________________________________________

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Step #4

Implementation!

Now that you have your Roles, Big Rocks and Action Plan in place, it’s time to make them a part of your daily life. 

Review each Action Plan and decide whether it should be placed on your yearly, monthly or daily calendar. Add each Action Plan to its proper place.

Congratulations…You are now living your life By Design!

Final Thoughts:

• Daily – review your roles every day.

• Weekly – make sure you are staying on track with the things that are most important.

• Monthly – maybe some tweaking is in order. Review your Roles, Big Rocks and your Action Plan to make sure they are driving your purpose, actions, vision and motivation.

• Yearly – review what you accomplished over the last 12 months. Move your

This is your pilot speaking…You are now free to move about the cabin, knowing that you are living life by design.

BE…

PS – If you’d like for me to email you a WORD document so you can easily print out the forms, just let me know. My personal email is brett.stacy@ymail.com.