Dominic Forth

Dominic Forth

Staying Focused on Tasks That Matter

I am constantly getting sidetracked and distracted throughout the day and focusing on the tasks that matter, most importantly, those that pay is a key focus area of improvement for me in 2010

This post by Ali addresses the issue and offers some great advice! Make sure you check out her blog after you've read her article!

Jason R. Ayers asked in a comment:

With no sales, a business is just a bunch of untested ideas. So, my biggest challenge is making sure I spend 80% of my time focused on selling my products and services. It’s awfully easy to get sidetracked into operations, technical issues, paperwork, and other non-essential issues.

My questions is this: What are your best strategies to insure you spend the majority of your time selling your products or services so you can maintain adequate cash flow in your business?

I’m going to tackle this with a focus on small business, since that’s what Jason is asking about – but much of what I say will apply to any area where you need to keep your focus on the aspects of a project which really matter.

Strategy #1: Figure Out Your Major Tasks

This is an obvious point, but it’s one that I know I sometimes manage to miss out myself. Before you do much else, you need to be clear about what your major tasks involve. These tend to be the things that are absolutely fundamental to your business existing – the ones which take it from being “a bunch of untested ideas” to a business.
Here’s a couple of examples from my own life:

Business: The majority of my income comes from freelance writing for a handful of different blogs. I write anything from one post a month to two per week for each blog, and I get paid per post. Focusing on my major business tasks means that I tend to do all these blog posts on Mondays and Tuesdays (playing catch-up later in the week where necessary).

Non-business: I’ve been working on a novel for the past year, and I’ve finished the first draft (150,000 words) and am about 55,000 words into the second draft. To get the first draft done, I had to focus on the really major task of a novel – the actual writing! – rather than spending hours researching little details, or reading similar books, or chatting to writer friends.

What are your major tasks, in your business or on a particular project? What absolutely needs to be done in order for that business or project to exist?

Strategy #2: Use Your Best Times for Your Big Work

Use the times of day when you’re at your most creative and engaged to work on your major tasks. Again, this is an obvious point – but an easy one to overlook, especially in the day-to-day minutae of running a business.

For me, that means (wherever possible) doing the bulk of my writing in the mornings, and leaving administrative work like emails, and marketing work, until the afternoons.

I suspect you already have a good gut feeling for when you’re at your best (and worst) in terms of productivity and ability to concentrate on something sustained. Whether you do or not, give Charlie Gilkey’s Productivity Heatmap a try – I found it a great way to get an overall feel for my peaks of energy during the day. (It’s also an excuse to play with crayons…)

Strategy #3: Develop a Routine

The word “routine” can be rather off-putting if you’re a creative, impulsive, follow-the-muse type … and many freelancers find that no two days or weeks look alike:

Sometimes you work late into the night, or sometimes you take mornings off and then make it up by working Saturday afternoon. This does afford a lot of flexibility, but sometimes it’s good to know that you’ve put in a solid day’s work and you can enjoy your evenings and weekends like the rest of the working world.

(Cyan and Collis Ta’eed, How to be a Rockstar Freelancer – reviewed here, p52)

Having a routine doesn’t mean that you should start planning out your life like a school timetable (though that works for Glen); rather, I’m suggesting that you pattern your week so that you’ve got clear and sacrosanct blocks of time for your major tasks.

That might be as simple as spending Monday mornings on product creation, Tuesday afternoons on marketing, and the whole of Thursday on client work.

On a day-to-day level, a routine that allows you space to step back and see what you’re doing (rather than rushing from moment to moment) can really help. I like to take five minutes, first thing, to look at my plans and commitments for the day. Lunch-time is often a good chance to figure out what went right during the morning – and what’s a priority for the afternoon.

Strategy #4: Use the One-Two-Three Method of Prioritising

When I start losing focus, or when I’m staring at my task list trying to figure out where to begin, I shove an asterisk against the most important thing (not necessarily the most urgent), two asterisks against the next, and three against the third. Here’s part of my task list from Monday:

Part of Monday's task list

(I wanted to give a real life example, so excuse the messiness!) If it helps you to what’s going on, I cross out tasks when they’re complete. I wrote two posts for Diet Blog, and had a lot of other paid work – and some household, admin and volunteering tasks – on Monday. To make sure I could focus without feeling overwhelmed, I took ten seconds to mentally and physically prioritise the rest of my paid work.

I find that thinking three tasks ahead is comfortable; going up to four or five makes me feel overwhelmed again.

Strategy #5: Avoid Distractions and Interruptions

This is yet another obvious one, but it’s one that I find myself struggling with most weeks! When you’ve blocked out time to get the major tasks done, you need to actually do those tasks. Phone calls, checking Twitter, answering emails, and tidying the kitchen aren’t going to get you any closer to completion.

You know what distractions you give in to – especially the ones which tempt you when you’re working on something that requires a lot of energy. You also know what interruptions tend to crop up. Don’t be afraid to tell colleagues, family members or housemates that you’re busy.

There’s another, slightly less obvious point here: an unattractive working environment is a distraction in itself. (For a tongue-in-cheek look at this, try my Dumb Little Man post on 10 Ways to Create a Work Environment That Drags You Down…)

Strategy #6: Create a System for Routine Tasks

In any business – and probably in any big non-business endeavour – there are going to be a lot of little tasks that you do on a regular basis. The effort of simply remembering all of these can drain your time and energy. Taking five minutes to schedule them into your calendar, diary or planner means they’re off your mind and into your workflow.

Mark Forster’s Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play has some very useful thoughts about systems in the chapter “Structuring Your Work”:

Do you wonder why your correspondence always ends up in a pile of unactioned papers? It is because you do not have a system for dealing with it. Do you wonder why you cannot keep up with your e-mail? It is because you don’t have a system for dealing with it. Do you wonder why you are always having to waste time popping out to the shops to buy something you have run out of? It’s because … well, you’ve got the picture by now!

(Mark Forster, Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play – Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk, p13)

Beyond that, many tasks can be partially automated. That might mean using template emails for contacting clients, rather than typing out information each time. It could mean having a particular time slot in the day – perhaps when your creative energy is low – to check various stats.

Don’t make things harder on yourself than they need to be. Get all your emails coming into one place (I used to have four separate accounts – now they all direct into my Gmail inbox, and I can send and receive from each different address there). If you manually visit a bunch of blogs trying to keep up with them all, then start using RSS. If you have routine formatting tasks – like getting your Word document or blog post to look right – then see if there’s a more efficient way. Nine times out of ten, there is.

If you’re struggling to find a quick, workable system to catch up with a backlog and stay on top of your email, I strongly recommend getting your hands on Charlie Gilkey’s Email Triage – reviewed here.

Strategy #7: Separate Work Tasks and Home Tasks

I’m far from perfect at this one, so I hesitated to include it – but I will as an encouragement to myself. ;-) And if you have any particular advice or tips on this, please do leave them in the comments…

If you run a small business – or if you’re still in the fledgling stages of starting one – then there’s a good chance you’re working from home. This has many advantages: I love being able to take a shower in the middle of the day, for instance, or pick up groceries when the shops are quiet. However, it’s also incredibly easy to end up spending time cleaning, tidying, washing up, shopping online and so on… and this doesn’t make for a productive work day.

I’m not sure I’ve found any perfect solutions yet! One solution is to grab your laptop and head to a coffee shop (I use my university library) – then you can’t go and put a load of laundry on when you’re struggling to keep up the motivation to work. You could also try working set hours, or working for time blocks (such as 9am – 11am).

If you’re a small biz type yourself, how would you answer Jason’s question at the start of this post? What strategies do you use to keep on top of the work that actually brings in the money? And if you’ve got a solution to working from home without letting a dozen household tasks creep in, let me know…!

Big Thanks to Ali for such great advice!!

A fantastic way to live

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old


To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

6. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

7. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

8. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

9. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

10. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

13. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

14. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

17. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer...

19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie... Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

22. The most important sex organ is the brain.

23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

25. Always choose life.

26. Forgive everyone everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

31. Believe in miracles.

32. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

33. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

34. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

35. Your children get only one childhood.

36. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

37. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

38. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

39. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

40. The best is yet to come.

41. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

42. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

> The Charlie Schulz Philosophy
> (This is marvelous!! Scroll thru slowly and read carefully to receive
> and enjoy full effect)
> The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the
> 'Peanuts' comic strip.
> You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight
> through and you'll get the point.
> 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
> 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
> 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
> 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
> 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
> actress.
> 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
> How did you do?
> The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
> These are no second-rate achievers.
> They are the best in their fields.
> But the applause dies.
> Awards tarnish.
> Achievements are forgotten.
> Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
> Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
> 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
> 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
> 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
> 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and
> special!!
> 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
> Easier?
> The Lesson:
> The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
> most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
> They simply are the ones who care the most!
>

Concentrate on this Sentence

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

There comes a point in your life when you realize:

Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Give these flowers to everyone you don't want to lose in 2009
including me, if that's what is in your heart.
Try to collect 5 ; it's not easy!

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

I've just finished Mitch Albom's book, 'The five people you meet in heaven.' It's only a short story, but comforting nonetheless.

The following text struck a chord with me:

"You died. You were forty-seven. You were the best person any of us knew, and you died and you lost everything. And I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved."

She took his hands. "No, you didn't. I was right here. And you loved me anyway.

"Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.

"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't."

While the book is talking about the love bonded in marriage, I feel this is also true for the love in a family, which is the the reason why I wanted to share it with you.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee... You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her t o the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean , mother?'

Her mother explained that! each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff ? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The b ean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy..

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.