I have always been focused on achievement. I’m a “goals first” guy and I generate lists that help me do my best. A to-do list gives me a sense of control and makes me feel productive when I get work done. Every time I get to cross off a to-do, a little shot of adrenaline is mine. It keeps me motivated and focused on the next job to be done.
We had a dinner party at our house and one of the guests asked me how I could run Aha! and my wife could be a VP of Marketing, have active kids, and still host an event during the week for 40 people. She wondered if we ever slept. I said that we were just like everyone else, except that we were ultra productive. We really are not special — just focused.
I love my job, but you do not need to wait until you are in a dream role to have aspirations and daily to-do lists. You have a plan, knock out the work, cross off the tasks, and repeat in order to get the dream job.
Here are the 10 things that I try to do every Monday. Some Mondays I do not get through all of them, but this approach has proven to be very effective for me.
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Go to bed early Sunday night and get at least eight hours of sleep
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Don’t exercise but take a short walk (I work out almost every other day, so this is my day off)
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Say to myself “Here we go” Monday a.m. to symbolize I am jumping into another busy week
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Review the company growth goals for the week
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Review my list of goals for the week
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Review each team member’s goals for the week
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Check in with team members to see how their weekend was
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Identify which customers need my attention
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Plan one fun thing to do the upcoming weekend
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Take a moment to remind myself how fortunate I am to be starting another week
Even when I am distracted or overwhelmed with what is going on, these 10 actions keep me grounded in what matters most. They set the stage for a productive and happy week.
Do you have any tricks for Mondays?
Source: aha.io
