To Do List

Eight businesses.

Tons of travel.

More projects than I can count.

Not to mention trying to do my part as a husband and stepdad.

So I, like you have a LOT going on. Here are some tips on how I get stuff done.

  1. Plan your day the evening before. This has been the foundation of my time management system for 15 years.
  2. Do the most important thing first. Nothing sets the tone for a productive day like knocking out a big task early.
  3. Don’t leave email sitting in your in box. Once you decide to open an email, act on it. Either delete, reply or read. You don’t want to ‘touch’ the same email 3-4 times.
  4. Admit multitasking is bad. Focus on something and finish it.
  5. Know when you work best. For me early mornings, late evenings and Sundays are best for writing.
  6. Make it easy to get started. Prep the night before, keep what you need handy and eliminate distractions.
  7. Organize your To-Do List every day. Your To-Do is your productivity road map for the day. Treat it accordingly.
  8. Dare to be slow. Don’t mistake activity for achievement. Only go as quickly as you can while still delivering quality work.
  9. Set and respect deadlines. If you don’t have deadlines you don’t get things done. Period.
  10. Goal set. Why bother doing something if you don’t have a goal for the outcome of that activity?
  11. Allocate your time. Know how much time something should take and plan accordingly.
  12. Use your time wisely. We all have the same 24 hours each day, so why is there such a disparity in what high achievers accomplish versus what they average person does? How they use those hours. Use yours wisely.
  13. Avoid disruptions. If you’re working on something, don’t let other stuff interfere. You’ll lose your momentum and reduce your productivity.
  14. Time Block. You’d be amazed at what you can get done with one uninterrupted 30-50 minute block of time. Have a couple of those each day to work on your business or projects and watch your productivity and income soar.
  15. Get a kitchen timer. Use it to time block.
  16. Delegation. 20% of your stuff needs to get 80% of your attention. Delegate as much of the rest as you can.
  17. Outsource wisely. This means outsourcing the right things and setting whoever you’re outsourcing to up for success.
  18. Effective scheduling. Group phone calls or training sessions together. Look for ways to minimize wasted time.
  19. Prioritize ruthlessly. Focus your time on high ROI activities. This doesn’t happen by accident. Track the return on the things you spend time on and prioritize accordingly.
  20. Stop doing research. I could’ve said stop reading crap on the internet instead, because that’s what most people do when they say they’re doing research.
  21. Say NO more often. Refuse low ROI projects or activities. Not everything merits your time or attention.
  22. Neglect stuff. Some things can sort themselves out without you spending time on them. Hard to believe, but sometimes people can figure things out for themselves.
  23. Beat Procrastination. Just start. All you have to do is get going and more often than not you’ll get on a roll and accomplish a lot.
  24. Avoid being a perfectionist. It will never be perfect. Never. Good enough is good enough.
  25. Keep a notebook/PDA with you and write down your thoughts. I use a small Moleskin I keep in my pocket all day.
  26. Consider a paper planner. I’ve used a Franklin Covey planner since 1994. Simple & effective for To-Do lists and it goes everywhere with me.
  27. Google Calendar. Simple. Can be shared with colleagues and VA’s. Free.
  28. Google Docs. Can be accessed anywhere and shared just like Google Calendar.
  29. One Email Account. Have all of your emails funneled to one account.

I could’ve gone on for days, but the keys to productivity are Getting Started and Getting Done.

So this should get you started getting more done!

Dedicated to your success,

Pat Rigsby

PS I’d love to hear what productivity tips you are using to get more done in your fitness business

Pat Rigsby is a Co-Owner of the International Youth Conditioning Association & the youth fitness franchise Athletic Revolution as well as a fitness industry consultant serving thousands of personal trainers and fitness entrepreneurs. Sign up for his fitness business free newsletter to discover proven marketing, sales and business strategies, along with blog updates, news, and more! While you’re at it, follow him on Twitter.

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