Module 9 – The Blueprint

Module 9
The Blueprint (Setting Up & Honoring Your Calendar)

REMEMBER TIME?

One of the most valuable assets you have is time. It’s the one thing you literally can’t get more of. People like to label time as “work time” or “free time” but the truth is that there is no such thing as “work time” or “free time”, there is just TIME.

Time is a mental construct. It’s a way we manage our mind around each day.

Put “time” in the C line of your Model see how your thoughts about time create your results with time.

As an example, look at the difference between the two Models below:

C: Time
T: I don’t have enough
F: Stress
A: Procrastinate, buffer
R: Not enough time

C: Time
T: I have plenty
F: Abundant
A: Plan, use, create
R: Plenty of time

The circumstance (time) doesn’t change, but the way you think about it will change your experience of it.

Most of us don’t live our days deliberately. We live unconsciously and let the day slip away without using anything to manage our time.

I encourage you to write down how you spent your last 24 hours. Having an awareness of how you have been spending your time will give you an indication of how you think about time.

Only actions create results. Actions take time. Actions create time. Your actions are what determines your time. This ultimately means your thoughts determine your time. The more deliberate your thoughts are about time, the better you’ll be at creating results with your time.

I wanted to remind you of this concept (it’s the same from Module 5). As you begin to create a blueprint to live your life on purpose, how you think about time and use time to intentionally create your results. Review the Model’s of Alignment above and determine NOW how you want to think about your time. There is no right or wrong answer – there is only the answer that serves the version of yourself you choose to become.

IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT

The main difference between people who get results in their life and those who don’t is their level of commitment. Those who say they will “try this” will have a much different experience than those who decide that they are “committed to getting this result no matter what”.

ASK YOURSELF:
? Are you really committed to getting what you want no matter what?
? Why or why not?
? If you don’t get that result, are you willing to give me $50k?

I want you to see the difference between wanting something vs. fully committing to taking massive action until you have what you want, no matter what. The good news is that your commitment is only broken when you fail, and you only fail when you choose to quit. When you are continually taking action, you are still in the game.

You have been practicing your current way of being. You have well established patterns and your brain likes it that way. To change, you must expect discomfort and move toward it. You must rely on your commitment, allow this discomfort, and act anyway. Growth means you must commit to doing the work, including the work to change your beliefs about your self-worth and capabilities.

ASK YOURSELF:
? What is your why for your goals?
? Why is this your goal?
? What will happen if you don’t do it?
? What discomfort will it cause?
? Will it be worth it?
? What is your exact commitment?
? When will you have accomplished it?
? How can you make this measurable and exciting?

PROACTIVATION

“Proactivation” is a word made up to express the opposite of procrastination.

The word procrastinate means to delay or postpone. Most of us are great at procrastinating things that will give us long term pleasure and horrible at procrastinating things that will give us short term pleasure. We want the quick fix, the reward, the immediate gratification. If we can learn to flip this around, we can create the life we keep dreaming about.

Proactivation means we use our prefrontal cortex to make plans and execute them no matter what. When we switch to this way of being, we create our life instead of reacting to it. We don’t rely on fear and pressure to drive us like we do when we procrastinate something until the last minute.

ASK YOURSELF:
? In what ways do you procrastinate?
? What would be different about your life if you didn’t procrastinate?
? Have you ever considered yourself someone who “does better under pressure”?
? Are you reluctant to make a plan to create your goal or dream because you know you won’t follow through? Why might that be?
? Imagine you were good at making plans and consistently following through. How would your life be different?
? What would it be worth to you to commit to learning the skill of proactivation?

PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING A GOAL

I want to expand on the idea of proactivation by using a process for accomplishing a goal as it relates to living your purpose. I want you to have in mind something you would like to create in your life in the next thirty (30) days. Something that doesn’t exist now.

Once you pick, you can’t change your mind.

Write down this goal. Make it measurable, and give it a deadline (no more than 30 days). You need to know when it’s done.

Now I want you to commit. Why will you do it no matter what?

HOW YOU NEED TO FEEL
Put the goal in the R line of the Model. Remember that results come from actions that are driven by feelings, which are created by thoughts. Right now, you don’t feel the way you need to feel to drive this action, or you would have done it already. So, what are you currently feeling? What thought is causing that feeling?

Now find out, by working the Model backwards, the feeling you need to generate to get the work done.

SCHEDULE BASIC CALENDAR HOURS
The first step to organizing your time is to schedule basic calendar hours.

Follow this structure for scheduling their week (in this order):
1. Block off personal / free time
2. Schedule meals / travel time
3. Schedule meetings / appointments
4. Schedule focus time (see focus time below)
5. Schedule “unexpected urgency” time (this is time set aside each day to act as a back up space if things come up)

FOCUS TIME
One of the best ways you can get your to do list accomplished is by setting aside focus time. This is at least 1–2 hours each day where you will need to turn off all notifications (email, cell phone, desktop) and focus your attention on producing a result. Distractions act as a barrier to getting your most important work done. Schedule the 1–2 hours each day where you will disconnect and focus on completing you most important tasks. Your focus time should produce a result – when you are done with the time, something has been created or completed (learning counts).

LIST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET DONE
Brainstorm time!

List everything you can think of that needs to be done to accomplish this goal. Break large projects into steps. These are your “Do Goals” – a list of actions that ensure success.

SCHEDULE IT ON THE CALENDAR
This is the part you will likely resist but absolutely must do. I want you to add every single item on your list to your calendar. No exceptions. You must decide, in advance, how long they are going to take to complete the task. Be realistic. No drama.

EXCEPTIONS AND BACK UP PLAN
Unless it’s an emergency, you need to honor what is on that calendar like it’s a meeting with the CEO of your life – which it is. Know in advance that you will not want to. You will want to make excuses. Expect this, and don’t make exceptions for any reason (unless there is blood involved). Make a back up plan that is more painful than the original plan just in case you allow yourself to take longer than originally planned.

For example, if you usually take Saturday mornings off to go fishing, your back up plan might be that you finish the work on Saturday morning.

DO IT ANYWAY
When you commit to managing your brain, you can learn the skill of directing it and producing amazing results. Continue to do your daily thought downloads and do a mini thought download on our thoughts and goals about what’s on the schedule for today. Decide how you need to feel to get this work done today and then create an Intentional Model of Alignment with the new thought.

ASK YOURSELF:
? What are your thoughts about this process?
? How do you feel about creating your result in the next thirty (30) days?