Planning Your Time (Mondays)

Hey All, hope you're doing great.

Just a few updates first:

• I recently interviewed Ana Andjelic (cultural writer and former brand director of Banana Republic) for a series of interviews on how brands can adapt themselves to what's next.
• I'm enjoying this new community for authors which has been a great way to learn about the writing process.
• Finding yourself spending lots of time on the small tasks while avoiding answering the big questions? The draft of my new book on Delegation (specific action steps you can do today) is ready.

Add your name here if you'd like to see the early draft for feedback!

Which would you pick? Time is my...

A: Enemy

B: Friend.

I saw this poll on Twitter, and quickly picked "friend."

Of course, time is my friend... right?

It turns out that this experience is not shared by everyone, and understandably so.

The common state of busyness that we collectively feel means that your time can feel indiscriminate.

You work on whatever is calling your attention... you react to inbound... your week feels like a blur as you do 5 different jobs.

Bushidō and the Warrior Way.

My friend Chris has been telling me about how he's been incorporating new aspects of himself into his creative process. He sees the many facets of his personality, explores them, and invites them all to the table when producing creative work.

An artist channels what is present: anger, sadness, joy...

He recently discovered and shared this concept of Bushidō which is the samurai code from Japan in the 700s AD.

In Bushidō, when a warrior has their back against the wall, with 30 enemies standing in their way, they go into a state of blind rage...

They know they are going to die...

And yet, this state of rage puts them in a place where against the odds, they defeat all enemies and come out alive.

Sometimes we feel this way with all of our tasks. We have to use blind audacity to get ourselves out of a business hole we've dug ourselves into.

The thing is, our back is already up against the wall, with no way out.

All of us are on the way out...and in that way, time can feel like an enemy.

Through Bushido, we might live at our edge and respond to this harsh reality?

But being in a blind rage with our time may be useful on occasion, but over the long run we can't sustain a healthy relationship with time from this place.

Planning Time

Instead of going full Bushido forever, we can become much more intentional with our time.

And here is the secret which hides in plain sight: We can plan time.

If time is your enemy, it plans you.

If time is your friend, you plan time.

I give myself the first block of every Monday for planning my time.

During this time, first thing in the week...

I plan goals and outcomes for important meetings.

I send proactive emails to people ahead of time as prep.

I book important work that I want to see happen to block it off.

I look ahead and get excited about my week. I see all of the upcoming moments that allow me to go further with goals that I want to see happen.

I'm excited about the upcoming workouts, the coaching calls, creative time... even my morning coffee or my mid-day lunch.

What I didn't expect is that the more time I plan, the more productive I am and the more engaged I get when things do arrive.

So, I invite you to start a new ritual – Planning Mondays

Take 30 min, an hour, as much as you need, and look ahead at your week.

• Book it in your calendar recurring each week.
• Use that time to block out things that you find important in the week ahead.
• Send pro-active emails for the week ahead, prep for conversations, set objectives for how you'll use that time well.
• And don't forget to block out moments you are excited about that you want to enjoy... moments with family, coffee, a lunch with a friend, going to the gym...

Take time to work with your time, and make it your friend.

As always, let me know how I can help,

xx David

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Three other things you might like:

1. 1-1 Coaching: Stuck in your own way? I'll help you as a sounding board to get clarity on major decisions, delegations, and tweaks in your calendar to develop a better rhythm with your work. Book a Session
2. Caffeine insights on Youtube: Helping you grow your business and achieve without sacrificing your lifestyle or burning out.
3. Read the Draft of my Book on Delegation. I wrote a book for Founders on Delegation. Think "E-Myth" but more immediately actionable.

Add your name here if you'd like to see the early draft for feedback!