My new motto is automate everything that’s automatable. I want to be doing what I love to do and that’s my work (which is more like play), research, developing new concepts and ideas and models with which to implement them. I do not want to be spending any more time on administrivia than I have to. The thing is, even when we automate processes, we still have to be ready to launch whatever it is the process will broadcast. Thus the delay. Even though I had asked the question a while back “What would you do if you had an extra 15 minutes every day?” which did, by the way, draw quite a few antagonistic responses, we don’t have that extra 15 minutes every day. So I have to find those 15 minute chunks on the run. And d’you know what? I can and I do!
I was on the phone with one of my editors and when I said to him “Another article? I need lead time, I can’t just churn out 1500 words at such short notice” his response was “Hey Donna, you have a plane trip coming up and I know you write like hell when you’re traveling”. OK. So he knows me really well.
Even though I love technology and think it’s the greatest thing since 7-Up as my dad would say, I never go anywhere anymore without my three small notebooks. Hey I create them for clients, why not use them for me? One is for writing ideas, so whenever a lightbulb goes off about something to write on this blog, one of the other two blogs I contribute to or an article here or there, I jot it down so I’m never short of subject matter. The second notebook is all about leadership; nuances, words that come out of my clients mouths that help define and describe leadership. I write programs around these ideas. And lastly I have one for business ideas. That’s the notebook that’s had a lot more action lately. Every time I have an idea about how to create virtual programs, it goes there.
Now that I have a third of my notebook written and in place, it’s time for Sandra to come and help me automate it. The ideas are mine. The collaborative interaction with user is there. The delivery, however is through technology. So I no longer have to worry that I might be out of town and can’t get a module, article or segment to a client. It’s done automatically. I won’t have to worry about scheduling, calling clients back at the end of the day or any scheduling conflicts. My scheduling will be done through the system, updated on my Outlook and the time slots will be updated regularly. Another piece of the puzzle I don’t have to worry about. Oh I’ll control the chunks of time and what will be available and what won’t be. But the systems in place will do all the work for me and I can now ‘play’.
What a concept!
The message I have for you would be, have you automated everything that’s automatable? Bill paying, website and domain name renewals, memberships on auto-renew…if you’re worried about keeping track, make a note in your Outlook for when the renewal should happen to watch for the email and charges that should be coming through. If you’re concerned about costs, just remember how much of a time eater these tasks are and ask yourself what is your time worth? If you’re a solo or businesspreneur time is money. If you’re wasting it doing things that technology can do for you, then you’re wasting time and money. Make sure you find someone amazing to work with so you’re confident the right technology is put in place and teaches you how to use it inside and out, or have someone in place who can do it for you and away you go!
I’ll let you know how it goes. And once it’s all in place, stay tuned for our newsletter, some new innovative products you’ll have access to and maybe, just maybe some of those products will give you the freedom of mental and time clutter for you to play too!
Best..
Donna Karlin
No comments:
Post a Comment