Imagine this. Friday morning, you rush to the hospital with a sick child. Your partner cries and you suffer from a chronic lack of sleep. You cancel your consultation at 11 a.m. with a potential client who is clearly annoyed.
At 16. you are supposed to start a brand new university teaching job. Luckily, the doctor gives the little one quite clear just in time to rush home for a quick shower. No time to review your class notes. You survive in class, but a million tasks await at home. You cannot contact them because some friends have decided to check in and they are staying for dinner.
Saturday morning you visit a cafe to work on this presentation for your day job. It's due Monday. You are about to put on headphones when a stranger starts a conversation. He's your ideal client, so 90 minutes later you're like, "Sorry, I have to go." Looking at your phone, you find three texts that say, "Hey, is this meeting happening?" »
You missed your virtual team meeting for your brouhaha, so you need to reschedule — the product launch will have to wait. At home, you ignore half-eaten Friday breakfast dishes, open your laptop and spend seven hours on business calls. That's it for the Sunday off, you spend your time finishing this presentation. On Monday, you're back at 9-5 and delivering a surprisingly expert performance. No one detects the cloud of chaos swirling around you.
That's the life of most side trimmers:both invigorating and pressure-packed.
Is “having it all” inseparable from chaos? Yes but no. Some distress is built into the pursuit, but you can regain control. Here are 12 efficiency secrets for busy people like you who build lateral hustle while juggling a full-time job, social life, exercise, sleep, and 47 other desires.
PRIORITIZE
A clear conviction is an unstoppable force. A clear "why" provides at least 80% of the motivation needed to achieve anything. Unfortunately, the clear objective is rare among side scammers. Many say, "I would like another $1,000 a month" or "I want to quit my job." But when sick kids and bad deals inevitably come to test your mettle, "Gee, I want more money" won't carry you up the mountain. Success requires a "burning desire", to paraphrase Napoleon Hill. And the only way to create that fire is to connect with your purpose to an emotional level.
Humans come up with logical explanations for decisions, but science says we make them emotionally, in our limbic brain, long before our rational brain gets involved. Take the time to express yourself about your goal. Write and reflect. Walk through the woods and shout it at the top of your lungs. Once your Why is lodged in your heart, abundant motivation will tame the chaos.
The Latin root of to decide is “Cutting” and cutting out the non-essential is as important as selecting priorities. Most successful students have no trouble codifying clear goals, but then let time-saving “opportunities” slip into schedules. Be ruthless with your time in order to grow a business while balancing a full-time job with life responsibilities. Essentialism author Greg McKeown calls it “the power of a graceful no.”
Write down a list of activities you refuse to do and stick it on your walls. Start with obvious fluff, like after-work drinks. Then say goodbye to activities that, while important, will not lead you to your best life. Fairness here might mean skipping that birthday party or telling your in-laws that Sunday dinner is no longer a tradition. When you consciously choose which activities to sacrifice, the gods of productivity will fortify you with the courage to say “no” when the time comes.
Billionaire Chris Sacca has a golden touch for investing. He bought early on Twitter, Uber and Instagram. You know him from his time on ABC Shark Aquarium and his nifty cowboy shirts. The secret to its success? Unlike typical venture capitalists, he left Silicon Valley to get away from constant stimulation, “just touching base” emails and endless coffee dates. "I was reacting to everything, rather than going out and playing offense," says Sacca. He moved three hours east to focus only on the priorities he had set, rather than every shining opportunity.
You're forced to play defense when your car breaks down, a client goes bankrupt, or your child gets sick. But you can make a conscious decision to put the lion's share of your focus on the priorities that bring you closer to Goal City, and not let others control your time. Being unavailable; it's playing offense. Yes, it means missing out on exciting opportunities, but when you chase two rabbits, you lose both.
MANAGE YOUR ENERGY
The most overlooked element of any productivity plan is your most important asset:YOU. Success coach and entrepreneur David Bayer says that 80% of success is determined by your mindset. If the programming between your ears generates anxiety, doubt, fear and frustration, no amount of fuss or strategy will work.
A key to creating an optimal mindset is investing in self-care:inspiring hikes in the woods, playing your favorite game, a great meal, time with close friends; anything that recharges your soul battery. You cannot do your best when your mind and heart are overwhelmed. You wouldn't constantly put an engine on the red line without oil, but Western culture applauds this same abuse when we commit it on ourselves. Then we wonder why burnout strikes.
A word of warning:brushing your teeth, taking your medications, and reading self-help books is self-maintenance, not self-care. To accomplish more, prioritize compassionate activities that energize your mind; for many entrepreneurs, it is the missing link in their plan for success.
The standard disclaimer applies:this is not medical advice; talk to your doctor before trying any of these current favorites of some of Silicon Valley's top students.
Bulletproof Coffee:Your morning cup blended with grass-fed butter and coconut MCT oil. It provides the fuel your brain needs to function at its peak until lunchtime, which leads to the next hack.
Intermittent fasting:Do not put food in your stomach for 16 hours in a 24 hour period. Easy. That means lunch at noon, dinner at 6 p.m., and your bulletproof coffee in the morning. Benefits include fat loss, muscle gain, and nerve cell growth in the brain, which unlocks peak performance.
Supplements:Nature offers many treats. Ginkgo biloba reduces anxiety and stress, and improves memory and attention span. Omega 3s can improve sleep and protect you from disease. Find the right cocktail for you.
Cut sugar:it creates disease, suppresses the immune system, impairs cognition and increases stress. Remove this poison from your diet now.
Sauna:30 minutes twice a week triggers the production of growth hormones, improving mental and physical endurance.
Take care of the vehicle that carries you throughout your life and your work performance will soar.
Stop doing things you're not good at. Yes, in a startup you will have to tackle bookkeeping or mopping. Essentialism author Greg McKeown calls these bonds the “slowest hiker” because they take you farther from your destination. “Even activities that are 'productive' — like doing research or sending emails… can be roadblocks,” he says. They require energy better allocated to your strong combinations.
Of course, you'll be proud to teach yourself how to code an app over three weekends. But you can outsource this to an expert in Croatia for $300. Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are a handyman's best friend.
To be truly effective, spend as much time as possible applying your unique abilities. Are you a strong writer? Then posting blog posts through an email list will be a better marketing strategy than creating videos. Are you an amazing photographer? Find your tribe on Instagram and start selling there. Don't confuse activity with efficiency. Play to your strengths and your results will multiply.
OWN YOUR TIME
Time is the only shared good that no one can create. Take advantage of the productivity goldmine of your early morning hours. The moment we wake up, our willpower and creativity are at their highest, and our minds are free from phone notifications, external demands, and noise. Getting up late forces you to rush to work, skip a healthy breakfast which revs up your metabolism and robs you of the solitude which creates calm and joy.
Tackle your most important work during these golden hours. Productivity master Brian Tracy calls it “eating the frog” — eliminating your ugliest, most prone to procrastinate task first. It doesn't have to be unpleasant; string together enough morning wins together and you'll be begging for more no matter how warts covered the task.
How do you own your mornings? Author Robin Sharma suggests:
Exercise:Start with 20 minutes to activate healthy brain chemistry.
Reflect:Journal or meditate to create a productive mindset.
Inspire:read or listen to books to lift your spirits.
In 2009, Paul Graham, co-founder of startup accelerator Y Combinator, wrote an essay titled, Maker's Timeline, Manager's Timeline . Read it and you'll have a light bulb moment about work rhythms. The manager's schedule consists of one-hour segments, where you run from one task to the next. But the Creator needs clear half-day sessions to excel. A coder or a writer cannot do a good job in an hour; he can barely begin.
Side scammers are makers and managers at different times, but tend to manage. A business only succeeds by creating value, and creation is easier in these Maker times. Savvy entrepreneurs schedule Maker's time each morning, leaving the Manager's frantic work for the end of the day.
Tim Ferriss simplifies this to the saying:Do before you manage. "Even token efforts allow me to reassure myself with 'Don't worry. You produced something today,” he says. First, understand what work belongs in each area, then prioritize Maker time each week.
Planning is crucial, but over-planning is poison. Another hour of research, one more self-help book, a deep dive into analytics – these are excuses to avoid action, like procrastination. The antidote to “getting ready to start the syndrome” is to set deadlines to “ship” regularly:post the article, call the client, record the video, release the app, eat the frog. Author Seth Godin admits that the expedition is dangerous because it exposes us to criticism, failure and financial loss. His answer? You can't spend life curled up in a ball. "You're going to ship anyway...why bother giving in to your fear?" »
Set regular, non-negotiable shipping goals that leave you with not enough time to finish. Why rush? Because Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill available time. You don't need as much time as you think. Light a fire under yourself to make sure you are in front of the customers. This will provide valuable feedback on your strategy and keep you motivated to continue.
Always follow the “two birds with one stone” approach. This could mean getting paid multiple times for the same work, repurposing blog content across multiple platforms, or choosing a side hustle that complements your day job.
Brian Dean built a successful SEO training business, Backlinko.com, by producing quality blog posts. When he wanted to start marketing through YouTube, he didn't create new content, he converted existing blog posts into video. It works smarter, not harder. For you, this may mean using your business data in your side business or sharing customers. Hustling as an interior designer? Take a job at a furniture showroom where you will encounter a stream of customers. Just be sure to get written permission from the boss. Get rewarded for the same work more than once and your productivity multiplies.
TRACK RESULTS
You can't achieve a goal you can't see, so you set goals. By extension, you can't reach your goal without tracking progress. Analytics is the art of extracting valuable insights from raw data. Your analytics can reveal the behavior of website visitors or app users and which features drive sales. But the analysis becomes more powerful when applied to yourself.
You can track any metric. The simplest ones include the number of gym sessions or alcoholic drinks you've had this week. Prioritize the measures related to your main objectives. If you market your business on social media, create a spreadsheet that records your engagement rate, comments, and clicks to your website from social media. Does your business rely on a lead funnel? Then, monitor leads, sales calls made, and sales conversion rate.
There is also a hidden power in analyzing your state of mind. Any free daily mood tracker app will reveal which activities promote productivity and happiness — and which hinder you. Only when we analyze the results can we evaluate our strategy. If you are on the right track, the pink image will generate serious motivation.
When he was a general in World War II, Dwight Eisenhower said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” The same is true off the battlefield:no business or life plan remains intact once we begin to execute. The planning process is essential because it forces us to anticipate outcomes, setbacks and the resources we will need to succeed. But the reality will always surprise us.
In your stampede, you adapt or he dies. Tracking analytics show us reality, but this information is only useful when used to change strategy. As you cross the gulf between your present and your desired future, be prepared to navigate around reefs and storms, always pointed towards the harbor where fortune awaits.
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The colossal test of building a business while working full time and trying to have some semblance of a personal life can energize you like nothing else. One day, you will look at this struggle as the most beautiful chapter of your life. But the road to your most exceptional life is littered with rocks, and you'll need every advantage to stay motivated. These 12 secrets aren't magic shortcuts, but they will roll some of those stones out of the way.
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