1. Turn off all technology for 60 minutes a day and focus on doing your most important work.
2. Work in 90 minute cycles (tons of science is now confirming that this is the optimal work to rest ratio).
3. Start your day with at least 30 minutes of exercise.
4. Don’t check your email first thing in the morning.
5. Turn all your electronic notifications off.
6. Take one day a week as a complete recovery day, to refuel and regenerate (that means no email, no phone calls and zero work). You need full recovery one day a week otherwise you’ll start depleting your capabilities.
7. The data says workers are interrupted every 11 minutes. Distractions destroy productivity. Learn to protect your time and say no to interruptions.
8. Schedule every day of your week every Sunday morning. A plan relieves you of the torment of choice (said novelist Saul Bellow). It restores focus and provides energy.
9. Work in blocks of time. Creative geniuses all had 2 things in common: when they worked they were fully engaged and when they worked, they worked with this deep concentration for long periods of time. Rare in this world of entrepreneurs who can’t sit still.
10. Drink a liter of water early every morning. We wake up dehydrated. The most precious asset of an entrepreneur isn’t time – it’s energy. Water restores it.
11. Don’t answer your phone every time it rings.
12. Invest in your professional development so you bring more value to the hours you work.
13. Avoid gossip and time vampires.
14. Touch paper just once.
15. Keep a “Stop Doing List”.
16. Get up at 5 am.
17. Have meetings standing up.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
How To Build A Movement Around Your Business
In 10 years, we’ll look back at this time as one of the greatest periods in history to be in business. It’s never been so easy to deliver original value for massive amounts of people. It’s never been so important to show leadership in all that you do. And there’s never been a better time to grow a full-blown movement around the products and services that you offer to the people who put food on your table every night.
Smart entrepreneurs (and even people working in companies need to think and perform like entrepreneurs within their jobs if they want to excel) do the following 4 things to grow communities of fanatical followers around their brands:
1. They understand that every moment in front of a customer is a moment of truth. You either live the values your advertising sells. Or you don’t.
2. They avoid “Copycat Syndrome”. Starbucks and NIKE and Zappos and Google became iconic because they were unique. Not because they tried to be a better clone of a successful competitior.
3. The best entrepreneurs never lose the human touch. Yes, technology’s an awesome lever to build relationships and scale your business. But ultimately, people do business with human beings – not companies.
4. The best entrepreneurs grow movements by asing themselves “how may I best serve the most people” vs “how may I make the quickest money doing the least effort.” Helping people get to their dreams via the superb product you offer still remains the single best marketing strategy in this uncertain work of business we play in.
Smart entrepreneurs (and even people working in companies need to think and perform like entrepreneurs within their jobs if they want to excel) do the following 4 things to grow communities of fanatical followers around their brands:
1. They understand that every moment in front of a customer is a moment of truth. You either live the values your advertising sells. Or you don’t.
2. They avoid “Copycat Syndrome”. Starbucks and NIKE and Zappos and Google became iconic because they were unique. Not because they tried to be a better clone of a successful competitior.
3. The best entrepreneurs never lose the human touch. Yes, technology’s an awesome lever to build relationships and scale your business. But ultimately, people do business with human beings – not companies.
4. The best entrepreneurs grow movements by asing themselves “how may I best serve the most people” vs “how may I make the quickest money doing the least effort.” Helping people get to their dreams via the superb product you offer still remains the single best marketing strategy in this uncertain work of business we play in.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs
Recently I delivered a three-hour presentation for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Vancouver. I was really delighted to share my ideas on what it takes to be a world-class entrepreneur. The productivity habits of best entrepreneurs, and ultimately how you build a fast growth company while actually cultivating a better lifestyle. A lifestyle where you have more fun and more balance.
And I wanted to share the 11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs with you. Because I shared a lot of the ideas with them and I wanted to offer them to you so you can multiply your profits, build a truly great small company while creating a truly exceptional lifestyle.
The 11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs
1. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand the quality of the practice determines the caliber of the performance
The Pro Athlete Protocol: Prepare Yourself Mentally, Physically + Emotionally
2. Bureaucrats talk about people and problems, Remarkable Entrepreneurs talk about possibilities and solutions
Focus on results and get things done. What’s the opportunity here? How can we leverage this situation. Focus on possibilities. Results. Results. Results.
3. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand they are paid not just to work, but they are paid to be scared
The best entrepreneurs play out on the edges and take calculated risks. Challenge the way you performed yesterday. Take calculated risks.
4. To have what only 1% of the entrepreneurial population have, you must be willing to do what only 1% of the entrepreneurial population are willing to do
The best entrepreneurs do what’s difficult, what causes them to stretch and what requires commitment. Be committed. Be willing to do what the few do. Develop the leaders around you. Go into silence. Work on your customer experience. Have acute clarity on your 90 day goals. Work on your goals. Build relationships and trust. Persist.
5. Bureaucrats are threatened by change, Remarkable Entrepreneurs are inspired by change
The best entrepreneurs understand that a change is required to get to the next level of profits, success and fulfillment. Go through the confusion to get to the clarity.
6. Bureaucrats have jobs, Remarkable Entrepreneurs have crafts
Develop your talents and make a dent in the universe. Do something you are proud of. Elicit the best within you. The best entrepreneurs aren’t in it for the money, they’re in it for the pride they feel on creating world-class products and doing genius-level work.
7. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand an addiction to distraction is the death of creative production
The best entrepreneurs understand the key in business is to shift out of complexity + busy-ness to simplicity + focus. Focus on the few high leverage activities that will get you to where you want to be.
8. Bureaucrats wait until they get the energy, Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand that to get the energy you must first do the work
When you do the Work You Will Receive The 3 Entrepreneurial Gifts:
1. Release of more motivation 2. Release of confidence 3. Release of energy
9. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand the bigger the dream the more important the team
Leadership is about influence – moving people to action by your example. Leadership is about impact – less talk more results. Leadership is about inspiration – grow other leaders
10. Remarkable Entrepreneurs populate their lives with people whose lives they want to be living
Surround yourself with people and environments that inspire you. Obsessive attention to excellence. Create worlds that inspire you.
11. Remarkable Entrepreneurs are obsessed fundamentally with giving
Ask yourself not what can I get, ask yourself who may I help. Business is about producing unusual value for as many people as possible.
Make Your Business Awesome.
And I wanted to share the 11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs with you. Because I shared a lot of the ideas with them and I wanted to offer them to you so you can multiply your profits, build a truly great small company while creating a truly exceptional lifestyle.
The 11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs
1. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand the quality of the practice determines the caliber of the performance
The Pro Athlete Protocol: Prepare Yourself Mentally, Physically + Emotionally
2. Bureaucrats talk about people and problems, Remarkable Entrepreneurs talk about possibilities and solutions
Focus on results and get things done. What’s the opportunity here? How can we leverage this situation. Focus on possibilities. Results. Results. Results.
3. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand they are paid not just to work, but they are paid to be scared
The best entrepreneurs play out on the edges and take calculated risks. Challenge the way you performed yesterday. Take calculated risks.
4. To have what only 1% of the entrepreneurial population have, you must be willing to do what only 1% of the entrepreneurial population are willing to do
The best entrepreneurs do what’s difficult, what causes them to stretch and what requires commitment. Be committed. Be willing to do what the few do. Develop the leaders around you. Go into silence. Work on your customer experience. Have acute clarity on your 90 day goals. Work on your goals. Build relationships and trust. Persist.
5. Bureaucrats are threatened by change, Remarkable Entrepreneurs are inspired by change
The best entrepreneurs understand that a change is required to get to the next level of profits, success and fulfillment. Go through the confusion to get to the clarity.
6. Bureaucrats have jobs, Remarkable Entrepreneurs have crafts
Develop your talents and make a dent in the universe. Do something you are proud of. Elicit the best within you. The best entrepreneurs aren’t in it for the money, they’re in it for the pride they feel on creating world-class products and doing genius-level work.
7. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand an addiction to distraction is the death of creative production
The best entrepreneurs understand the key in business is to shift out of complexity + busy-ness to simplicity + focus. Focus on the few high leverage activities that will get you to where you want to be.
8. Bureaucrats wait until they get the energy, Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand that to get the energy you must first do the work
When you do the Work You Will Receive The 3 Entrepreneurial Gifts:
1. Release of more motivation 2. Release of confidence 3. Release of energy
9. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand the bigger the dream the more important the team
Leadership is about influence – moving people to action by your example. Leadership is about impact – less talk more results. Leadership is about inspiration – grow other leaders
10. Remarkable Entrepreneurs populate their lives with people whose lives they want to be living
Surround yourself with people and environments that inspire you. Obsessive attention to excellence. Create worlds that inspire you.
11. Remarkable Entrepreneurs are obsessed fundamentally with giving
Ask yourself not what can I get, ask yourself who may I help. Business is about producing unusual value for as many people as possible.
Make Your Business Awesome.
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