Do you know how many hours there are in a week?
Most people don’t, so you’re not alone… the answer is 168.
The next question is how well are you managing and using those hours to ensure you have a fulfilling experience in life and business?
In yesterday’s Meeting of the Titans we went on a deep dive into the idea that managing our working hours within a tighter framework supports progress and also creates space to allow spontaneity, which on initial inspection may seem like a bit of a paradox.
Within the Club we use a process called Magic Wand Batching which involves grouping similar tasks or themes of tasks to be completed together, within pre-planned timeslots in order to improve efficiency, focus and presence.
This is a much more effective way of working, rather than repeatedly switching between tasks, or working randomly on whatever is shouting the loudest at the time. However, it can require discipline initially to create a change of habit if you’ve been used to working a different way.
The most common objection I hear from business leaders to the concept of Batching is the idea that a tighter framework will restrict spontaneity and freedom too much and won’t be practical or sustainable. However, it is a great demonstration of Jocko Willink’s statement that “Discipline equals freedom”, in that getting used to sticking to a plan actually enables spontaneity and ensures that all necessary tasks are completed at the most appropriate time.
A Member who has implemented Batching within his own business and who consistently tweaks it to support increased levels of progress and freedom, shared his experience. He said that he finds Batching creates freedom in his mind, as he knows that in the course of a week, every important task within the organisation will be completed, and therefore he doesn’t take up time or bandwidth with remembering the things that need doing or working out priorities, he simply puts tasks into the appropriate slot and doesn’t think about them until then.
He also explained that he doesn’t need to spend time putting out fires created by tasks not being done at the optimum time and therefore has more available time, as well as a more enjoyable experience. This Member works about 30-35 hours a week, has more time for family and fun, and is experiencing monthly revenue records regularly.
This is one example of a process which supports us in optimising how we allocate our 168 hours per week, enabling us to be productive and also have the time we’d like for things we love to do, with the people we love to do them with.
Our focus, attention and presence are the most valuable resources that we have, so it’s worth considering how consciously we are investing them and whether we are truly choosing where they go during any given day or week.
If you think there’s room for improvement in terms of being in the driver’s seat, implementing a much more defined way of allocating your work time is a great place to start.
