Imagine living every day in “the zone,” doing what you love with endless energy.
I’d like to give you a glimpse of what your life and business would look like if you spent all of your working time doing what you are genetically encoded to do: your God-given talent. Please invest a few minutes and do the following six steps:
Step 1: List everything you do all day, every day. Be honest with yourself. List even the silly, embarrassing stuff.
Step 2: Review the list and circle everything you love to do and are great at doing. (If you circle nothing, please reconsider what you do. Life’s too short.)
Step 3: Now imagine spending 40 hours per week (yes, just 40 hours) doing only those things. Don’t worry about the obstacles to getting there or let guilt creep in; just imagine it.
Step 4: Keep imagining it (kind of nice, isn’t it?) It’s possible!
Step 5: Answer the following question: Would you and your company make more money if you did only those activities 40 hours per week?
Step 6: Consider delegating everything else on the list to free you up to do those activities 40 hours per week. If there is no one to delegate to, hire someone. If you’re disciplined enough to do those actions 40 hours per week, you should get a five-fold return on your investment in the person you hired (e.g., a $50,000-a-year person should free you up to generate another $250,000 in revenue).
Do Step 1 now! In moments of weakness, frustration, and murkiness, spend your clarity breaks on Steps 3 and 4.