1. #1: Desired Outcomes
1.1. Start with desired outcomes in mind
1.2. What are you building towards?
1.3. What's the end goal?
1.4. What are your objectives & key results? (OKRs)
1.5. You may have both personal and team goals you are working towards
1.6. Examples:
1.6.1. A successful published author
1.6.1.1. 4 books per year
1.6.1.2. Income target
1.6.1.2.1. royalties
1.6.1.2.2. intellectual property
1.6.1.2.3. merchandise
1.6.1.2.4. sponsorship & patrons
1.6.1.2.5. fan membership site
1.6.2. Successful small business
1.6.2.1. 250K profits annually
1.6.3. Team goals
1.6.3.1. Productivity & Teambuilding
1.6.3.1.1. Increase in productivity
1.6.3.1.2. Reduce employee turnover
1.6.3.1.3. Build morale
1.6.3.1.4. Improve project turnaround time
1.6.3.2. Marketing & Sales Goals
1.6.3.2.1. Increase sales
1.6.3.2.2. Increase profits
1.6.3.2.3. Lower expenses
1.6.3.2.4. Increase social media engagement
1.6.3.2.5. Improve customer satisfaction ratings
1.6.3.2.6. Create __ pieces of content each month
1.6.4. Personal & career
1.6.4.1. personal development goals
1.6.4.1.1. improve your skills
1.6.4.2. certifications
1.6.4.2.1. professional development
1.6.4.3. community involvement
1.6.4.3.1. volunteering
1.6.4.3.2. become elected for political office
1.6.4.4. networking
1.6.4.4.1. attend __ business networking events this year
1.7. CAUTION:
1.7.1. avoid overdoing it on creating goals
1.7.2. choose 2-3 important ones in 2-3 categories that will have the most impact
2. #2: Create Plan
2.1. Create a step-by-step plan for EACH outcome or goal
2.2. Business
2.2.1. product development
2.2.1.1. market research
2.2.1.2. competitive analysis
2.2.1.3. Step by step on how to create product
2.2.2. WRITTEN marketing plan
2.2.2.1. target audience
2.2.2.2. channels to reach your audience
2.2.2.3. budget
2.2.2.3.1. money/team resources to implement
2.2.2.4. steps to implement plan
2.2.3. outsource
2.2.3.1. if skills are lacking in house
2.3. Career
2.3.1. advance within your organization
2.3.1.1. develop career plan with supervisor & HR
2.3.2. attend ____ professional development workshops/conferences this year
2.3.3. attend __ business/industry networking sessions this year
2.3.4. Take the following courses/workshops
2.3.4.1. Workshop 1
2.3.4.2. Workshop 2
2.3.4.3. Online Course 1
2.3.4.4. Online Course 2
2.4. Team
2.4.1. morale improvement plan
2.4.1.1. how will you measure?
2.4.1.2. written morale improvement plan and program
2.4.1.2.1. break down into steps
2.4.2. improve productivity
2.4.2.1. productivity measurement - what are key metrics
2.4.2.2. _____ productivity workshops this year
2.4.2.3. online course access
2.4.2.4. training library
2.5. Personal
2.5.1. volunteering
2.5.1.1. find a local volunteer group that resonates with my values
2.5.2. nurture relationships
2.5.2.1. Date nights
2.5.2.2. Family board game nights
2.5.2.3. Lunches with friends
2.5.2.3.1. 1 per month
2.6. Writer
2.6.1. choose which series to work on first
2.6.2. create outline
2.6.3. write character pages
2.6.4. dedicated time for writing
2.6.5. publishing/marketing plan
2.7. Plan --> Tasks
2.7.1. Create tasks from the plan
2.7.1.1. each step becomes a task or series of taskss
2.7.1.2. add to your task management system
2.7.1.2.1. commit to your task list
2.7.1.2.2. "live" in your task list
2.7.1.2.3. assigning
2.7.1.3. create sublists for each project
2.7.1.3.1. business
2.7.1.3.2. writer
2.7.1.4. include delegating to others or outsourcing some tasks for the plan
2.7.2. Project dashboard
2.7.2.1. your task management system should give you a dashboard where you can see progress at a glance
2.7.2.2. no need to rely on memory
2.7.2.3. or look for post-it notes or sheets of misfiled paper
2.7.2.4. use a good quality task management app that includes a smartphone app
2.7.2.4.1. during waiting periods, you can work on planning or accomplish a few tasks
2.7.2.4.2. I have created entire workshop outlines while waiting in the doctor's office
3. #3: Dedicated Time Blocks for EACH Outcome
3.1. create dedicated time blocks for EACH desired outcome
3.1.1. include a time block for planning each week
3.1.1.1. last 1/2 hour of the day
3.1.1.2. or 1-2 hours Friday afternoon
3.1.2. Outcome 1
3.1.3. Outcome 2
3.1.4. Outcome 3
3.2. keep these time blocks "sacred"
3.3. Efficient Tasking
3.3.1. eliminate tasks that don't build towards your desired outcomes
3.3.1.1. Dump
3.3.2. delegate where possible
3.3.2.1. assistants
3.3.2.2. staff
3.3.2.3. co-workers
3.3.2.4. outsource
3.3.2.4.1. virtual assistants
3.3.2.4.2. freelancers
3.3.3. create deep focus
3.3.3.1. reduce distractions
3.3.3.1.1. close all tabs
3.3.3.1.2. close all notification apps
3.3.3.1.3. close email
3.3.3.1.4. only have apps and programs open needed for the project
3.3.3.1.5. turn off smart phone
3.3.3.2. use a focus timer
3.3.3.2.1. 30 minute blocks
3.3.3.2.2. "Pomodoro" technique
3.3.4. Prioritization
3.3.4.1. work on highest priority task within that time block
3.3.4.2. priorities should have already been set during planning time
3.4. Focus Days
3.5. Morning/Afternoon Split
3.5.1. Focus Mornings
3.5.1.1. difficult projects
3.5.1.2. client work
3.5.2. Afternoon
3.5.2.1. collaborations
3.5.2.2. meetings
3.5.2.3. lighter, general work
3.6. No Meeting Days
3.6.1. consider designating certain days to be meeting free to create focus days
3.6.2. see my "Running Effective Meetings" workshop
4. Connect with Garland
4.1. Copy of this Mind Map
4.1.1. For a copy of this map, visit captaintime.com/formula
4.2. Time management coaching & training
4.3. Virtual assistant agency
4.3.1. ChronoTasks.com