Change Your Life in Seven Minutes (as seen in morningstar.com)
by Allyson Lewis 08-20-09
Micro-actions are tiny changes and activities that anyone can choose to implement in their daily lives. Often the biggest, most meaningful differences in our lives are really just a series of small insignificant changes. We call these small activities micro-actions, and even more importantly we believe there are literally hundreds of these tiny ideas or micro-actions that you can complete in as little as seven minutes.
Research has shown that the average person has an attention span of seven minutes. If this is true, then how can you work within the limitations of your personal attention span to make the time you spend working as productive as possible? You can work on focusing your attention on implementing some seven-minute micro-actions into your daily work habits.
Seven-Minute Micro-Action Ideas for Work1. Create your '5 before 11(TM)' list. Just before you leave your office for the day, take out your daily planner and create a list of five high-value tasks you will commit to accomplishing before 11 o'clock the next morning--we call this concept completing your 5 before 11(TM) list.
2. Write down your top three work goals.You must regularly write down your goals. The more clearly you can define exactly what you would like to accomplish, the more likely you are to reach your written goals. Write your goals in present tense as though they are occurring and always include several specific action steps to achieve your goals.
3. Make a list of three prospects and look up their telephone numbers. In order to grow your business, you know you need to regularly ask qualified people to do business with you. Take a few minutes to make a list of three prospects and list their contact numbers beside their names. As you build this list of what we call Seven Minute Life Connections, you will find that having the list makes it much easier to actually call them.
4. Mail two handwritten thank-you notes each day.It takes longer to write the address on an envelope than it does to write a two- to three-sentence handwritten thank-you note. Make it a daily habit to send two notes per day to your clients, vendors, family, and friends. You will be amazed at the power of a personal letter.
5. Set up a conference call with a mentor.In every industry there are superstars; they are men and women who have somehow discovered the secret to overwhelming success. Most of these people are very generous with their time. Call and ask if you can have a 30-minute conference call to learn from their success.
6. Design an annual projects and tasks calendar.Whenever possible, work to create repeatable processes and systems. Take seven minutes to design an annual projects and tasks calendar that lists your client appreciation events, your major marketing campaigns, and the conferences you will attend.
7. Pick up the phone.Every time you have a few minutes, pick up the phone and call a client. Think back to the activities that originally made you successful and being on the phone will likely be near the top of your list. Clients want to proactively hear from you with ideas and advice.
