TBD 60: Get Ready to Be Ready
Institute a few habits to keep you ready for whatever comes next
“I'm keenly aware of the Principle of Priority, which states (a) you must know the difference between what is urgent and what is important, and (b) you must do what's important first.”
― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
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Its so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day urgency of our lives.
Work emergencies, Twitter doom, home catastrophes. It’s stressful.
Unfortunately, when we are so captivated by the moment, we can get caught off guard when something really bad (or something really potentially good!) happens.
Today I offer...
How to get ready to be ready for the good or bad
(in only one hour a week).
Keep a record
When we’re working hard and performance review time rolls around, you’ll be able to remember the last 6 - 8 weeks of work. You may be able to dig in your mental archives for all the stuff you did, but it’s a time-consuming slog. However, for 15 minutes every Friday, write down your successes, your great feedback, record the disasters you averted.For bonus points, write out 2 - 3 things you loved/hated most about the week.
Now you have great material for your performance summary, or relevant notes if you start to interview and want to speak about all the great stuff you’ve accomplished in the last 6 months. Huge.
Map your calendar
This is an easy one. Literally look at your calendar for the past 4 weeks and track how you spent your time. What did you spend your time on? Did you prioritize the most important things? Are important things getting pushed back? Looking back helps you see where you need to delegate, step out, or automate. Do you need to change how you invest your time? [I've got a great podcast recommendation on this below]
This is also a great way to reflect on what you LIKE doing. If you're approached with a new opportunity, you have some idea of what work makes you happiest - making it easier to qualify what you’re looking for next.
Get ready to be ready
I used to work with a director who made music videos from time to time. Every time he had a cool idea, he’d write it down in his ever present “video idea notebook”. Each idea got a paragraph or two and maybe a quick sketch -- but enough to capture his idea. When bands called for a music video (always unpredictably with incredibly fast deadlines), he had a whole stack of ideas to pitch.
Make time to be ready in case the unexpected - good or bad - might happen. This could include updating LinkedIn, reconnecting with professionals contacts (after all, maybe you’re in a position to help them!), or pulling together case study outlines or artifacts. You aren’t leaving your job, but you are also prepared if something changes quickly or you get an opportunity that sounds great.
Finally, take care of your health, sweetie.
This is a classic, right? We don’t think about being healthy until we aren’t. If you aren’t taking care of yourself the way you should, pick one way you can better care for your kind self. You deserve it.
PS. I’m teaching my last class this year with RETHINK. It’s a great mix of pre-recorded material to watch on your own time, and live discussions focused on what’s most important to you. You’ll leave with your very own Leadership Plan for the coming year. More information + registration here
Get Ready To Get Ready Summary + Podcast Rec
15 minutes of recording weekly accomplishments
Wins/losses
Accomplishments + disasters averted
15 minutes of mapping my calendar
Does time correlate with important stuff?
What do I need to change next week?
15 minutes to update one part of LinkedIn (just one part!)
15 minutes to reach out to professional community
Connect and check in with someone
Contribute! make a referral, share a resource
Take care of yourself, sweetie!
My new fav podcast: The Hidden Brain:Taking Control of Your Time