Are you having trouble taking control of your day?
Well, I get it – I’ve been there. But not anymore – not since I started using a plan and tools that help me “Win the Day.”
Hey Moguls, JP Moses here welcoming you to Part II of our Mindset Monday lesson about how you, too, can win your day.
In Part I, we reviewed the basic concepts of why it’s important to take control of your day. Those people who are not in control of their day are the ones who come to the end of the day bedraggled, disillusioned and frustrated.
Ever feel that way?
You were busy all day, but you seemingly failed to accomplish anything significant.
If you missed that lesson, you can check it out right here. It lays the foundation for what I share here in Part II.
So, now that we have the concepts down pat and understand how vital sacred routines can be, let’s get real – let’s get practical. I use a number of time-saving tools and systems to make things run smoothly. These tools allow me to “win the day.”
They can do the same for you.
Tools You Can (and Should!) Use
Google Calendar
Even if I’m not scheduling an actual appointment with someone, if it’s something I want to accomplish, I’ll time-block it on my Google calendar.
For instance, I schedule to give myself extra time before a meeting in order to prepare. That eliminates stress – and eliminating stress is a big part of how I want my day to go.
Todoist
In addition to my Google calendar, I use a digital to-do list. Because I’m at my computer for the better part of the day, it works better for me to have a digital to-do list as opposed to scribbling things out on a yellow legal pad, or something similar. (Having said, if that method does work for you, then use it.)
For me, each day, I begin my sacred routine by synchronizing the items on my Google calendar with my Todoist. I check to see what items on my calendar need to line up with my daily to-do list. I don’t ignore the calendar, but I allow the to-do list to be my guide throughout the day. I use the tasks from the calendar as a starting point.
I sort any items on the to-do list that may be left over from the previous day. If it didn’t get done the day before, when will it get done?
Once this is all entered, I let Google Calendar and Todoist rule my freakin’ day.
I put key daily reminders in the recurring section of my to-do list for things I want to remember to ask myself each day. These are not must-do tasks, but they are my ideals. Because I’ve marked them as recurring, they are automatically entered in for me.
This keeps me from just wishing that I would do certain things, such as write in my journal for 5 minutes each day. These are things that would be easy to shove aside, but when there’s a daily reminder on my to-do list, it’s brought to my awareness. I may decide to pass on this task on a given day, but each day the reminder pops up again, which is hard to ignore.
Another thing I’ve started doing is adding a recurring question to ask myself each morning: What should I NOT be doing today? In other words: What should I hand off to someone else or possibly postpone for a time?
Boomerang
Another tool that makes my day run smoothly is Boomerang. This is a free plugin for Gmail. It allows me to make my in-box go to zero, which really feels good. And if I don’t have time to answer a certain email, it can schedule it to “boomerang” back to me at a certain time when I can give it the attention it needs.
I can also have it boomerang back to me at a certain time if I haven’t received a reply from a certain person. This plugin also lets me schedule emails for the future.
I’ve found that this program eliminates many email headaches.
Mighty Text
Mighty Text allows me to send and receive texts from my computer. This means when I’m at work in my office, I don’t have to keep checking my phone for texts.
What a great timesaver!
Voicemail
I am not a fan of voicemail. I decided a long time ago to do away with these in my life. When someone calls me, I warn them not to leave a voicemail message, because I NEVER check them.
Then I give other options for ways to get hold of me. (Texting is the best.) But this is yet another way I choose to win my day.
Calendly
Calendly is a program that makes setting appointments efficient and effective with less hassle than having to keep calling (or texting) each other back and forth. It shows the person the available spots on my calendar.
Because a big part of my day involves setting and keeping appointments, this tool has become one that I use constantly.
So…
There you have it. This covers many of the practical tools I use to allow me to win the day, each and every day. Some of these may work for you too. Have at ‘em!
How Do You Win Your Day?
Do you use these tools or others that work for you? I’d love to have your input. Just leave a message in the comments area below.
Determine to run your day; don’t let your day run you.
Assess your day—are there tasks that could be automated with tools, systems and programs?
Use the tools listed here—which of them would change the way your day goes in a good way?
JP Moses
is a real estate investor in Memphis, TN, with experience ranging from land lording to note buying, rehabbing, and wholesaling. However, wholesaling is the area that he enjoys most and where he bring the most experience and expertise to his students.