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Automate. Every time you have to
think about a process, it takes some-
thing from you. So why not do the thinking
once and for all? All kinds of things can be
automated: billing, reports, recurring infor-
mation requests and more.
Consolidate. What you can’t
ditch, switch or automate, you
should consolidate. Sometimes labeled batch-
ing, the idea is simple enough: If you lump
similar tasks together, you gain efficiencies
and time by not jumping back and forth
between dissimilar activities.
I’ve been using these five methods in
concert with Dan Sullivan’s Entrepreneurial
Time System, which utilizes what he calls
Focus Days, Free Days and Buffer Days.
Working at relentless pace is unmanage-
able, unproductive, unprofitable and not
any fun.
I use my Focus Days for big, important
projects. These days are crucial for my busi-
ness; I’m not wasting that time on tiny tasks.
I also prioritize my Free Days. Nothing
work-related happens on those days, big or
tiny. That’s my chance to rest and regroup.
That leaves me just my Buffer Days to
delegate and batch process the small stuff. By
sticking to this process, I automatically save
myself from a lot of tiny-task creep.
However you choose to prioritize, elimi-
nate, delegate and batch, you’ll be glad you
did. You’ll reserve hours of time each week
for the things that matter most, including
your own peace of mind.
© 2013, Michael Hyatt. Used by permission.
Originally published at
Michael Hyatt is a writer, consultant and principal of Intentional Leadership.
He has had a long career in the book publishing industry, most recently as
chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the seventh largest trade
book publishing company in the U.S. He is also author of eight books; his
most recent is one of two which landed on the New York Times bestseller list:
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, published in May 2012. His next
book, This Is Your Life: A Proven Plan to Get from Where You Are to Where
You Want to Be , is scheduled for release in Spring 2016.
JUNE 2015 • PPB • 45
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5
More Tips For The Time-Deprived
Get more time-saving tips by requesting your copy of Hyatt’s free ebook at
Learn more about Focus Days, Free Days and Buffer Days from Dan Sullivan’s
Entrepreneurial Time System at
resource-center/the-entrepreneurial-time-system-t.aspx
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