Unlock Your Full Potential

Unlock Your Full Potential

One of my first clients in business coaching was a partner in a professional practice related to surveying. He was around 45 years old and working 10 to 12 hour days at least 6 days a week and hadn’t had a real holiday in four years. He was earning less than $100,000 per year, was unfit, overweight, highly stressed, and of even greater concern to his future health, not at all satisfied with his life. He felt overwhelmed, with too much to do and too little time. Both he and I realised that something had to change.

Together we closely analysed each part of his work and personal life. We identified the areas where he was getting the best results and making the most money. Likewise, we identified areas that consumed an enormous amount of time but contributed very little to his real goals. I had him make a list of all his responsibilities and daily business, social and family activities activities. It became clear that his lifestyle was out of balance and that other than money he was contributing little to his family’s well-being. I then asked him a key question. “With a snapshot of your life in mind – if you had the chance to start all over again - would you continue on in the same way”?
Clearly the answer was a resounding no.

This became the first step to creating a better business and better life. I helped him set new goals, for his work, his family, his financial situation and his life in general. The result was a complete re-balance of his life and reengineering of his business.
This man had a wonderful opportunity, to step back, analyse his life, make specific decisions and then follow through on those decisions. The result was that within three months, he had cut his work week from seven to five days. He had refocused his efforts on the top 20% of his clients and organised his activities to acquire more clients in that same category. At the same time, he began reducing and cutting back on the amount of time he was spending with the 80% of his clients who contributed only 20% of his revenues. This enabled him to spend more of his time with the clients who provided most of his income.

With his work life simplified and streamlined, he refocused on his family. He began spending more time with his wife and children. First, they arranged to go away for a weekend holiday, something they had not done for years. A few weeks later, they took an entire week away from work and school. Within six months, he was taking one week off per 2 months with his family.

Meanwhile, because of his increased focus on his most valuable clients, within a year his income increased by more than 100%. He was exercising regularly and had lost 11 kilograms. By doing fewer things of higher value and discontinuing activities of lower value, he dramatically improved the quality of his life in every area in just a few months.
This early case history led me to establish a 7 step program to creating a more balanced, satisfying life for highly stressed professionals. Particularly, professionals who want to be successful but have recognised that overwork is not the way to achieve great things in life.

Here is the 7 step program that you can take with the aim of doubling your income and doubling your time off.

1. Decide to reengineer your business with perhaps a better quality client base of A&B clients with a smaller better quality giving you a lot more energy and making more cash.
2. Crystallize what you excel at professionally (is it professional skills, relationship building, leading change, getting results?)
3. Clarify what gives you most satisfaction and energizes you (gaining new A & B class clients, completing top quality work etc?)
4. What are you most eager to learn and grow (e.g. how to sell, how to grow a high performing team, or purely redesign your business direction)
5. Determine the core competencies to put you in the top 10% (that’s where all the big earners are). Perhaps this might include training the team, technology upgrades, relationship marketing. Resolve with yourself, what one skill if I did excellently would double my income.
6. Choose to take time off regularly to clear your head & think about the business to keep it in line with your plan (i.e. quiet time by yourself every day, a long weekend, a week off every 2/3 months)
7. Start today to pay closer attention to the things you do. Identify the most important tasks that give the greatest value and concentrate on them single mindedly. (Once today goes, chances of change for the better diminish considerably tomorrow).