Okay, full disclosure here. I admit that letting go of bad habits is an area for which I still have opportunity for growth. I often say there are only three things we can leverage in this world – our time, treasure and talent. To maximize our time, we must be willing to let go, trust and fully embrace the idea that sometimes there are others who can handle projects for us, and maybe even do a better job. Janine is my assistant and she magnificently manages many projects that are on my plate.
Our core values are very much aligned which creates a wonderful synergy. Janine is great at what she does; she is a “Rockstar”!
There are 4 key responsibilities that she is accountable for:
- Managing my Schedule
- Janine coordinates all my business and personal scheduling. (I am guessing this alone saves me about 8-10 hours a week.)
- Managing my Email
- Throughout the day Janine monitors my email and I trust that she will let me know if there is something that requires my personal attention. She knows if there is a hair-on-fire issue she can text me to address the problem. My intent is to check my email in the morning, mid-day and in the afternoon. And only these times! (If I would stick to the plan like I should, it would allow me an extra 10-15 hours a week.)
- Managing my Billing and Session Coordination
- Janine is responsible for everything associated with the logistics around my client work. She coordinates all session materials and books, schedules lunch, organizes all pre-work, post-work, archiving and more. (This saves me about 3-8 hours a week.)
- Managing Special Projects
- Projects range from travel and flight schedules to research and marketing. (This varies widely each week. She can save me as little as 2 hours per week, up to 20 hours a week.)
I am capable of managing each responsibility listed above, but Janine administers them faster and better than I do. Her mission is to manage me. Which then allows me more time to focus on other matters.
Janine lives and works from North Carolina; we have a weekly video conference. Lately, I have noticed that I have been slipping back into old habits. I’ve caught myself trying to manage my email, not just look through it. This past week in our video conference, I discussed this bad habit with Janine and asked her to hold me accountable for staying out of my email. In the past, I had an assistant who threatened to change my email password if I did not stay out of it. This seems to be a recurring theme!
I trust Janine completely; she has full access to my email. She is skilled at scrutinizing my emails, and she has great judgement which is a bonus! We have invested a ton of time clarifying how to address certain email issues. I firmly believe that if I fall back into my reactive mode with email vs. a proactive mode it’s bad for everyone, and it is simply a bad habit. Janine has agreed to be my accountability partner and to get me back on track with my proactive email approach.
Also, at the end of each day, Janine provides a comprehensive summary of the email daily activity, a list of action items that need attention, and my schedule for the next day. Yes, I am spoiled. And so very grateful! Janine is necessary for me to make the best use of my time and to keep me focused on my talents.
My challenge for you is to ask yourself what you can let go of to make the best use of your time, and the highest use of your talents? And then ask yourself, who can hold me accountable?
Need help breaking old habits so you can make the best use of your time and allow you to tap deeper into your talents? Need someone to hold you accountable? Look no further! Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation. We’re always here to help.
