If we are not intentional about how we spend our time, we can easily overspend it on things that don’t move us in the direction that we truly want to travel. I love supporting my clients in getting clear on the best use of their time and talent. It shifts them from overspending to an overflowing abundance of their most valuable resources. This makes room for them to devote their energy and attention to the things that really matter and hold the most meaning for them personally and professionally. Here are some of the strategies that I use to support my clients in moving toward clarity during our sessions. Priority Sort. In the book, The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni poses six critical questions for organizational health. One of the questions is, “What is most important right now?” He further drives the point home with the quote,
“If everything is important, nothing is.”
Since many organizations operate with a culture of urgency, we may find ourselves overwhelmed with a sense of needing to do all the things no matter their order of actual importance. To remedy this, I have my clients write all their different tasks, projects, or responsibilities on separate Post It Notes. I then have them sort them in order of priority so that they can visually see what really must happen right now, and what can wait. Strategic Soul Plan. When I begin the journey of coaching support with my clients, I spend the first few sessions having them create their strategic soul plan. Similar to the strategic planning process for a business or organization, we identify their personal core values, mission statement, and vision statement to inform their priorities, goals, and decision-making moving forward. Once we have this plan in place, we can return to it to check their actions, behaviors, and decisions for alignment with who they really are at their core. Zoom Out to Zone In. I have a series of activities that I call matrix mapping that I facilitate with the organizations and businesses that I support. Each of the activities has them identify their daily tasks and activities related to their roles and responsibilities. Once they’ve put these all on separate Post It Notes, I have them sort each one along grids based on bodies of work that have inspired me in increasing my clarity and focus. I start with Michael Hyatt’s Freedom Compass which has them sort by their level of passion and proficiency for each task. In this, they find out which things fall in their Distraction, Disinterest, Drudgery, or Desire Zones. Next, we explore Gay Hendricks' approach from his book, The Big Leap. This helps them to identify the best use of their time and talent by sorting their tasks into their Incompetence, Competence, Excellence, or Genius Zones. Once we’ve illuminated all of this information, we are then able to identify where we may need to create systems, automate processes, delegate responsibilities, or release certain things with love. This week I challenge you to spend some time thinking strategically about how you are spending your valuable resources of time and talent. How might you shift or adjust your schedule and activities to make room for things that spark your professional passion and desire? Consider where you might make provisions personally for the things that matter and bring forth the most meaning in your life. Manifestation Affirmations I am sorting my priorities to identify and elevate what matters most. I am operating with internal integrity guided by my strategic soul plan. I am operating in my zones of desire and genius.
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