If you could create the perfect business, what would it be like?  How would you spend your business time, talent and resources?  If you could eliminate your least favorite, most annoying, least profitable activities, what would they be?  Imagine what your perfect business calendar would look like, then compare it with your actual existing calendar.

Achieving the perfect business is not a quick or easy process, but it is always worth the effort.  Following a presentation to a group of lawyers, accountants and financial advisors, I was approached by a legal professional who had been feeling overwhelmed by his workload, continuing education, lack of personal and family time, etc.  He had felt trapped, hopeless and helpless to do anything about his miserable condition. 

During the presentation he had discovered that it was indeed possible to visualize both a perfect calendar for his life and a perfect calendar for his business activities.  One important step in achieving your perfect calendar is to realize how you became so entangled in the existing morass.  The truth is that most professionals are quickly overwhelmed by ‘C’ level activities.  They spend an inordinate amount of their time, talent and resources on less profitable or even annoying activities than they should.  Since nobody starts out with the intention of wasting their precious time, talent and resources on ‘C’ level activities, how does it happen?  How did he and so many others end up in this condition?

While this lawyer was pouring out his heartfelt thanks for his new found greater vision and sense of purpose in his life and business, an image flashed through my mind.  I learned a long time ago that when one is thus inspired it is usually a good idea to share it with those to whom it applies.  Here is what I said to him, “While you were speaking, an image popped into my head which I think is relevant to you and everyone else who is ‘dying from C sickness.’  I just flashed upon a scene from the old sci-fi movie, The Blob.”  He vaguely remembered the movie.  “Do you remember that the Blob moved extremely slowly yet somehow was able to sneak up on people then totally engulf them and absorb them?  In fact, some people saw the Blob and while trying to avoid being consumed by it, they would trip over themselves, hit their heads on a table, knock themselves out and then the Blob would consume them.  Those that saw the Blob and remained focused and calm were able to easily escape its awful clutches.”

Essentially, the Blob is all the ‘C’ level activities that engulf you, absorb you and drain the life out of you.  Putting first things first is critical if you are to save yourself from the ‘C’ sickness that is killing or at least diminishing you.  So, here is the super-condensed overview of how to save yourself from the Blob and achieve your perfect personal and business calendars.

1.        Make a list of the most fulfilling and profitable activities you currently engage in or want to be more involved with.

2.        Make a list of those activities you like least, procrastinate, are minimally profitable, are unfulfilling, boring or just plain annoying.

3.        Imagine if you could wave a magic wand and throw out your current calendars (personal and business) and starting from scratch create the perfect calendars.  What would they be like?  In what ways would the perfect calendars be different from the existing calendars?

4.        Have more respect for your time, talent and resources.  Then prove it by taking action.

5.        Commit to change only a little at a time.  For example, eliminate three hours a week currently spent in ‘C’ level activities.  This can be achieved by delegating to others or just dropping activities completely.  Perhaps you could simply refuse a ‘C’ level project that would drain your time, talent and resources.

6.        Redirect those three hours of time into the ‘A’ level activities found on your newly created perfect calendars.  Spend some of your “found” time, talent and resources in each of those calendars.  My personal experience is that it is better to go on a bike ride and/or spend time with my family than to work on unrewarding ‘C’ level activities.

7.        Adopt a proven, written business system which automatically produces the outcome of living your perfect calendars.  In short, part of your problem is that your current business system (probably not in writing) is largely responsible for your drowning in ‘C’ level activity.  Here are two key reasons people waste their lives on ‘C’ level activity:

A.      Their core competency is not high enough to provide true value in meeting the requirements of ‘A’ level projects.

B. Their marketing “system” (if they even have one) is deficient.  Those whose marketing systems produce insufficient ‘A’ level activities are banished to a life dominated by ‘C’ level projects.

Constantly evolving your knowledge and skills, then applying proven, written business and marketing systems is essential to curing your ‘C’ sickness.

8.        Watch out for vampires.  They are everywhere.  They are nearly always disguised as nice people with simple requests that require “just a little time, probably only a few minutes.”  These vampires will suck the life force out of you.  They are people or activities that fall into the ‘C’ level category.  Politely disengage from them, or in the words of Nancy Reagan, “Just say no.”

9.        Recognize your own limitations and replace yourself with qualified specialists whenever appropriate.  For many years, my clients and I have benefited greatly by applying my ©Rate Your Knowledge system.  A free copy of ©Rate Your Knowledge is available by calling 1-800-997-2664.  Not trying to be all things to all people and bringing in bonafide experts is liberating and far more effective than any other alternative.

10.     Exercise the courage, discipline and focus to change.  Striving to establish and live the perfect personal and business calendars is always better than drowning in ‘C’ sickness.  Losing your family or your sense of self is not worth the perceived ‘bread and butter’ revenue that comes from ‘C’ level activities.

Achieving your perfect business is possible if you follow the above guidelines.  If you are currently so overwhelmed that you cannot do it alone, just get some help.  There are a number of professional and life balance coaches that can be very helpful in this process.  Make sure you adopt and follow proven, written systems.  The life and business you’ve always wanted are available to you if you want them.  

One very important added benefit of going through this process personally is this: It empowers you to help others achieve their perfect calendars.  By learning, then mastering and teaching this process to others, you will bring value, perspective and vision to family and friends, which empowers and lifts everyone.  But in order to provide this new vision to others, you must first apply it in your own life and business.  Anything less would be hypocritical and impractical.  It is very powerful to tell others, “I have personally applied these principles and techniques in my own life and business.  That’s why I know they can help you get the life and business you have always wanted.”

Engaging friends, family and colleagues in a meaningful dialogue about quality of life issues is truly helpful and mutually beneficial.

There is an old saying, “Knowledge is Power.”  That saying is not true.  Knowledge alone does not equate to power.  The world is full of knowledgeable people who lack creative relevant vision and innovative action, thus rendering themselves powerless.  Please remember this: Constantly Evolving Knowledge Combined with Creative Vision and Innovative Action is POWER!

Bruce R. Wright is the founder of several innovative companies.  Currently he serves as CEO and Chairman of The Wright Company.  Because he is dedicated to helping professional advisors develop and deploy strategies focused on market domination, Mr. Wright welcomes your comments, questions and ideas.  He can be reached at 1-800-997-2664.  For more information on The Wright Company or conferences, books, articles and essays by Mr. Wright, please visit us at www.thewrightco.com.