An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Lifestyle Freedom: Episode 17

Every self-made millionaire reached success because they first developed an ability to manage time. In my early years as an entrepreneur, I spent alot of time and alot of money looking for the ultimate time management system.

Quite frankly though,  the phrase ‘time management’ grew meaningless to me once I realized it’s not physically possible to manage time. We can, however, manage our actions.

I took bits of knowledge from all of the time management systems I learned to create an action management system that got me where I am today. Here is what I came up with…

The Unemployed Millionaire Action Management System

As you saw in the video, I personally carry a planner from Franklin Covey that has two full pages for each day. One page is for notes and the other page consists of a schedule to put down appointments and a Prioritized Daily Task List (PDTL).

I am not at all a morning person so I plan my upcoming day each night just before bed. My first step in planning is to figure out which tasks I want to complete the next day.

If you’ve ever created a Need To-Do List, then you’ve experienced how the subconscious magically works out a way for you to not be excited about getting the Need To’s done… It is much more exciting to complete tasks that you Want To-Do!

ABCs of Action Management

After I complete my Want To-Do List, I prioritize my activities using three categories: A priorities, B priorities, and C priorities. Here is what each category means:

• A Priority – Action items that you absolutely must complete before you can even think of going to bed.  It’s best not to be an overachiever with the A’s… Make sure you are very selective with what you classify as an A!
• B Priority – Action items that you really should get done. It will not be the end of the world if you don’t get to a B priority.
• C Priority – Action items that might be important but have no time sensitivity. Tip: Create a list of important C items daily but move the least important C items over to a monthly list.

123s of Action Management

Now that you’ve prioritized your Want To-Do List, it’s time to figure out the order in which you will complete your A, B, and C priorities. By creating an order for your prioritized action items, you are making yourself a road map to follow which will motivate you to take action more than a list of tasks in random order.

I love starting my day being able to get right down to business and knock tasks off, one after another.  Mainly because it creates tons of free time!

The Time Factor

This next step is what took my productivity to a whole new level… After I’ve prioritized and numbered my tasks, I calculate the amount of time I need to allow to complete each task. Next, I tally up the total number of time it will take to accomplish everything I want to accomplish.

By following this system,  it’s nearly impossible to overestimate how much you can accomplish in a day.

Set the Agenda

To properly manage my actions, I schedule appointments for every task on my Want T0-Do List and I treat the appointments like an important meeting or a doctor’s appointment.

Setting appointments will enable you to start living in proactive mode rather than in reactive mode. Phone calls, e-mails, and coworkers are less likely to steal your time because you will be much more focused on accomplishing your Want To-Do’s.

Take Action

Give The Unemployed Millionaire’s Action Management System a try for the next 30-90 days and watch your productivity skyrocket!

Did I leave out one of your favorite strategies for action management? If so, tell me about it in the comments section!

If you want even more action management strategies, check out my book, The Unemployed Millionaire. You can get your copy AND access to over $2,000 in bonus success education here: http://www.MattMorris.com/book.

P.S. If you missed the last episode where I share my strategy for successfully setting goals, watch it here: The Unemployed Millionaire Show: Goal Setting is For Losers!