Self-Devpt. Nuggets™

Some CEOs, top managers or executives get so busy they suffer exhaustion. I make no claims to being perfect, but NO JOB I’ve done in paid employment, or as an entrepreneur, has EVER overwhelmed me. Indeed, despite being often accused of doing too many things, I – very frequently – get it ALL done on time!

I share my “secret”(?) in this article

It was so when I worked in Guinness Nigeria: Yet I outperformed, and got promoted over, those who criticized me…!

And it has been so, since I became an entrepreneur. Yet I have often DELIVERED to deadlines on most projects I’ve taken on – WITHOUT needing to stop my own personal activities.

As you read this, I have 2 new client projects I’m working on: It so happens that out here in Cotonou (in addition to clients in Nigeria), I recently won 2 additional client companies.

These 2 opportunities did not come my way by accident. As the saying goes, success leaves a trail.

You see, last year, a legal consultant – who happens to be a director with the above  mentioned private university – hired me to build an elaborate Web Marketing System based website for him.

He  (along with his founding partner who also saw the finished work I did for him) took the decision to hire me to handle the university’s website project.

If I had not impressed them last year, I doubt they would have done that.

That’s not all.

Even the second client company is a result of a referral from the same person!

He is the CEO of the start-up outfit, and again decided he wanted me to handle it.

What’s more, he had no qualms making FULL payment for both projects, to me, 100% upfront!

If that’s not proof of unshakeable confidence in my abilities, I don’t know what else to call it!

The reason my client was so confident in hiring and paying me upfront to start 2 projects (and he’s NOT the only one who’s done so), is that he’s seen me do SO MANY different things at the same time, and NEVER get overwhelmed.

Not that I’m perfect, or a magician.

It’s just that we all have our strengths. Mine happens to be multi-tasking. I am a VERY quick learner, and very early on in life, I trained myself to be a quick thinker.

Then, by leveraging my physical fitness training from over a decade of playing competitive handball, I have enhanced my ability to push myself to deliver superlative work performances literally at will.

Let me try and paint a picture of my typical work week:

Every week I write at least ONE 500 to 2,000 word article per day, which I publish on this blog, each day. Sometimes I customize my Excel-VB Ration Formulator and my Feed Formulation Handbook for a client who orders it.

On certain occasions I may have a meeting with an offline client that requires being away from my work for 4 or more hours. On some days, sometimes consecutive, I have to respond to email enquiries that require a lot of thought, and sometimes a “presentation” page or two.

At other times I may be working on a website project or two (like right now). During the same week, I could travel to/from Nigeria, and still NOT miss publishing ANY articles while on the road!

Then of course I always find time to post marketing material and connect with others on social media. Those efforts on social media periodically yield sales leads that sometimes convert to actual sales.

Here’s a true story that illustrates my point: During a 2 month period late last year, I had to travel and conduct questionnaire surveys in Nigeria

It was for a 4,000 word agribusiness case study paper that I wrote and got paid 2,500 Euros for, by a European Union funded NGO based in Holland.

I wrote that paper and sent it in within the deadline. Then I had to re-write it to address feedback sent me by the reviewers, until it was accepted for publication. Yet, I NEVER stopped writing my daily article, weekly newsletter or any other tasks, all through that time.

Even when I’m feeling dead tired at 11:45 p.m, if I know I need to get an article out before midnight, or that I need to send out a list of names extracted from 89 questionnaires to a client, I NEVER stop until I achieve that goal.

That’s the power of smart self-management!

I could go on, but you get the drift!

How do I do all that and NOT get overwhelmed or exhausted?

The truth is that it’s not at that moment that I do what enables me deliver such performances.

I often do most of what helps me Go The Extra Mile (GTEM) ™ like that, WAY before then…

Indeed, some of the personal routines and “rituals” I engage in early in the morning, and all through the day before, often end up being what enable me succeed like I do, much later on.

That’s why, rather than feel tired, I start each new day rearing to go, and I NEVER need special drinks or medication.

The Problem: Many CEOs/top decision makers, by nature of their roles/responsibilities, cannot avoid being busy…

They often have so many people demanding their time and attention. And when those people depart (say after close of work) they frequently find themselves faced with mountains of paper work they have to plough through.

Most of it can rarely be done absent-mindedly, as doing so could result in potentially costly errors.

So, the tired top man or woman begins to give up some hours sleep, and at a point gives in to the need to depend on Coffee – or some other “helper” – to keep going.

The next day, the lack of sleep, and use of caffeine based drinks leaves the CEO feeling a bit dull on the way to work. To overcome that feeling, and get into the mood for work, s/he may reach for some other “helper” e.g. an energy drink, and is soon feeling ”better”.

But if truth be told, the body will NOT be denied what it needs

No matter how strong or tough you are, and no matter how refined the stuff you ingest is, the truth is that ANYTHING that prevents the human body from getting the proper rest it needs is BAD for it.

It will just be a matter of time before the body takes its revenge on the owner who abuses it that way!

That’s when we hear of the boss landing in hospital from exhaustion, or a mild illness graduating into something that requires him/her to stay away from work for prolonged periods.

But how can one avoid – or overcome – this scary problem?

The solution is to adopt a disciplined NATURAL approach to self-managed performance delivery.

What does this entail?

Simple really. Here are basic steps I recommend, based on what I have done for over 2 decades, in the course of delivering high performing work related output:

First:

Adopt a daily routine of simple, but intense 10 to 30 minutes of physical exercise FIRST thing in the morning.

Combine that with eating strictly natural foods eating all day. Cut down on the fancy fast food stuff!

Add to that, an uncompromising commitment to giving your body SLEEP whenever it asks for it.

Second:

Adopt the smart use of PC and Internet technology to make your personal and work life easier.

Either you commit to learning how to use them to get more work done, as creatively as possible, or you get someone who knows how to become your personal work assistant.

Whatever you decide, the objective will be to REDUCE the hours your spend doing anything routine and repetitive or mundane – especially paper work.

Three:

Make an investment in developing personal productivity skills like Speed Reading, Brain Training, and use of Mind Mapping.

This can boost your ability to think and get work done as much as 4 times over. I do NOT exaggerate.

Many times I have had to explain to others reading on a PC screen along with me, why I’d scrolled to the next page when they were not even half way down.

Busy people at top decision making levels often have to read a lot of documents, which require good comprehension, before action can be taken.

Those who are slow readers suffer a lot because of this. An investment in learning speed reading can make a world of difference to their productivity.

Clients are often shocked at how quickly I consume material they give me, and turn around to creatively use it generating website copy/content for them!

That’s because I am a speed reader. Become one, and you’ll COMPETENTLY get through any pile of papers in record time, compared to how you do now!

And for those who have to remember a lot of things…!

For instance, instructions they’ve given to subordinates, what they promised their kids or spouses, things they want to check online or on the company premises:

Mind Maps can be VERY useful. Especially when combined with what I call “Planned Activity Tracking Sheets”.

The above are key tools and strategies I use in an ever changing series of combinations to continually deliver a high level of performances, without letting my health suffer.

It is because of them that I am ALWAYS able to honour invitations to social events, without suffering any negative effects in my work afterwards.

They are also why I am consistently able to make out time to plan and implement all sorts of coaching exercises for my kids.

Very rarely do I visit home, even when it is for work, without getting them started on something new and exciting that I’ve found out.

And I also rarely fail to check their progress with past projects, pushing them to move to the next level.

Final Words: It is crucial that we maintain a healthy balance in our personal and work lives!

If you are a CEO, manager, director, corporate executive or just a busy person, in ANY field whatsoever, and you are battling to keep yourself from being overwhelmed, I recommend my ideas to YOU!

If you need help making successful use of them, click here to let me know, and we’ll work out a way I can help you.

That is after all, why I call myself a Performance Improvement Specialist.

Want to invite me to deliver a talk to (or organise a workshop for) members of your club or group/organisation on how to use the ideas described in this article(especially Mind Mapping, Brain Training and Speed Reading)?

Click here to send me a request.