Posted on Monday, December 14, 2020

Drowning In To-Dos

Get Your To-Do List Done with the 10-10-30 Rule

How often do you get to work, dive right in to putting out fires, and come up for air around lunchtime only to realize you didn’t finish ANYTHING on your to-do list? Do you also have days where you don’t even know where to start?

One of the things my coaching clients struggle with most is sitting down at their desk in the morning and feeling like they have control over what to do first. An effective to-do list is just one piece of the puzzle; You also need to devote a little time every day to review and revise your to-do list and re-center your priorities. At Skillway, we created a simple method we call the 10-10-30 rule:

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Posted on Monday, November 16, 2020

Eliminate Distractions and Take Control of Your Time

I talk about distractions a lot! It’s because many people feel like they’re losing control of their time. If you’re working from home, you’re probably experiencing more distractions than ever! The number one way to regain control over your time is to get better at eliminating distractions.

One study from UC Irvine showed that we get interrupted every 11 minutes on average, and it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back on task. All those distractions can add up to hours every day! Studies have also shown that interruptions and distractions increase stress and mistakes.

If you want to be productive and effective, you need to stay focused (no multitasking!). Here are my tips for getting rid of common distractions that keep us from “deep work” and add stress to our day.

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Posted on Monday, October 26, 2020

Multitasking is Another Word for Half-Assing

Do you ever brag about all the things you can get done at once? Do you think “multitasking” is an impressive part of your skillset? I hate to be the one to break it to you, but “multitasking” is impossible.

Sure, we can all do a simple task like washing the dishes while listening to the radio. But have you cut yourself in the kitchen while trying to have a conversation? Tripped up the stairs while you tried to balance something in your hands? Lost track during a Zoom call because an email popped up on your phone? It’s because we’re all human, and the human brain just isn’t great at paying attention to two things at once.

Trying to multitask is counterproductive, impolite, and inefficient. Here’s why:

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Posted on Monday, August 17, 2020

Begin with the End in Mind (in Sales)

Creating good time management habits can feel exhausting. If it’s something you’ve struggled with for a while, you may find it hard to know where to start.

In Stephen Covey’s world-renowned book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he suggests using a powerful tip: Begin with the end in mind. What does this mean for a relationship-based salesperson, though? And how can you apply that principle to transform the way you think about your calendar and your tasks?

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Posted on Monday, July 27, 2020

Follow a Schedule? But I’m a Free Spirit!

You’ve probably noticed by now that talking and writing about time management is my jam. I love it! However, the reason I enjoy talking about it is that I’m living the benefits of its success.

Unfortunately, that may not be the case for those of you who are fast-paced, type-A personalities (i.e., most salespeople). Instead, once the conversation leads to creating and sticking to a schedule, with most salespeople, I hear some variation of, “But Dew, I can’t live by a schedule all day, every day like you do; I’m a free spirit!”

To which I want to reply, “Hello?! Have you met me?”

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Posted on Monday, June 15, 2020

The Importance of Routines in Challenging Times

I’ve written a lot about routines in the past. From morning routines to end-of-week routines, I’m a firm believer that consistency creates wins. In challenging times, routines are more important than ever.

Times like these are tough, and beating yourself up about all the things you aren’t doing right (or those you think you aren’t doing right) simply isn’t productive. There is a way to use routines to hold yourself accountable while also giving yourself some grace.

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Posted on Monday, May 25, 2020

How to Reverse-Engineer Your Sales Goals

I’ve written previously about the 3 Levels of Goal Setting. But if you’re struggling to figure out how to calculate those numbers for yourself, don’t worry! I’m going to help you reverse-engineer your sales goals and create simple activity goals.

Picking a number and saying, “Sure, that feels right,” when you’re trying to set intentional, smart goals can feel disorganized. I find the best way to arrive at the perfect number is to work backward. There’s a simple calculation for it.

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