“Do you run your agenda?”

At this time of year, we are ‘supposed’ to be rejuvenated, fresh, full of enthusiasm and positivity for the year ahead.  But what happens if we’re just not feeling that way?  January is a month of resolutions, goals, OKRs and making an impact fast.   The new year is simply another day with better marketing.

We often are forced to align with other stakeholders’ agendas.  There seems less time and more pressure. Your calendar is booked with 7 or 8 meetings daily.  Your own agenda is pushed out into your personal time.  Your own goals for the year ahead get delayed…

Here are a few suggestions for keeping you on track over the coming key weeks in January …

·        Protect the first hour of your day – no exceptions

This is where your clarity, decisions and strategy live. Give it away, and the day owns you.

·        Be Intentional with your own day

Block out slots in your calendar for “thinking,” “planning,” “decision-making,”. Own these slots as if you were meeting a client, peer or key stakeholder.

·        Be clear on the value of a meeting before you attend

What is the value of the meeting? Is their value of me being there? What’s other expectations of me in this meeting – is it contributing, listening, leading, firefighting?  Know the goal / outcome before you join or someone else will own it. 

·        Lead, rather than react

Have a structure for your day, your week.  Create the rhythm and intention of your interactions.

·        Your Inbox and notifications are not your manager

The instinct to reply to every request, email, notification immediately gives a false sense of control and contribution – and steals your time, distracting you from evaluating the priority of each email.

·        Reduce, reduce, reduce

Meetings should be in blocks of 45, 30 or 20 minutes.  You will be amazed by how much more productive your meetings are. Build a 2-minute pause between meetings and reset: how do you want to show up in your next meeting?

·        Make an energy plan

Just as you manage your time, manage your energy.  Focus on high-energy tasks where you are at your most productive, focus on the mechanical/admin tasks when you are lagging.  

Ask yourself this: if I continue as before, who will be running my agenda this year, next month, next week?

It’s your call, your decision. Your future, your choice.