📆 How to Build A Million-Dollar Calendar

Good morning.

The end of Q1 is here. 23% of the year is complete. I hope your business results look better than my March Madness bracket. 🙃

TODAY’S TOPICS:

• An Introvert’s Guide to Visibility in the Workplace

• 5 Steps to Building A Million-Dollar Calendar

• The Gateway to Growth, Monetization, and Seamless Content Creation

Let’s get into it.

— Gordon

Everyday Insights 👀
Keeping you in the know

• An Introvert’s Guide to Visibility in the Workplace [HBR]

• Instagram’s Testing Longer Reels To Maximize Engagement [Social Media Today]

5 Steps to Building A Million-Dollar Calendar

In 2017, I heard the quote, “I can tell if you’re a millionaire by what’s on your calendar. The activities on your calendar should directly reflect your goals.”

Today, you'll learn a systematic approach to building a calendar aligned with your goals.

This isn't just any calendar; it's a blueprint for entrepreneurs like you and me to navigate our business journey with clear goals and actionable steps.

Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs don’t invest time creating a plan and scheduling the right tasks on their calendars. As a result, they become reactive, get caught up in daily tasks, and lose sight of their larger objectives.

A well-structured calendar acts as a roadmap, guiding your daily decisions and actions in alignment with your goals.

Below is a systematic approach to building a calendar that propels you toward your dream business.

HERE’S HOW:

1. Define clear financial goals

2. Identify high-leverage activities

3. Allocate time blocks for high-priority tasks

4. Plan for short and long-term reviews

5. Counterbalance work with rest and personal growth

Let's get into it.

Step 1: Define Clear Financial Goals

Begin with clarity.

Define what your dream business looks like and means to you. You must have a clear vision of your life after you’ve achieved your goals and create an emotional connection by defining your why.

Shit costs money. Determine what it will cost to live your dream life.

Now double it. Cause taxes. 🇺🇸

Work backward to set specific, measurable financial milestones to achieve your goals within 5 years.

Break these down into annual, quarterly, and monthly targets.

Your monthly targets will then be broken down into weekly and daily action items (and added to your calendar) to help keep you on track to hit your monthly target.

Step 2: Identify High-Leverage Activities

Determine the activities most critical to your financial success.

These could range from product development to marketing strategy to sales calls.

High-leverage activities have a direct impact on revenue and business growth.

Your calendar should have more of these activities by percentage than any other daily activity.

Hint: This is where most people’s calendars go wrong.

Every day, your calendar should have three to four hours of revenue-generating activities. Yes, even for solopreneurs.

I know. It’s a lot. Yet every business has churn (customers that leave the business), and if you’re not actively generating new customers, eventually, you may not have any.

The saying, “You’re either growing, or you’re dying,” applies here.

Last week’s issue walked through how to find the right activities in your business. You can read last week’s issue here.

Step 3: Allocate Time Blocks for High-Priority Tasks

This step is about commitment.

Time block to dedicate specific parts of your day or week solely to your high-leverage activities so they get the undivided attention they deserve.

The world is full of distractions.

Setting aside dedicated time blocks protects your most important tasks from being overrun by daily business's urgent but not necessarily valuable demands.

Scheduling your high-leverage activities ensures they aren't just on your to-do list; they get done.

Protect that time like you would a client appointment.

You wouldn’t cancel on a client, would you?

Step 4: Plan for Short and Long-Term Reviews

Consistently review your progress toward your goals.

Weekly reviews help you stay on track with short-term targets, while monthly and quarterly reviews provide a broader perspective, allowing you to adjust your strategies as needed.

Setting goals is not enough; you need to monitor your progress and be willing to pivot when necessary.

Schedule time on Sunday or early Monday morning to plan for the week ahead. This is a great time to create your task list and commit to completing it by Friday.

On Friday, review your week.

• How did it go?

• Did you complete your commitments?

• What challenges did you have?

• What did you learn?

• What adjustments do you need to make going into the next week to ensure you are on track to hit this month’s targets?

These regular check-ins keep you aligned with your objectives and adaptable to change.

Step 5: Counterbalance Work with Rest And Personal Growth

Remember that sustained effort requires rest.

Schedule downtime, hobbies, and time with loved ones to recharge.

If it’s not on your calendar, it doesn’t exist, so it’s less likely to happen.

A well-rested entrepreneur is more productive and creative.

Investing in your personal and professional growth is a must too.

Schedule regular time blocks for learning new skills, staying informed of industry trends, and absorbing knowledge from mentors and thought leaders.

Achieving your dream business and life will take significant sacrifice along the way.

You have to go all-in, but not forever. Go all-in on your work, and then go all-in on rest, family, and what brings you joy to give yourself energy.

There is no such thing as a work-life balance for those who want to create the life of their dreams. It’s all about counterbalance.

In practice, your calendar might look like this:

• Early Mornings: Fill your cup. Work out, read, and invest time with family. Don’t look at your phone for the first hour

• Mornings: Reserved for deep, focused work on high-leverage activities

• Afternoons: Appointments, meetings, emails, and administrative tasks

Notice that the most important things are the earliest in the day when you have the most energy and willpower.

ONWARD TOGETHER.

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