How To Get Twice As Much Done In HALF The Time.

You’ve heard it before, but if you’re NOT spending your precious, completely focused energies on the right activities then you will suffer from one of the three ailments i mentioned earlier in the Mastery Mindset Lesson.

I hate to sound so threatening, but it's reality.

Don't just hear me and then continue doing the same things you were doing...

Trying to learn some programming stuff, while fiddling around trying to learn some video production stuff, yet dispersing your mental real-estate like this is SO MUCH MORE devastating than you realize.

Think about it...

INSTEAD of writing one killer piece of creme-de-la-creme content, that gets crazy attention, links, press, tweets galore... Inbox floods with new alerts, mentions, comments, and opportunities..

Your buddy casually created two decent pieces of “NOT BAD“ content... Neither of which did much for him or his brand.

Here’s to the Status Quo!

“Give me a lever, and a place to stand, and i will move the earth.“

Artistotle’s famous quote lands with such simple yet profound impact, it echoes on all these years later.

Leverage.

What a beautiful word.

One of the most powerful principles in business, and a perfect one to open this lesson up with.

In today’s lesson you are going to learn:

• Why leverage is the key to getting the most out of your business and your life

• How to approach and understand the importance of effective outsourcing

• What to do immediately, to get started in the most simple way, right now.

• A simple exercise that will be the foundation for becoming more productive and FULFILLED in your business and life.

Leverage is the hero of online business, the key to the lifestyle of your choosing, and the topic on todays menu.

One of the most important things i’ve learned in business is that to be REALLY productive, you have to spend your time, doing the most productive things.

Steven Covey said, ”The MAIN thing, is to make the MAIN thing, the main THING.“

Simple enough.

But why do so many people miss it?

Here’s why...

Because they don’t think in terms of, ”well, where in my business do i add the most amount of value?“

and...

How can I create the most amount of value for my audience, and for the world?

What are the 20% of things in my business, that only i can do best, and that i actually WANT to do?

Well, it's no mystery for most... that thing is most likely....

(Drum Roll...)

Creating WORLD CLASS Content!

Whether you are creating, writing, coaching, speaking, consulting, it all requires knowledge and experience... Guess what... That is YOUR CONTENT.

BUT, in order to MAXIMIZE your content and your results, do NOT forget that there are many strategies for leveraging that content.

Now then,

Let's create Your Leverage List. 

There are two sides to Your Leverage List.

1) On the left side are all the things that YOU can do that create the most value, or that only you are uniquely qualified to do.

2) On the right side are all the things that NEED to still get done in your business, but that SOMEONE ELSE should do.

Your TIME is extremely valuable, and along with your energy, is a FINITE resource. You should figure out how much your time is worth, and then for anything that either drains your energy, OR someone else could do for less than your time is worth, is something that should be ”outsourced.“

All of these things should go on the right hand side of your leverage list.

Now, it’s important that i emphasize this point, although you may already be aware, BECAUSE, their are almost CERTAINLY some of these other things - that your business needs to do to stay open but that YOU shouldn’t be doing.

I repeat. Their are probably things you are doing, that you SHOULDN’T be.

So, as we go through this course, be aware of, pay attention to, and WRITE DOWN the ideas you get after each lesson and homework assignment, and NOTE the underlying processes with consideration to that question...

Should i be doing this? Or should i be CREATING CONTENT?

You need to start to create your Leverage List.

You will keep this handy throughout the course, and when you graduate, you will have an entire list of defined activities for your business, you will know where YOU should be spending your time, and you will know what the rest of the tasks that you will outsource - consist of.

For example, graphic design, unless you have some background in and experience with- plus you ENJOY doing, is one skill or task that you would hire someone for on either a project basis, or as a full time member of your team.

You aren’t going to go learn photoshop to simply create your one logo...

This is a task that goes on your Leverage list.

=======================================================================

How To Make More Time, and Get TWICE As Much Done.

So let me ask you a question...

How much is your time worth?

Time is one of the few things we can never get back.

We all get the exact same amount, and it’s up to us to figure out how to spend it.

In business especially, GREAT leverage can be applied with the principles of outsourcing.

It’s the holy grail of business.

It is literally HOW To Get TWICE as much done, in HALF the time.

If you charge $100 an hour, then anything that you do that someone else could be doing for under that $100, that you DON’T ENJOY doing, is a wise business investment.

It’s important that throughout this course, you are learning how to do each thing, and ALSO figuring out which things you are doing-that someone else could do, or determining ways to LEVERAGE Labor to automate a process for you that maximizes the content you are creating,  by off-loading some of the additional mechanical responsibilities.

Core Vs. Mechanics

A concept i learned from a brilliant businessman, and an efficiency EXPERT named Pete Williams is that all the things in your business can be reduced down into two categories.

Core Tasks, which essentially are the things you do in your business that are the MOST valuable and profitable, and are the CORE of what you bring to the business, I.E. creating content, coaching, speaking, building relationships, interviewing others and getting to know your customer.

&

Their are also Mechanical Tasks, which are essentially “filing papers” and low-skilled tasks that still need to get done, but where leveraging labor at a lower cost than it would be for you to do it yourself, should be implemented.

Now,

If you are actively spending time on things where you add no value to a process, then you are certainly leaving money on the table, you are not going to be able to get your message and content out there as effectively and as efficiently as you could.

This can lead to un-needed stress and frustration, and can also eat up your LIFE.

I know you want to make an impact with your content, and i know that you are committed to your audience, so understand that by NOT leveraging your time and effort by spending it in the best ways, then you are doing your market a huge disservice.

The Two Forms of Outsourcing

So going a bit further, within the category of Mechanical Tasks, there are two forms of hiring someone else to take care of them for you.

Out-Tasking, which is essentially a one off-hire on a task or project basis.

Or In-Sourcing, which is hiring someone to join your team as a full time employee/team member.

An example list:

• Graphic Design

• Wordpress Programmer

• Initial Contact and Outreach for Promotional and Joint Venture Partners

• Content Leverage Systems

• SEO Campaign

• Ongoing Link Building

• Video production

• Affiliate System Setup

• Plugin Development

• App Creation

Best Practices 

Although there’s of course no universal “standard“ way to outsource, but the best thing to do is to hire for one specific skills and/or task at a time, and then, if you find a keeper, build a relationship with them.

The other main point with outsourcing is that you should ENGINEER the systems and processes down to step by step details, so that you have a predictable result and a duplicatable process for them to go by.

*Hint: Use Screencasts to record and document exact processes.

Build out ONE process, get that right, and then move on to the next.

Now, if you ARE hiring for, or looking for potential full-time team members, then find someone who is especially skilled in the one task, and THEN work with them, and look to fill in the rest of their hours with other suitable tasks and responsibilities THEY can handle.

The best way to vet and hire great team members is to develop a REAL relationship with them, and figure out how it can truly be a win-win, and how YOU can SUPPORT them in developing their skills and talents, and doing their job the best they can.

People are not machines, and should never be treated as such. Your best team-members are going to be those who are motivated and believe in your MISSION, your cause, and the VISION for your company.

As a leader, it is your job to paint the vision for them and provide an environment or working structure that draws the best out of them, and inspires them to be their best.

Who’s going to be motivated to sit at another 9-5 and passively complete mundane assignments?

No one. EVEN if you have someone who’s just ecstatic to EVEN have a job and a steady pay-check, they too will eventually tire and decrease in performance - if you don’t create some opportunity for growth and reward performance.

============================================================

Mission: Create your leverage list.

*You are just starting it, and will keep it handy as you go through the course, to creatively and intelligently see how you can add strategies and tasks into processes that can be leveraged and amplify your efficiency and overall effectiveness.

1. Get out a sheet of paper, or open excel or a text document of some sort.

2. Write out all the activities that you do in your business, or that your brand needs to do repeatedly to stay in business.

3. Now go through that list and put all the things that YOU should be doing, or that ONLY you can do, on the left, and put everything else on the right.

Simple... Yes.

But it is a powerful exercise, don’t skip it.

I’m telling ya, get ‘er done!

Watch your inbox for next weeks lesson, where you will learn a highly effective technique for creating high quality content in a minimal amount of time, every-time!

Be Your Best,

Jamie

Follow me on Twitter