What would you do with that extra hour? If tomorrow had 25 hours instead of the normal 24 hours – what would you do? Think about that for a moment. Would you get more things done from your To-Do list? Would have lunch with a friend? Read a book, take a break? Would you go for a run or take a nap? Would you organize your desk? Clean out your email inbox? Return those calls that are waiting or watch a favorite show?
I can give you that extra hour!
This is not just for tomorrow, but every day for the rest of your life!
There’s a simple, yet extremely effect technique called NDP that can make that happen. Using NDP will create at least an extra hour in your day – every day! NDP does this by dramatically reducing daily distractions, creating massive morning momentum and optimizing the flow of your day. I’ve been using NDP for decades.
What happens with NDP is that you start your day in immediate ACTION. There’s no wasted time in the morning – you know when to get up and exactly what to start doing. That alone has saved people an hour. With NDP there are very little, if any, distractions. For many people, it’s all the distractions of the day that consumes hours of their time. With NDP you see what fits together on your schedule. You batch together tasks, which saves you time. You single task important projects, which saves you time. You delegate more, which saves you time. You eliminate and automate tasks which again saves you more time.
Have you guessed it yet? NDP stands for Next Day Planning. The key phrase I use is:
“Never end the day without planning the next one!”
It’s so critical on many levels. Having a plan when you first wake up in the morning and a specific plan for at least the first few hours of the day will create that 25th hour. You will get more done and you will be energized by the progress. When you have a plan for the day you won’t be distracted. You have the day mapped out so there are fewer rabbit holes, there are more set appointments and more control. We know that 1 minute of planning saves 10 minutes of execution. Taking just 6 minutes to make your Next Day Plan (NDP) will save you an hour every day – giving you the 25 hour day!
How do you NDP?
The planning needs to take place before you go to bed. Some people do it right before they go to sleep. They put a reminder by their toothbrush and as they brush their teeth, they think about and plan out the day. You want a written plan. I just use a small pad of paper and map out my day. I put all my appointments down first. Then, I schedule some working time blocks. Those are periods of time to turn off all distractions and get high-value work completed. You could use the calendar on your computer or smartphone. You could purchase a planner and use that. The medium does not matter. What matters is that you have your next day all mapped out before you go to bed.
“Never end the day without planning the next one!”
You will sleep better knowing it’s all out of your head and on paper for tomorrow. My best days actually have happened when I did my NDP, not at night time but, earlier in the day. There are days where I finish my main to-do list by about 3 pm. Instead of adding to my list for the day, I actually make my Next Day List at 3 pm. What a RUSH to be ahead of schedule. Then, I work on a few items for tomorrow so when the day starts I’m already ahead of schedule. If you think about it, it’s just a head game and a choice. I just put the tasks on tomorrow’s list instead of adding to today’s. You can try that – make a very small list at first, and push things into tomorrow so you finish your primary list by 3 pm. Then make your NDP and start working on it early!
When do you decide on your wake up time?
Realize you are already doing an NDP to some degree. You have to know something about tomorrow when you go to bed. You have to know what time to set the alarm and get up! You can use that as the starting point for your Next Day Plan. Now we are going to take it to the next level and give you that 25th hour every day.
What do you put in your NDP?
Let’s talk about what goes into my NDP. The key is to map out your day. Put all your scheduled appointments in there first. Once you have that base done you could look at optimizing it. Over the years my best days included some key things. The first is a very specific and detailed first 30 minutes of the day. I call this the Morning Sacred 30. That sets the tone for the day and most of it is about “me time” – gratitude, prayer, exercise and little task to get the day started. During that time I also avoid things like email, Facebook, voicemail, and news. I have a similar time called the Evening Sacred 30 which is that last 30 minutes before I go to sleep. That’s where I wind down, make sure I have my NDP completed and prepare for a restful sleep.
I always schedule in some time-blocks for important high-value tasks. These are blocks where I shut off the world to get serious work done as efficiently as possible. I also prioritize the tasks I have so I know before the day begins the exact order I’m going to do the tasks.
I like to put in breaks, personal time and some fun time each day.
I look for things to delegate, automate or eliminate.
I like to have some time to think scheduled in as well. It might only be a 15-minute block but it’s important to have time to think. To disconnect from the world and think through my current challenges and opportunities. To gain some clarity.
It’s also good to not over plan the day. Leave time for urgent calls, emails, and important interruptions or new high-value opportunities.
Have fun with it – pick something to give up for the day – sweets, social media, news, over checking your email – it’s just for a day – you can do it.
So what are you going to do with your extra hour?
With NDP you’ll have at least an extra hour each and every day!
Enjoy the day – take control (do your NDP) and make it a great day,
Blaine
P.S. Drop me an email and let me know how NDP works for you!
Blaine Oelkers is a lifetime entrepreneur, graduate of Purdue University and Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship program. He’s achieved over 100 Million dollars in sales and coached thousands of people. He’s America’s Chief Results Officer® and Day Ahead™ Specialist helping business owners go from being a day behind to being a day ahead in business and in life. He’s the world’s greatest creator of valuable doneness. He can be reached at blaine@selfluence.com.
To learn more visit www.BeingADayAhead.com