(Second of three parts) By Jim Augustus Armstrong As I said in part one of this series, most likely you took on the risk and hard work of owning a flooring dealership because you wanted a better life for yourself and your family, and you believed that being a flooring dealer was the best route to make that happen.
Unfortunately, overwork is epidemic in our industry, with many dealers working 60-plus-hour work weeks and feeling burnt out. Many feel like they don’t have as much time as they would like to do things outside of work that are important to them.
Here are some ways to fix that:
Build your ideal week. When I work with a flooring dealer who wants to take control of their business, one of the first exercises I walk them through is building their ideal week. Here’s a simplified version of the exercise that you can do right now:
Imagine your business as if you were making plenty of money and you had the freedom to work the hours you choose. Set aside all the financial and time limitations you’re currently working under. Next, take out a blank sheet of paper and write Monday – Sunday across the top. Now, imagine what your ideal week would look like if you had plenty of time and money.
What time would you get up? What time would you go to work? What time would you quit? What time would you go to bed? On which days and times would you exercise, pursue your hobbies and spend time with your family?
Do this for each day of the week, Monday through Sunday. Maybe one of your dreams is to spend more time golfing. So, you schedule every Wednesday from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. to hit the links. Maybe you want to run a marathon, so you schedule two hours of training in the morning, but don’t arrive at work until 10 a.m. to allow for the extra time you need to work out. Maybe you’d like to arrive every day at 10 a.m. and quit by 3 p.m. Maybe you only work Monday through Thursday. Fill in each day top-to-bottom as if time and money were no longer a concern.
Once you’re finished, you should have lots of time open in your calendar filled with things that are fun and important to you outside of work. If you’re feeling stuck coming up with fun things to do, here’s another exercise to help you:
Take out a separate sheet of paper, and for two minutes write down everything that is of interest to you, things you’d enjoy doing, things that sound like a total blast. This list can include fishing, volunteering in your children’s church youth group, traveling on weekends with your spouse, getting in shape, eating healthier, sitting on the beach, taking a nap every afternoon, going hiking in the mountains, writing a book, etc.
Once you’ve done that, pick the top three or four items and write those into the open areas of your calendar.
Congratulations! You’ve just completed your ideal week. In the next installment, I’ll give you steps to move your ideal week from paper to making it a reality in your business and your life.
Jim is the founder and president of Flooring Success Systems, a company that provides flooring dealer with marketing services and coaching to help them attract quality customers, close more sales, get higher margins and work the hours they choose. For information visit FlooringSuccessSystems.com.
