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Spotlight: Myke Macapinlac
I have a really bad habit.
A friend and I we’re having a chat at 3:30 am. Ya, I know, my work schedule is so weird. We have a weekly gathering at a friend’s house that starts from 8pm and goes on up until other people are waking up on a Monday to plow through their 5 days of 9 to 5 drudgery.
“Sigh” I’m scared and excited to hear what he had to say. I knew my ego was going to be hurt, at the same time I knew it’s another baby step towards growth. “Alright, let’s hear it dude.” I said.
A concern that was brought up was a comfort zone that I have. I like creating and starting things. I like the idea of putting together something from nothing. No wonder I had so much fascination with Lego when I was younger. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s a problem though if the idea is not seen all the way through.
That’s where I struggled.
My eyes are always open for opportunity. That’s good except I don’t have enough experience yet to figure out which ones to say “Yes” to, say “No” and “Not yet.” A young and eager lad that I am, I said “Yes” to practically every offer. I had an opportunity buffet!
Looking back now, that was a terrible idea. My plate was full and I was ready to vomit. Not only did I run myself to the ground as fast as I shook hands with the next deal, I was left with a lot of half finished projects, disappointments and empty promises.
That’s not good for business at all.
After hitting rock bottom more times than I can remember, I learned some very important lessons I would like to share. Here they are:
- Have A Calendar
You need to see how much time do you have and is it going to work. It’s comes down to basic math. Do all your hours add up? How much free time do you have? If your free time and work time a day doesn’t add up to 24 hours, then you have an issue. Allow for some leeway for unforeseen circumstances but stay within the wiggle room. Allow some time for relaxation as well - Be Very Specific
Which one needs to get done the most and which ones could wait for a bit. If you don’t do this, you’ll put “Urgent” on all the points on your list. This drove me bananas. Set a very specific goal for the week. Backwards the goal on a day to day then hour to hour basis Before going to bed, prepare for the next day and reflect on the progress. Write down everything you have to do. That’s like creating a blue print before you build something. Being specific defines your purpose and makes decision making a lot more sensible. - Have Deadlines
Remember when projects were due in school? I don’t know about you but I usually leave it to the last minute and cram everything in my brain overnight. That said, I forced myself to do it because the deadline was non-negotiable. Have that same attitude when setting goals. Set yourself up for success and make sure deadlines are reasonable yet timely. - Ask For Help
When do you do this? People are more willing to help you if you help yourself first. That said, after you’ve done everything humanly possible then it’s time to call for back up. People like to offer their help because it makes them feel important and relevant. Everyone is good at something that you’re not and if you’re able to recognize you’re able to ask for more specific things. Doing this doesn’t make you less of a person. - What Do You Have?
What are they? People, money, time and energy. This will determine your next steps. How much of each do you have? Evaluate your resources and make sure you have enough to complete any given project - Be Accountable
Have someone or something keeping you accountable. I have a guy that I have given carte blanche to call me out on all my shit. It sucks to be called out but I know it’s out of love. Well, I did ask for it. The truth sometimes can be painful and ugly only if you involve yourself in it. Remember, failure is an event, never a person. It’s okay to fail but make sure you’re getting good feed back from sources that have your good intentions in mind. - Create A System
If you have a system in place then everything is automatic. This is the difference between working smart and working hard. Create a template for everything you do and you’ll have one less thing to think about every single day.
My calendar was pretty much controlling my life. I remember a story that happened a couple weeks ago. I got 6 hours of sleep in total in 3 days. Because I neglected my calendar, I had to catch up. I was driving home, mentally and physically exhausted, after a pack of cigarettes and 2 big cans of sugar-free red bull, I fell asleep.
I woke up approximately 5 seconds before I ran over a red light on a busy road. I could’ve died. All because I wasn’t organize.
So after doing all this, how do you know when you’re successful? When the goal you’ve set, the goals you accomplished and the time limit you set for it are all congruent. This will take a bit of time but always aim for consistency because it won’t always be perfect. Why is it important to set a goal and follow it all the way through? An idea is only awesome if it’s developed enough to be implemented and self sustaining.
A goal that you’ve set is a dream that is given a deadline for completion. Without setting goals, you’ll be just as busy except you’re only getting half the things you need to get done. Now that doesn’t make a lot of sense doesn’t it? With a bit of discipline and accountability, this should be a piece of cake.
Great article man!
Thanks for the feedback Max.
You’re welcome – really does help for people like me, who knew, forgot, didn’t use the concept of this – its something to refresh your mind & start doing it!