Do you ever wonder how some business leaders are so productive? They are incredibly busy, yet accomplish what they want in less time than many others. As a Professional Organizer, I’m lucky to meet many inspiring individuals who fall into this illustrious category. In this Productivity Pointers from Productive People segment, I am pleased to interview Lucas Roberts, President and CEO of Macinhome Consulting Inc., to learn what makes him organized and successful.
What are the biggest time wasters in your life? What do you do to manage them?
The biggest of all is doing things I already know how to do and am very good at. I try to catch myself in the moment, and I ask myself, “Is this the best use of my time? Could someone else do this if I teach them well enough? Could I write a document, checklist, process, or make a video so I don’t ever have to do this again?” This keeps me vigilant.
I also once every few days take a step back and look at things from a birds-eye view with some journaling. I look to see what’s the actual best use of my time and what I could do to keep innovating, while also empowering my staff to get better and better. My top three resources for this are The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber, Getting Things Done by David Allen, and The One Thing by Gary Keller.
Tell us about your everyday “essentials” for business (e.g. smartphone, apps, virtual assistant? etc.).
Actual phone calls to speak with and care for people. It is too tempting and easy and lazy to send a text. Beyond that, Siri for many most common tasks (I just made a video about this), Slack and Basecamp for team chat and collaboration. I use Vonigo for our client scheduling and invoicing, and I have a great virtual assistant team to handle our phone calls from clients.
A gold mine of self-improvement tools from the incredible entrepreneurial curriculum and coaching staff at Executive Success Programs (ESP). Of course, my Apple Watch, iPhone, and top-of-the-line MacBook Pro can turn any park or beach or coffee shop into an office. I have my own version of the Pomodoro technique that I learned in ESP for daily time commitments. For example, I spend only 15 mins per day on a certain task. I do bookkeeping, task management, blog writing and use the Streaks app that syncs with my iPhone and Watch to keep track of them all.
How do you manage and organize yourself electronically (online, mobile phone, computer)?
When I commit to doing something it goes into a Note in my Apple Notes app that syncs beautifully to my Mac and iPhone. This is my ‘capture tool’ which I learned from a couple of Landmark friends who teach the Mission Control method.
A few times per day I move things from my ‘capture tool’ into my calendar or into a spreadsheet where I track and prioritize each item. Within that spreadsheet, I also look at other options for getting that item done. For example, I might delegate it, make a video, or write a process, etc. Using my daily focused 15 mins is a huge benefit. When I set that timer, nothing gets in my way. I made a video about that too.
How do you organize and file your paper information?
I don’t. I have stacks, piles, and somewhat-organized chaos. The actual important things go into a “these are important” pile that will then get lost amidst other piles. When I truly need to do or be aware of something I’ll take a photo of it, it syncs from my phone to my Mac in seconds through iCloud. And I put actual steps and dates into my ‘capture tool’ and calendar. I don’t trust paper.
What’s your top tip to staying organized & productive?
Get real with how much time it actually takes to stay organized and proactive in your life. For me, it takes a solid 30-60 mins per day just to look at and think about my tasks, commitments, next steps, and calendaring – especially when I think about how to delegate things. Thinking takes time and often takes journaling to get it out of my head into something workable.
I also use a customer booking app that syncs with my calendar so other people can just pick times within my web calendar. Totally eliminates the back-and-forth onslaught of emails to determine who is free and when. As a bonus, it also eliminates the people who weren’t serious about wanting to meet with me. If they don’t follow through with the web booking then it wasn’t that important to them. I also block off big chunks of time so no one can book with me at certain times in the week. This keeps me proactive and creative during those times.
What do you do to achieve work-life balance?
I stay vigilant and aware. I keep checking in and taking care of my “big rocks“. I ask my girlfriend what she would change about our relationship and then put time and work into that. I notice if my body feels weak or hurting, and get help from a trainer or design a 15-minute workout for myself to address it. I make time to lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling or to binge-watch an entire season of something. I also journal and ask myself important questions. Real men journal.
Learn more about Lucas Roberts. Read more productivity pointers from productive people.
