| ABC Squared (ABCC) – an acronym coined by one of my wholesaling clients – is an organizational technique done 4 to 5 times a week that allows you to leave your house knowing two things. 1) All your loose ends are tied up or appropriately placed and 2) New tasks that build up during the day already have a designated slot for handling. This allows you to operate with less overwhelm. ABCC should be done first thing in the morning, or in the evening with a fresh mind (i.e. after a long break, not when you are dragging). The process usually takes 45-60 minutes and consists of: A – Acknowledge: Send thank you emails or notes for any business that came through the day before. B – Business Review: Pull out your calendar and review the meetings you’ve had since your last ABCC. Complete any tasks these meetings generated that haven’t been done yet. This includes, but is not limited to: - Transferring notes - Emailing info you promised - Updating your dashboard (if you are using my dashboard: business at a glance system) - Checking into something that you committed toC – Contact Your Internal: Based on the business review, send a summary email to your internal both reminding them of what needs to be done (you may have requested something already) and listing new things that need to be done. C2 – Clear Your Inbox: Go through your email and take the time to responded appropriately and effectively while you have a fresh mind and aren’t between tasks. Delete, delegate and defer everything else and start your inbox at zero. The idea of clearing your inbox every morning, doesn’t mean you can’t check your email at other times during the day. It just means that you shouldn’t feel pressure to because you know everything will be caught when you execute on your ABCC. It also allows you to responded to emails effectively and intentionally rather than just getting it over with. If you have any advisors, colleagues or managers who email you time sensitive items, you should let them know that you only check your email once or twice a day on some days. Consequently, if anything is time sensitive it warrants a call or text. If you respond to emails constantly, you are training people that you are always available that way and they expect a response. The result is that you feel the pressure to constantly check email. |
Menu