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Harvey MacKay Productivity TipsOn Monday morning, I had the opportunity to catch up with the King of Sharks himself, Harvey Mackay. Mr. Mackay has written seven NY Times Best Sellers, including the alluded to, Swim with the Sharks or Get Eaten Alive. In his eighties, he is still going strong. Recently, Harvey crossed item 140 off his bucket list – an exclusive golf excursion in Ireland. When I asked him what his next move was, he replied, ‘I am writing 140 more.’

Harvey is a legend and someone commands presence. When he speaks, I not only listen, I write. On Monday, although we were talking business, I also asked him for his best productivity strategies – one’s that I could pass on to you. We can all learn from someone who has amassed a fortune from the ground up, called the late Mohamed Ali one of his closest friends, has run several marathons, and has no desire to stop anytime soon. I know your time is valuable so let’s get to it. 

 

Here are Mr. Mackay’s top 3 tips for GSD – Getting Stuff Done so you can finish 2017 on top!

 

Prioritize Projects for better productivityReview Your Priorities Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Annually

Opportunities arise, there are last minute requests, distractions, and a multitude of things that can derail our focus. Some of these things can catapult us in our desired direction while others can set us back.

An example of this is something that happened to me recently. I was scheduled to attend a conference for 20,000 people in Las Vegas. Last week, I was asked to speak at the conference. This shifted my priorities massively as it became imperative to schedule time to prepare, decide on my stage outfit, and more. Speaking at this event is a huge honor and that made it a priority, one that trumped a meeting to go over a plug-in for my Infusionsoft APP.

Conversely, I was also asked to participate in a beta test for a piece of tech. That would have taken hours of my time. Although it is great to help, this beta test would not take me closer to my year end goals.

When we review our priorities daily, it gives us the ability to reflect upon what is truly in alignment with where we say we want to be.

 

post it notes for organizationUse the Post-It™ Approach

When something is important, Mr. Mackay writes himself a Post-It™ note and places it in front of where he makes his calls. This keeps whatever it is at the forefront. An example of this was a friend who asked Harvey if he could help his son get an internship. Harvey wrote this on a Post-It™ and when it was appropriate in a conversation, let people know that he was looking for this placement. Of course, he found the ideal internship.

If you have something that you want to achieve, write it on a Post-It™ and put it up where you can see it. This will remind you to bring it up in conversation and strategically go for your goal.

 

organizing appointmentsSchedule ‘It’ In

I asked Harvey if there was anything he wanted to accomplish by the end of the year that he had not already done. His response was that there were 150 people he wanted to connect with. He gave the list to his assistant and asked him to set up the conversations. I have no doubt that Harvey will check these off his list.

If you have something that you still want to achieve by the end of 2017, schedule time in to get it done. You are not very likely to accomplish anything if you do not carve out the time. Make a deliberate effort to create space in your calendar to achieve everything that you deem a priority.

 

Alright my friend, that is this week’s 3. I would love to hear what you are doing to finish this year on top. Let’s connect on my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/susanslylive .

 

PS – DO NOT BUY MY SIGNATURE COURSE – OYL FUNDAMENTALS! Yes, I want you to get organized and yes, yes, yes, I want 2018 to be the year you crush it. I also want to save you money. On Tuesday, November 21st, we are having a one-day sale on Fundamentals. Check your email inbox and social media. Spread the word. I would love to see you make 2018 your most productive year yet.

 

Susan Sly

Author Susan Sly

Susan Sly is considered a thought leader in AI, award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, best-selling author, and tech investor. Susan has been featured on CNN, CNBC, Fox, Lifetime, ABC Family, and quoted in Forbes Online, Marketwatch, Yahoo Finance, and more. She is the mother of four and has been working in human potential for over two decades.

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