Clayton Makepeace has released the latest issue of ‘Total Package’. The featured article by Troy White is titled “Locked Up Without E-mail And Phones the Entrepreneur’s Panacea?”. [Article]


Clayton Makepeace has released the latest issue of ‘Total Package’.

The featured article:

Locked Up Without E-mail And Phones the Entrepreneur’s Panacea?

by Troy White

Fellow Business-Builder,

Sometimes you just have to walk away. When things are piling up ““ the phones are ringing off the hook ““ 300 e-mails a day (all urgent, of course) ““ and a million things to do before Monday.

Sounding familiar?

In the ADD world we live in with most people I see wiring their brains into electronic devices, we are headed into a very precarious time.

With all the technology tools you now have at your disposal ““ are you (honestly) feeling like you are getting more done and more in control of your life and business?

Or do you feel like technology and clients now control you?

My beliefs are that this current situation is going to get worse ““ and the average person is going to find themselves sick all the time, and feeling completely out of control and overwhelmed.

You cannot be plugged in 24/7 to your Blackberry, your computer, instant messaging and a cell phone … it is THE recipe for disaster.

There are now support groups for this problem.

It is now proven that those who have fallen into this trap lose more brain cells than chronic marijuana smokers (Hewlett-Packard research study).

And it is NOT a fun experience.

I don’t like a cell phone ““ I use one as little as possible. Very few people actually know the number ““ and it is NOT posted anywhere my clients can see. I do not use a Blackberry. I do not instant message. I do not check e-mail like a junkie when I am with my family.

Technology has become more of a hindrance to me than a tool.

SO I QUIT!

Tuesday, I packed up the car with everything I needed and drove an hour and a half north of Calgary into a remote (secret) location. A private place I spent my weekends and summers at when I was a kid. A place where, fortunately, my cell phone doesn’t work and there is no Internet access.

And it was WONDERFUL!

I had to do it …

You truly need to learn how to unplug from the grid.

Yes, it is tough to do. It was not a vacation so I knew there were a ton of things I needed to do at the office ““ but it needed to be done.

I’ll admit it was not just a one-time idea.

In fact, how I got to unplugging began a few months ago ““ and I would suggest that you should try this system as well.

The first thing I did was shut off my ringer that goes off every time new e-mails arrive.

Then I marked off a check every single time I looked at my e-mail inbox. Nothing fancy, just a simple yellow pad of paper at my desk broken down by day. Every time I looked at my e-mail I made a check ““ and I noted how much time I spent on it.

Do this for a week ““ and then add it up!

If you want a rude awakening as to how far you have fallen for the trap ““ DO THIS. The first day I did this, I calculated 27 times I checked e-mail!

If you calculate even 2 minutes per time you check (which is completely underestimated ““ it is much more likely 5 ““ 10 minutes every time) … you just gained back an hour of your day.

Next, I unsubscribed from all the newsletters I did not read or gain anything from.

Now, I know you would NEVER unsubscribe from The Total Package newsletters as they are always packed with solid, usable, and profitable information ““ right?

But I noticed that 80% of the e-zines I subscribed to, I just deleted rather than read.

So why let it clutter up your mind and e-mail?

Unsubscribe from them. You won’t miss them ““ trust me!

I put a much more aggressive spam filter in place ““ not that it seems to help much.

Then I made it policy for the first month of this “˜re-awakening’ to be delete happy with e-mails. If they are not addressed to me properly or look like junk ““ delete. If they are not important to me at this time ““ filed away immediately.

The e-mails I could answer in 45 seconds or less ““ done. Those that would take longer ““ wait for 48 hours if possible.

5 minutes lost per day is 20 hours a year ““ 3 full business days

15 minutes wasted is 60 hours a year

1 hour a day is 30 work days a year

This is much like quitting smoking!

I was a smoker for 19 years (yes ““ I started very young at 14). I tried quitting many times before ““ from the gum to the patches to cold turkey. Sometimes it worked … for a few months. But I always went back.

I now celebrate my smoke free years every October.

How did I do it this time?

I had a BIG reason … and I used that as my leverage. To quit smoking, I made my twin daughters first birthday as my reason. I quit on their birthday ““ and I constantly remind myself when and why I quit.

To shut yourself down, and away from distractions is much like quitting smoking. First you have to admit that you ARE addicted to e-mail, the Internet and information. Then you have to admit that there is a much more pleasant way to run a business and live your life.

Most importantly, what is your big reason why?

What do you want out of your business or life in the next 12 ““ 24 months? Is it more money? More time off? To sell your business? Maybe you just want out for a change.

Whatever your reason ““ it has to be big ““ real big. Write it down ““ make it prominent in your office. Put a picture of the end result you will gain after you make the changes and start living the life you want and running the business you want.

Then set a date … a FIRM date.

You are not allowed to make up excuses to extend the date ““ you just do it (if your reason why isn’t big enough, this won’t work).

And then do it!

It won’t be easy ““ quitting an addiction never is.

Take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Focus just on the now and not allowing yourself to fall back into the black hole of “˜busy-ness’.

The first day will be real hard. Then it may seem a little easier day 2. Day 3 you will start getting glimpses of the pure joy of being “˜un-plugged’. The idea that you are finally BACK in control of your own life and time is addictive in itself.

This time you are replacing a bad addiction with a GREAT addiction.

Start feeding yourself with the feeling of control. You control who e-mails you ““ and which e-mails you reply to. You control which phone calls you return ““ and when. You control who is going to help you through your addiction breaking, and re-making.

When you emerge on the other side ““ you will NEVER go back (as long as you keep your reason why front and center).

Back to my escape without phone and e-mail …

It was tough … especially the first day. I felt unplugged and missing something important. Then I realized how great it did actually feel to be without constant interruption. Ultimately I realized that I can get more done in ONE DAY, using this formula, than I used to get done in a week!

Here is what I accomplished during my 36-hour retreat (including a real good 8 hour sleep):

– 2 newsletters from start to finish

– 3 blog posts ““ written and posted when I got back to “the Internet zone”

– 3 speeches written, polished and rehearsed

– New product written for Wild West Wealth Summit.

– 3 shorter advertisements for clients

Went through eight CD ‘s in a training program I have been meaning to listen to for 3 months (plus made 12 pages of notes from this ““ put into a six month action plan ““ and is ready to begin after my Wild West Wealth Summit successfully ends).

Came up with one breakthrough idea that should make me $150,000+ over the next 12 months.
So was it worth it?

HELL YA!

I definitely plan on using my secret retreat much more often (minimum once per quarter). A good day or two away from the daily hustle and bustle will do more for my business growth than sitting and answering e-mails and phone calls.

It takes me less than an hour and 15 minutes to drive from my office to the retreat ““ less than most people spend in rush hour in an average day).

SIDE NOTE: I posted this last week on my article as a comment as so many people wanted to discuss time management more…

The key with this, and everything else in the business world, is to start small and build up from there.

Set aside blocks of time each day (schedule them in your calendar) … say 60 minutes max at a time. Then stick to your guns, shut off your phones and email, and get busy knocking one project off your to-do list. If you finish one within the hour … start another immediately. But only work for the 60 minute block. After the timer goes, take a break. Then do it again … and again … and again.

That is how you get things done – without distraction!

“˜Right now we are travelling to Phoenix for the holidays. The reason we drove this year (1,500 miles)? So I can get some work done! Kari is driving for more than half the distance while I sit in the passenger seat, laptop in hand, cranking out copy, articles and product content. Amazing what can happen when there is no phone and no email … and straight focus!

Knock one thing off at a time. The more of that you get used to … the faster you get and the more you get done.

That is how you become an implementation expert … plus you add in what Stacy said about using virtual assistants … and you can get more done in the next 3 months than you did in the last 3 years.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Troy

My new secret to success in 2009 and beyond.

And I hope yours, too.

To your success,

Troy White

Editor, Small Business Mastery

Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct response copywriter based in Toronto, Canada and publisher of the world famous copywriting anthology Masters of Copywriting featuring the selling wisdom of 44 of the “Top Money” marketing minds of all time, including Clayton Makepeace, Dan Kennedy, Joe Sugarman, John Carlton, Joe Vitale, Michel Fortin, Richard Armstrong and dozens more! For a FREE excerpt visit http://www.SellingtoHumanNature.com.

He is also one of the leading Web conversion experts operating online today, and originator of the 5R System (TM), a strategic process for engineering enhanced Internet profits. For a free overview of Daniel’s system, click here.

Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.

*IMNewsWatch would like to thank Clayton Makepeace for granting permission to reprint this article.

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