The Time Block Lie

“I have it time blocked, I just don’t do it.”

I was doing one of my workshops this week, and we were specifically talking about door-knocking. One guy shouts out, “I have it time blocked, I just don’t do it.”

Best line of the week!

He said it so matter-of-fact, so authentically. He knows what he needs to do and doesn’t do it.

Sound familiar?

Knowing what to do and doing it are two totally different things.

My recommendation: if you aren’t going to do something, don’t put it in your schedule. If you put it on there every week and you don’t do it, consider the only thing you are doing is torturing yourself. Save the heartache and grief - if you aren’t going to do it, take it out of your head - and your schedule.

Instead, create a list called “someday-maybe”. On that list you can put door knocking, buying leads, or using your CRM. I am joking about the last item.

What is a someday-maybe list? From David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology, a someday-maybe list is for actions or projects you aren’t going to do now - but might do in the future. For me, on my someday-maybe list is to hire someone to help book speaking events. I am going to do that, but not today, and probably not next month. I don’t have it on my “schedule” or active project list. I know I need to do it someday - and I am not committing to it right now. So instead of looking at it every day and week - I have it somewhere else as a placeholder.

The other problem with putting things on your schedule and lists that you aren’t going to do is a lack of integrity. We have spoken about this before. You are saying you are going to do something, and then you don’t do it. You are breaking your word to yourself, and that creates a loss of power.

Remember, I never wanted to knock on doors. The days I didn’t do it were my worst days because I was not honoring my word. What gave me power: doing what I said I would do. I don’t like knocking on doors, I like having knocked. I don’t like making my calls - I like having made them.

This next week: only put on your schedule and to-do list things you are absolutely committed to doing. Sure, the odds of everything going perfectly are low, but you will likely have great success on the most important items. I suspect you will have a much different experience next week.