Ok. Seriously now. What happened to 2009?

It’s already October and I feel like I’ve achieved only a fraction of what I wanted to. And even that was a struggle!

It' snot like days are actually getting shorter. (I’ve been assured of this). So what’s up?

I couldn't figure it out until I read book that changed the way I see my life. You might have heard of it? The Four Hour Workweek?

In a nutshell, Tim Ferriss explained how most people (and I’m definitely one of them) devote 80% of their time to tasks that produce minimal results.

And I know it’s true. Most of my day is spent answering emails and dealing with distractions that aren’t urgent. Which means I'm prductivefor just a few hurs every day...

This week, I want to put a stop to that. And if you’re willing – I’d like you to join me…

Because until we get our priorities straight, there’s no way we’re going to realise our bigger goals… The goals that will actually add meaning to our life... The goals that’ll make more money… The goals that’ll enable us to start living the life we’ve always dreamed of.

Ready? I know I am…

How to get the most out of your day – every day!
Michael Masterson

In particular, I am interested in the number of hours that should be devoted to planning and preparation versus taking action.

I have always resented any time I’ve had to spend to get ready to do a job. I want to get to it immediately. I don’t want to sit around researching the task, assessing potential problems, and then figuring out the best way to approach it.

This is especially true when I am inspired. Driven by some vision of what could be, I feel maniacally compelled to realise that vision as fast as humanly possible. People who work with me are sometimes stressed by my eagerness to get going.

I believe this drive to action has been a big factor in my success as an entrepreneur. But, in my early career, my disdain for planning and preparation was a major waste of time — mine and that of those who worked for me.

I can’t tell you how many construction projects and marketing plans I had to trash and start.

As time passed, I begrudgingly accepted the necessity of getting ready. I still have the urge to get going on any new project immediately, but I’ve trained myself to take some time to assess the situation and make plans.

The balance between planning, preparation, and action I found was expressed perfectly in the title of a book on entrepreneurship I published in 2008: Ready, Fire, Aim.

The idea, in a nutshell, is this:

• Action is the most important thing. Careers and projects are killed much more often by a reluctance to act than by acting too soon.
• Still, some planning and preparation is helpful.
• Get it roughly right as soon as you can, and then start. You can work out the inks later.
• Thus, Ready, Fire, Aim.

That is a good general guide for how to organise your time. But it doesn’t tell you how much time you should spend getting ready.

Earlier this year, I asked more than a dozen successful businesspeople how much preparation and planning they did each day. I was also curious to know how many hours they worked.

Here are the results of my little survey:

76% said they work more than eight hours a day. The range was wide — four to 12 hours. But the average was 9.3.

Most of them considered “planning” to be a vital part of their day. In fact, as a group, they spend an average of an hour doing just that. But all of them felt that “taking action” was the most important part.

For nearly all of them, the workday begins early — before 9a.m. About half begin at or before 8a.m.

Many begin working before they get to the office by reading e-mail or gathering information for from newspapers or online publications.

Not many — only about 20% — take work home with them at night. But a majority put in at least a few hours on the weekend.

Many took pains to say they “make family a priority after work” and “spend time with the kids during dinner or at bedtime.” I couldn’t help but be suspicious of these responses. I didn’t ask if they were neglecting their families, but they seemed to want to assure me they were not. Maybe there was a little guilt going on there.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the results of my survey with my own practices, as well as with the work habits of Ben Franklin and Donald Trump, America’s most visible entrepreneur.

A typical day for me looks like this:

Part One: Early Morning

6:30     Wake up, smile, think positively.
7:00     Walk or run on the beach, then yoga.
7:30     Eat a high-protein breakfast while reading the newspaper.
8:00     Read poetry, philosophy, etc., looking for one good idea.
8:30     Write/edit poetry or fiction.
10:00    Write/edit non-fiction book.

Part Two: Mid-Day

11:30     Go to office, meet with G, go over day’s schedule.
12:00     Do one important business task.
12:30     Jiu Jitsu
1:00      Have a protein shake while reading.
1:30      Business (Action!)
4:00      Two 15-minute meetings
4:30      Respond to e-mails.
5:00      Plan the next day.

Part Three: Late Afternoon

5:30     Go to Joe’s for espresso, and finish all priority tasks.

Part Four: Evening

7:30       Home, enjoying a glass of wine and a crossword on the porch
8:00       Dinner and conversation with K
9:00       Mindless entertainment
10:00     In bed reading
11:30     Lights out

Add it up and you have the following 24-hour breakdown:

7 hours of sleep
4.5 hours of planning, preparing and reading
8.5 hours of action
4 hours of socialising and relaxation

How does this compare to Ben Franklin’s schedule?

Here’s how he recorded it in his autobiography:

4:00     Wake up and wash, breakfast.
5:00     (He didn’t say.)
8:00     Work.
12:00     Read while eating lunch.
2:00     Work.
6:00     Think about “What good have I done today?”
6:30     Relax and recreate.
9:00     Sleep.

Because Ben left three morning hours unaccounted for, it’s difficult to estimate his time blocks precisely. But assuming those three hours were equally divided between leisure (he was devoted to it), reading, and work, his 24-hour breakdown would look like this:

7 hours of sleep
3.5 hours of planning, preparation, and reading
9 hours of action
3.5 hours of relaxation and recreation

That’s remarkably close to my schedule. Being a fan of Ben, I’m happy about that.

What about Donald Trump?

He gets up early too — usually at 5:30. He spends several hours reading newspapers. (He reads half a dozen at a time.) He arrives at the office at 8:30 and works till dinnertime — or, if he has no dinner plans, till about 10:00 p.m. He’s usually in bed by 11:00 or 11:30.

His workday consists of non-stop meetings and phone calls. Being in the construction and development business, it’s safe to assume that one-third of that time is spent on planning and preparation.

So, roughly speaking, his 24 hours would be broken down as follows:

6.5 hours of sleep
5.5 hours of planning, preparation, and reading
9.5 hours of action
2.5 hours of relaxation and recreation

Interesting, don’t you think?

Do this right now. Take a look at yesterday’s calendar and figure out how your workday compares.

Most people who read this essay will think to themselves, “I should do that. I should wake up early and spend that extra time working on my long-term goals.” They’ll think it, but they won’t do it.

To maximise your productivity, try it for a few weeks and see how it works for you. And since how the way you begin your day has a major effect on how productive you will be in the afternoon and evening, follow these four easy rules:

* Begin with a high-protein meal for long-term energy production without a mid-morning crash. For me, it’s two eggs on a slice of high-fibre toast, several glasses of water, and a cup of coffee.
* Do something physical to wake up your body. For me, it’s a combination of walking or sprinting and 15 minutes of stretching (usually yoga).
* Make your first task a meaningful one. By meaningful, I mean an important-but-not-urgent task, something that will move you along toward a long-term, life-changing goal. For me right now, that involves writing poetry or fiction. For you, it could be something related to making money or advancing your career.
* Do something to stimulate your mind. I like to read poetry or philosophy. I know it sounds pretentious, but it works for me.

Editor’s note: Let me know how you're getting on with this: pascale@fsp.co.za. I’ll keep you in the loop on how I'm doing too...