My Biggest Takeaway from "10x is Easier Than 2x"

As an entrepreneur, you're probably familiar with the relentless pursuit of productivity and growth. But have you ever considered that the approach to your calendar could be the game-changer in scaling your business? In this blog post, we'll dive deep into a transformative strategy that Shannon, our host at Keep What You Earn, wholeheartedly endorses after an enlightening experience with the book "10x is Easier Than 2x" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Ben Hardy.

The core idea is shockingly simple and revolves around preventing the common pitfalls of context switching by intentionally structuring your calendar. Shannon shared that the lingering mentality from corporate life is hard to shake—interpreting free time as available time. This mindset, where not having an appointment equals availability, can be detrimental and counterproductive.

Breaking away from this habit, Shannon embraced the concept from the book of dividing days into three categories: Free Days, Buffer Days, and Focus Days. By doing this, she noticed a significant positive impact on her productivity. Let's explore each of these innovative concepts and see how you too can inject this transformative structure into your business life.

**Focus Days**:

On Focus Days, you're in the thick of it, handling the operations that directly relate to your client work. Whatever your specialty, be it consulting, managing projects, developing software, or delivering services, these are the days dedicated to performing the work you're trained for. Shannon realized the power of maintaining an uninterrupted theme through the day. This decreases the drag of context switching and allows for deeper concentration and more meaningful progress in your core business tasks.

**Buffer Days**:

Buffer Days are when you step back and work on the business, not in it. These days could be devoted to activities like attending training sessions, writing marketing copy, planning strategy, or hosting team huddles. Shannon points out that these are lighter work days but critical for growth. Dedicate this time to marketing, creativity, administration, or any other tasks that require a different mindset from your client-focused activities.

**Free Days**:

True to their name, Free Days are personal time. Shannon took a bold step and cleared her Fridays of meetings, leaving the schedule open to choice-based activities. If she's feeling energized, she may dive into some work, but there's no pressure or expectations—no context switching, no appointments, just pure freedom. This not just prevents burnout but also fosters creative thinking and personal well-being.

By color-coding her calendar accordingly with green for Focus Days, yellow for Buffer Days, and blue for Free Days, Shannon could easily identify when tasks were creeping into the wrong zones, allowing her to maintain the sanctity of her day's intent.

Now, let's talk about the magic behind this strategy. The most profound benefit is the elimination of productivity-killing context switching. Jumping from task to task, especially ones that require different mindsets, can lead you to expend unnecessary mental energy, leaving you feeling scattered and unaccomplished.

The segmentation of days also affects how Shannon perceives her workload. Stress levels are moderated by knowing what type of work the day requires and being mentally prepared for just that. Moreover, by setting boundaries around her time, she restores control over her schedule rather than letting external requests dictate it.

So, fellow entrepreneurs, Shannon's encouragement is clear: give this system a try. Experiment for a few weeks. You may be pleasantly surprised at how freeing it is to define your days clearly and declutter your calendar—and your mind.

As we wrap up, remember that implementing a new system takes intention and discipline. But the potential rewards—increased productivity, reduced stress, and potentially exponential business growth—are worth it. Why not start this week and see how it revolutionizes your approach to work? Like reading a good book or listening to an inspiring podcast, you never know which strategy will be the one to facilitate those quantum leaps in your business—until you try it.

What you'll hear in this episode:

03:21 Structured calendar to optimize productivity and focus.
06:38 Categorize your day for better productivity.

If you like this episode, check out:

Creating an Outstanding Customer Service Experience

Reviving Business Boredom

Unlocking the Secrets of My SOPs

Want to learn more so you can earn more?

5-Day Financial Mindset Refresh: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/refresh

Visit keepwhatyouearn.com to dive deeper on our episodes

Visit keepwhatyouearncfo.com to work with Shannon and her team

Watch this episode and more here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMlIuZsrllp1Uc_MlhriLvQ

Connect with Shannon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/

The information contained in this podcast is intended for educational purposes only and is not individual tax advice. Please consult a qualified professional before implementing anything you learn.