I asked a client how much of her workday was reactive and how much was proactive? She said 95% of her day was reactive. Unfortunately, I feel 99% of that day was reactive. I try to plan ahead. I have a framework of what I hope to accomplish and where I might progress the client in their session before they walk in the door. Then they arrive for their appointment and the plan is immediately revised.
With my business, I try to work on structural elements and other parts to be in a different place in three or six months. In E-Myth terms, I am trying to work on my business more and in my business less. But the business is primarily me. If I accepted that fact 20 years ago the practice would be called Tom Nuzum Physical Therapy and not TheraPlus. My business is solving the problems of the person in front of me. It is a reactive business.
I realized on the drive home that day that I can be proactive with meal planning. Planning ahead for what entree and what sides would we eat each night would help provide structure for each evening and decrease stress.
Being more proactive with meal planning lead to deciding ahead of time when I would workout, when would my wife workout and what guidance does she need from me, and who is giving the dog her first walk of the night?
When I am more proactive and get a handle on those three things ahead of time, the entire evening opens up. Things are settled down and the kitchen is clean at six thirty or seven o’clock instead of eight. That opens up an extra hour or more each night for me to do something. I can do some woodworking, reading, play ping pong with the girls, etc. It doubles or triples the length of my night.
I have a number of places to get more proactive and less reactive at work. Hopefully, having an extra 6 hours or more a week will help me make improvements there also.