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I love waiting.
Or better yet, I have learned to enjoy waiting.
Why?
Because while I am waiting for my MDs for coverage, I get to do a lot of things.
I get to check my stocks portfolio online (both directly and indirectly), I get to answer queries on Messenger about investment, I get to read a chapter of a book or a newsletter from the Truly Rich Club, or I can write a blog post.
Today, I was able to enroll a workmate to the Truly Rich Club (yes, he entrusted me his credit card details -- that was something, by the way), I had a quick but insightful chitchat with two other medical reps from different companies about investments, resolved IL policy concerns of friends, and exchanged messages with a colleague and convinced him to blog about his "supermarket bagger to SMPH investor" experience.
The list goes on.
During these waiting time that I am productive. Let me share with you the productive strategies that my mentor taught me.
Top "Hard Core" Productive Strategies
1. Write a Plan for the Day
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And when I turn on my laptop, I use a free software called TeuxDeux to plan my day. It even has a "Someday" for future plans.
2. Wake Up One Hour Earlier
I am a mother of two very young kids and I am an employee. When the kids are up and when my boss sends me a text message at early morning, there is nothing much else that I could do. I have a family and a job to attend to PRONTO!
So what I do is wake up early to be able to do other things outside family and work. This is when my mind is still fresh, and the house is peaceful. I remember waking up almost everyday at 5am to write a new blog post.
3. Set Deadlines and Be Accountable
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Do you dream of growing your money through investments?
Or starting a business?
Or doing what you love instead of being stuck in your day job?
Or learning internet marketing?
Or writing a book?
Most of the time, these dreams are just dreams because you do not set a deadline. Set a date. Mark it on your calendar. And then tell people about it and be accountable!
And because these dreams are announced, you will be forced to do them.
4. Launch Imperfect Products
This is not about defective or sloppy products. This is about not being a perfectionist. This is the winning formula: Launch partially perfect products and improve them along the way.
5. Focus on What Only You Can Do
Usually, the problem is, we think we will do everything. This is mainly because we have an employee mindset. Remember how we are expected to multitask as employees?
But real entrepreneurs are paid for their ideas, not their labor.
Let me give you an example. The business I started with a partner is a business center in our province. We own the business. But we have a group of hardworking and trustworthy staff who does errands for us, organizes seminars and hire agents. We also have subdistributors and retailers that help us in growing the business. And what do we do as owners? Marketing. Because it is mainly what we do best.
Recently, I sold all my shares and withdrew everything in my COL account. This is where I directly invest in the stock market for the past four years. Now, for my stocks investment, I choose to do it indirectly through my VUL with Insular Life.
Why?
Because I need to do less stuff with my 24 hours. I will let the experts do what they do best. My fund managers will buy me the time that I cannot give myself. They will manage my portfolio for me, passively grow my money, giving me the time to do more important things for myself.
Final Note
Instead of playing games during your idle time, why not play REAL GAMES instead? Your passion, that is your game.
May you find these strategies helpful and my prayer is that you apply them and replace busyness with a real business.
