How Zero Based Thinking Can Revitalize You 

We work with a number of business owners everyday and time management is an issue with every one of them. We all struggle with managing our time (which, in reality, is just self-management, as we can’t manage time). Even those of us who are more organized than others still struggle to achieve our daily “to do” list, as we attempt to squeeze so many tasks into every given day. Of course, the inevitable and unforeseen challenges usually arise, creating fire fighters out of all of us. By the end of the day, after we’ve dowsed the fires and get back to reviewing our carefully prepared “to do” list, we ask ourselves why we even bothered to write a list in the first place!

Related to this area of time management is the issue of control. Many business owners tend to be “control freaks” and want to have their hands involved in every area of their business. They take on too many commitments and just can’t seem to say “NO.” They have not learned the art of delegation and the freedom that delegation can bring to their business and their lives.

So consider this alternative approach: Instead of trying to do more in a given day, perhaps we should first consider what we need to stop doing!

Brian Tracy, one of the top authors, speakers and motivators on the subjects of business and personal development in the world, teaches a powerful principle called “Zero Based Thinking,” which elaborates on this concept. In a nutshell, Zero Based Thinking is a process whereby one considers the following question: “Knowing what I now know, if I were to get into this (job, business, etc.) all over again, what would I do differently?” He then suggests that his audience go through a very powerful exercise (I call it the Start/Stop exercise). Here’s how it works:

Get out a sheet of paper and create four columns and then label each column with the following: Stop Doing; Start Doing; Do Less Of; Do More Of. Now, applying the same principle of Zero Based Thinking (if you had the ability to start all over again, given the knowledge that you now have), list any tasks or responsibilities you should stop doing, start doing, do less of and do more of. This process will require some quiet time and concentration - and perhaps several attempts to get a good list. You’ll likely miss some areas and that’s OK - you don’t need the perfect list. Your list should be evergreen and can be updated on a regular basis.

Once you’ve completed this exercise, now it’s time to take action on the areas you know need to be addressed. Anything that falls into the “Stop Doing” or “Less Of” categories should either be outsourced, delegated, reduced or eliminated all together. The outcome of this exercise will also likely reveal that you’re spending too much time “Majoring in the Minors.” In other words, you as an owner are probably doing many “minor league” activities such as administrative or technical tasks that someone else making $5, $10 or $15/hour could or should be doing. To help you justify why this needs to change, ask yourself a simple question, “How much is my time worth each hour?” That number could very well be $50, $100, or perhaps several hundred dollars/hour when you consider the activities that you should start doing or do more of, especially in the areas of sales, marketing and planning.

If you want more time and better business growth, it’s essential that you to take action now on the items from your “Stop Doing” and “Less of” sections that need to be outsourced, delegated, reduced or eliminated. This process may seem daunting, but there is a solution for every challenge out there. Great possibilities exist for your business when you gain mastery over your time and ensure that you are doing the right things that reflect the most valuable use of your time, removing everything else.

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