“I Don’t Have Time to Prepare”

Summary

• Every battle is won before it begins. Preparing for meetings, even just five minutes, is crucial.
• Five minutes of prep for a 60-minute meeting is more effective than winging it.
• If you think you don't have time to prepare, remember that not preparing costs you more.
• To get the most out of your time, shorten a 60-minute meeting to 45 minutes and use the extra 15 minutes for preparation.
• A well-prepared 45-minute meeting is more valuable than an unprepared 60-minute one.

Video

How To Take Action

I would suggest implementing a simple but powerful strategy: always prepare before any meeting or important task. You don't need a lot of time for this, just five minutes can make a huge difference.

Start by dedicating the last 15 minutes of every hour to prep. If you have a 60-minute meeting, cut it down to 45 minutes. Use those extra 15 minutes to gather your thoughts, outline key points, and anticipate questions. This way, your 45-minute meeting will be more productive than if you had used the full hour without preparation.

A good way of doing this is to keep a checklist or sticky notes with the main goals or questions you want to address. Revisiting this list each time will create a habit of organized thinking. This is particularly helpful for small business owners or entrepreneurs who juggle multiple tasks daily.

If you're just starting, allocate specific times in your day dedicated solely to planning and preparation. Block these times on your calendar to make sure you don't skip them. Even small, consistent increments of preparation can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and outcomes.

Lastly, practice makes perfect. The more you prep, the quicker and better you get at it. This habit will save you time in the long run and improve the quality of your meetings and tasks. Just remember: five minutes spent preparing can save you hours of fixing mistakes later.

Full Transcript

every battle is one before the battle begins five minutes of prep for a 60-minute meeting will do more than trying to rasle Dazzle your way through with your words once you're on and this is the thing is that I can already hear the obstacle where someone's like I just don't have time to prepare you don't if you don't have time to prepare you don't have time to afford not to prepare because you get so much more out of that five minutes than you do out of the 60 and so if anything shorten the meeting to 45 minutes and then take the 15 minutes of prep because the 45 will still be worth more