This morning something popped up on one of my Twitter feeds that struck a chord.  At first I said that being retired this had no application to what I do today, which is to volunteer and work on a couple of boards. After a little more thought I think there is something in this for anybody, regardless of their current circumstances.  So here they are and how I see them applying.

1. Wake up early. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing, tweeting, IMing, or posting yet.

I have always been an early riser and this fits for me.  It is truly amazing how much more productive you can be without interruptions.

2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, you will also be the first to recognize opportunities (if you followed #1) for you and your business–long before the competition has even had their first cup of coffee.

This morning I came across three different items that had impact for things that I am involved with and sent emails with attachments and explanations to about twenty people, who are also involved, all before 6:30 a.m. They may also have come across these items but they may not have and at the very least I saved them some time.

3. Send something to one person who can hire you or buy your product–something you promised to follow-up with, a quick email with a link to something relevant or a “Hey, just checking in to see how thing are going” email.

See what I said about #2. Also, while I am not looking for a job or selling a product, I think that we can add value by doing things like this.  In our daily life we often promise to get something to someone and the followup is truly important.

4. Touch base with an old friend or associate you haven’t talked to in ages. Ask how they are, what are they working on and ask or suggest how you might help. You’ll make their day. 

This may well be one of the oldest suggestions in this group.  How many times have you called someone only to find out that they really needed a call?  I bet it is often.  Doing this once a day or so takes little time and produces great dividends.

5. Write a handwritten note to someone. Seriously. It is a lost art and makes quite an impression. There is always someone you can send a thank you note to–or you aren’t doing things correctly.

While this is not one for me, my handwriting is borderline unintelligible even to me, but find other ways, usually a phone call, to work around my handicap.

Let me know your thoughts on this topic and maybe we can get a conversation going on how to leverage these ideas.