ELITE : SIX Think Tank meetings are discussed over ZOOM with our members every Friday at 9:30am.
Facilitated by DANNY : DE HEK meetings are recorded for our Podcast, we’ve been doing this since COVID-19 if you’re interested in joining in with us check out our Website.
Transcribed by Otter
Danny de Hek 0:00
Welcome to elite six business networking Think Tank, facilitated by your host, Danny de Hek . The place where decision makers come together to share their experience, knowledge and skill
1st meeting for 2021. And we do have a theme today. And it’s checklist for 2021. And we call it last year I think Warren a fitness. So I don’t know if any of us have got our WOF, in business ever. It’s not we’re allowed to start a business, you don’t need to get a certificate to start your own business, like children really, isn’t it? Yeah, you can just have children and be responsible parents.
David Clarkson 0:44
On some of them in some of the professions you have once of fitness, like the accountants and what have you, and they get checked from time to time and they’ve got they’ve got to pass the audit if they want to maintain the run. So, you know, and I believe some of the lawyers and architects do the same thing. So
Helen Oakes 1:08
I suppose it isn’t done for more industries. Really, when you think about it? Yeah, yeah.
David Clarkson 1:13
Well, I don’t for buildings, let’s face it.
Danny de Hek 1:17
I like it, you can just about be as long as you’ve got a What do you call that thing? Public liability. You’re calling yourself an IT professional and supposed to be depends what you’re working on really small stuff isn’t really that big a deal. Right, listen to yourselves. I’ll start my name is Danny. And I’m, what am I? What am I What am I don’t know what I am, I’m actually starting to do a lot of online workshops and courses. And I’ve just managed to buy some software to do that. So I’m really looking forward to getting that going. And I’m going to probably start recording my first LinkedIn course this afternoon. And I’m looking forward to that. So that’s going to be a course I’ve actually ran face to face a couple of times, and I’ve also run it online over zoom. We’re real people. So now I’m gonna chop that up and make a call. So that’s what are my new ventures for 2021. And, Helen, what do you do?
Helen Oakes 2:14
I’m Helen, I am a photographer and digital artist. I consider myself an entrepreneur. I’m making a new business, a new store for my digital art. And I’ve started podcasting but I need to keep going because I’ve only done a few. And what was the other thing? blogging? Bit of a blogger, but need to keep doing that.
Danny de Hek 2:42
And you’ve started a new project this year. Um, new project? Yeah.
Helen Oakes 2:46
Let’s say new project.
Danny de Hek 2:49
Yeah. What do you been working on?
Helen Oakes 2:51
I just see it. I’d started a digital art store.
Danny de Hek 2:53
Okay, digitalprints.co.nz,
Helen Oakes 2:56
digitalprints.co.nz. And I’m making that at the moment and it’s fun actually, to get it all together.
Danny de Hek 3:01
It’s gonna try selling my photography. Isn’t that funny. Yeah. Awesome.
All right. What about you? What do you got any new projects or tell us what you’re doing who you are?
Jaline Pietroiusti 3:16
So we’re Stefano and Jaline from the old way. And we specialise in building ecommerce stores and integrating apps into Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento. Our new business venture that’s an add on to our services is building apps. For Shopify. We’ve got two in the pipeline, and yeah, pretty exhausted about what’s gonna go
Danny de Hek 4:00
And you’re also a captain of a ship.
Jaline Pietroiusti 4:03
Yes, I’m the founder of the odd wave Stefano, the technical genius behind everything.
Danny de Hek 4:13
School, David Clarkson, what about you?
David Clarkson 4:16
I’m David Clarkson. My firm is dynamic communication bits. I’m sort of hitting into more semi retirement. And so whilst I still do some work on dynamic communication, we build more confident, more confident, more credible communicators and still doing that work, but I’m putting less emphasis on it. And many of you may know that I curate a Military Museum at Burnham camp here in Christchurch. And so that’s going to become the focus of my activities during major focus of my activities during 2021.
Danny de Hek 4:57
So you took us for a tour just before noon. That’s right. And so what would you say that roll was? Because I was trying to get their data. You can’t remember what the answer was.
David Clarkson 5:06
I said, basically, it’s a curator. But I’m, I’m my official title as the chair of the regimental history centre. He’s the chairman you go.
Danny de Hek 5:20
All right, thank you, David Laughlin, know your name. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 5:24
I’m Lachlan McNeil, and I have a company called a Acorva Recruitment. This year, this year 2021. Also be doing more work in, in careers, careers, helping with careers and as well as that. Looking. I mean, I’m a natural teacher so looking to where where that’s going to take me plus my wife just got a job and Nelson so we’re moving move to Nelson at some stage.
Danny de Hek 5:50
Way. Is it sorry, that way you’re painting the house.
Lachlan McNeill 5:54
Yeah, that’s why I’m painting the house wasn’t painting house. I just did finishing that. That that my see the tiles on the outside, which is great when it’s not too hot, but I got absolutely fried. In fact, on my arms appealing look.
Danny de Hek 6:07
Oh, yeah. When I was a kid I used to live on the beach.
Lachlan McNeill 6:11
Yeah. So yeah, lots going on. With sitting then. So what happens we have St. Claire’s gonna be staying with friends for a while up and Nelson. And then we arranged a few house sets. So we just went through that this morning. Just Just so she didn’t you know, we do have something quite a bit. So it’s kind of fun. Yeah, I think this is going to be very interesting year. My year. My word of the year is commitment. I tend to commit to too many things. That’s not commitment.
Danny de Hek 6:38
I think a population is more millionaires and Nelson than any other city in New Zealand.
Lachlan McNeill 6:52
I think you’ve got to differentiate cause and effect will I become a millionaire? I’ve moved to Nelson. Perhaps not.
Danny de Hek 6:58
Maybe get kicked out of you know, who knows? I didn’t know a lady. They had a big 100 foot yacht, who used to live in Nelson. She was a hadcase. But she was worth 35 million Judith is what he name was.
Lachlan McNeill 7:12
I can balance out the average. Huh? What I yeah. That’s right. I could say when I moved to Nelson, then they can say well, okay, now the average person to Nelson is the average salary.
Danny de Hek 7:29
I love it. It’s good.
Lachlan McNeill 7:30
By the way Danny, I wore my shirt just for you today. To be the black and white.
Danny de Hek 7:39
Ben Sherman if you ever take up target shooting. I used to wear that exact shirt walking around with another 150 target shooters. And they said not the best idea. Should
Lachlan McNeill 7:48
We go paintballing I couldn’t be with these. Oh, yeah, that’s
Danny de Hek 7:53
Good stuff. Um, pull you back with us where you have a customer. If you don’t know, Paul, he’ll come in later on. He’s got a shop and he’s obviously with the customer at the moment, but he fixes in it of it and any IoT equipment you may need. But we actually lost my screen. This is our think tank for the meeting. topic is Chiklis for 2021. So I don’t know how do we work experiences into this? Trying to get a screen back honey
So what’s people’s experiences with creating sicknesses in the past? Is that what we’re talking about? There we go.
Lachlan McNeill 8:30
This is what checklist of things you’re gonna knock off, is it?
Danny de Hek 8:34
Well, no. Yeah, I think that’s it,
Helen Oakes 8:37
Yeah
David Clarkson 8:38
I just, it’s just another checklist. To Do List whatever.
Helen Oakes 8:42
Yeah.
Stefano Pietroiusti 8:45
Like goals for 2021. Yeah. Yeah. So
Danny de Hek 8:49
What’s the things I went into, like from last year? had to be flexible, was it? What do you call it? pivot. Pivot. reorganise your business 10 times over. Head to adapt. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 9:06
Well, I, I think, in terms of experiences, it’s easy when you get caught when you’re so down in the weeds with stuff is to miss opportunities. And you know, you get to the end of the last year, and the people were saying, oh, the people who’ve pivoted in this direction, gave it a go often did well, and I found myself certain I get to down in the weeds with stuff and I don’t stick my head up occasionally. So I think in terms of a checklist might be one of my things for my checklist is going to be once a month. stick my head up, look around and see actually what’s happening.
Danny de Hek 9:35
Yep.
David Clarkson 9:37
Yeah, and so reviewing, it’s really important, like my name. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 9:43
In fact, I’m a great fan of Chiclets because I had the attention span of a goldfish. He having checklists, very useful.
Helen Oakes 9:52
I love checklists.
Lachlan McNeill 9:53
Yeah,
Danny de Hek 9:54
I told Helen I used to actually went and bought a war planner. It’s not really a checklist but it’s more of a vision boards or both.
Helen Oakes 10:00
Wall planner put it on the wall.
Danny de Hek 10:02
I can’t stand them
Helen Oakes 10:03
He hates it. But, but the reason you hate it is because you don’t write things I love writing. And I put it up on the wall. And then I can fill in. I’ve got about 10 photoshoots already in there. And then I’ve got other spaces where I can validate, and I can see how busy I can get over how much I can fit there. Where I need other jobs. I love it.
Lachlan McNeill 10:22
Wall planners are great, because it doesn’t matter how many screens you are, you’ve got you can’t switch them off. They’re on the wall, they don’t go away.
Helen Oakes 10:29
That’s right. That’s the thing. You’re looking for it. And I can always have it sitting there looking at me, but I can with a wall cleaner. So yeah,
Lachlan McNeill 10:37
I need to change my wall.
Stefano Pietroiusti 10:41
But there’s got to be a limit to how many things you put up there. It’s very frustrated. Yeah, you start missing certain things.
Danny de Hek 10:59
Sitting on the coffee table, so I normally have about nine things to do a day. Yeah, that’s them and read the ones I have to do in the black ones I can miss if I have to. But I got down to two from Monday.
Lachlan McNeill 11:13
Pain. Earlier you were saying that you? You don’t try not to put too much on? Yeah.
Stefano Pietroiusti 11:21
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what I was saying is like, towards the end of last year, I had this like, big, you know, list of like, things I wanted to do in 2021, kind of narrowed it down to like maybe three or four items. That didn’t, once you achieve those three or four items, you need to think about the next things to do. And that just like makes it more encouraging, because once you achieve things she actually has, you know, just gained momentum into achieving more. Okay.
Lachlan McNeill 11:50
I took a while ago, there’s quite good, actually, I think it was some lady called Natalie and in and Wellington thing called life pilot. And that whole idea sent a bit big, but actually a bit bit woowoo for me, but actually, it was worked out good. So divided things into categories. And you can only in any day, put three things down for that day, and not dot three things in each category, but three major things to achieve. And for someone like me, who just ends up with lists of 50 things which are ridiculous, I’m never going to get them done. It was a really good discipline. And, and I run, it just runs on Google Docs. And what you do is you set them up for your big things for like three years time, and then roll that down right down to something to do that week. And then right. And then every week, you set things to do that day. And yet, because everything’s colour coded, you have businesses orange with, you know, money stuff is purple, you try and get a good like any any sort of meal to try and get a good mix of colours in any given week or day. And my goodness, that was it was hard, but it was a really good discipline to do.
Helen Oakes 12:50
That’s a great idea.
Lachlan McNeill 12:51
Yeah. Yeah.
Danny de Hek 12:54
If I have a task, I’ll do a mind map, and make sure I’ve got all the ingredients before I start. Yep.
Helen Oakes 13:00
And yeah, you’ve got to be really careful not to put screeds of things on your list, because you just work through them. Like, we sort of had the role that we’ll do five a day that now I’ve listed, like about nine or 10 things because I’ll forget them. But then I’m not going to get through them. So right,
David Clarkson 13:18
The real trick with doing that sort of thing, an actual fact is to write your list, but then go through and prioritise it, a B, C, you know, I eyes, the most important B’s The next most important C’s the least important. Yeah, and, and, in within each category, give 123 is which one’s the most important, least important, etc. If you do that, you’ll go, what it does is it draws you to the most important things, you’ve got it, you know, like, stuff that you can do, or that you should do straight away. The whole thing with to do lists or checklists, or whatever you like to call them, is that what they do is help you move through your key tasks, your critical tasks. And that’s the thing. So it doesn’t matter whether you only have when you know, what plums idea is good with just the three or you have a whole list a whole list, but at least in the list have some way of identifying the things that are most important to be done. Somebody wants to referred to those sort of lists is painless. And they’re a pain to do. But they solve the pain if you do them.
Helen Oakes 14:33
Yeah. And hence the colour coding, I guess.
Lachlan McNeill 14:37
Colour coding is good. I, I certainly find fine for me is that I just tend to put a doll just put that I’ll just put that on as a reminder, but separating the things that you want to be reminded about the things you really want it need to get done that day, and it’s okay. You think you have three or you think four but you know, it’s okay to have one. One thing to do, because once you’ve done that thing, then you can look at the rest But I for me, sometimes these twos, okay, you know? So?
David Clarkson 15:05
Yeah, the beauty with prioritising is that at least it makes you focus on the most important words you have to
Lachlan McNeill 15:13
Prioritise. Yeah.
Danny de Hek 15:15
Good stuff, guys. Remember, we’ve got the chat box too, if you want to check things in the air, and then we can have a separate screen job.
Stefano Pietroiusti 15:22
And what kind of categories Do you guys put down? Is it like a cross, you know, like, personal business? So you’re not only focused on business priorities, but you’re focused on personal development.
Lachlan McNeill 15:33
The ones I have, I have personal, I have lifestyle, I’ve health, I’ve impact, you know, because I want to do speaking work. Well, just money, relationships, and then house, which is a separate because I’m doing stuff now. I just put the pulled that out as a separate category. And, you know, I find those things, you know, and just, you said, What colours you like, Hmm,
Danny de Hek 15:56
I think it’s important, I sort of need to visualise. And it does help differently with, you know, like it also, at the end of the day, when you look at your listing, you see you’ve actually got stuff done, you actually feel like you’re not just treading water. Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. So
Lachlan McNeill 16:13
I can get a screen shot somewhere.
Danny de Hek 16:15
We were talking last year, I know, for business used to have some sort of fitness thing of accountability. I’ve spent the last year I’ve actually managed to get my heart rate down to about not as low as yours, Dave. But that 49 my resting heart rate, which is quite cool. But I’ve put it over a graph for three years, and I can see them hidden in the right direction, and also losing a bit of weight over those long term goals or something. But I think, you know, having a health plan, or something that we may implement, while we do about two or three runs a week, I’m not really a runner, to be honest, I lost my joy in it, but I’m starting to enjoy it again, because I’ve done so much of it. And I’m starting to get out and wait for nine k run on the spot. Last Wednesday, it was a five k run when I tune up someone said we’re doing a nine k circuit who’s in and went, Okay, you know, I nearly died. But um, it’s nice to be able to have other goals as well. Or, you know, it’s like, a double life in a way you have your business hat. Yeah, Nina check on your personal life.
David Clarkson 17:19
You know, just in that fit for business that you were talking about? Danny, we used to have the four areas that we used to focus on business, nutrition, fitness, and
Danny de Hek 17:39
You have to say that again.
David Clarkson 17:41
Ah, fit for business when it was going we end literally doesn’t matter what it was called. We had four goals. And they were the we would set targets for our goals for and they were business was one. Nutrition was two. Fitness was three and fun was four. Each week, we would set a goal in each area. And you know, and what we found was that covered off the major sectors that Lacan was talking about, you know, you can fill those in to enter into the fourth. And it works pretty well.
Helen Oakes 18:31
Okay, about the colour coding, and like, what we were before I did this, which is
Lachlan McNeill 18:37
Oh, yeah,
Helen Oakes 18:38
There and there’s a little sticky note things and this is from my workshop that I’m working on. And the yellow ones are the modules and the blue ones will go down and they’ll be the lessons and then because I was learning from a person on during the course through of doing these little sticky colours and yeah module Listen, and then I think there’s something else that goes into it. But she was saying the whole colour coding thing to separate things and sit about the sticky notes so went off to stationery bought and sticky notes and the great
It’s all right. Don’t do my head in.
Danny de Hek 19:20
Yeah. It’s good stuff, guys. I’m STUFFING THIS up quite nicely by myself. Alright guys, that’s cool. All right. So these are whole good stuff deal. It’s a problem. So we’re looking for a checklist. What sort of problems are we potentially going to have during a checklist? not staying on target, maybe. You know, losing focus, or forgetting that you’re finding time to look at your checklist?
David Clarkson 19:55
Yeah, yeah, like that. Oh, a leading lady. yourself get distracted.
Helen Oakes 20:03
Yes. Or Yes. Good one for that. David, as you’ve got your checklist, and then you go, yep, I’ve got to do those. And then something pops in your head and you go, oh, it might just do that.
David Clarkson 20:18
Good thing. Good thing to help you overcome the problems. Have you guys heard about the Pomodoro technique? Stefano and Judith has that’s really good. Set your timer, and work for 20 minutes, and don’t have any distractions. During that 20 minutes, take a short break, then reset your timer and do it again. And if you say to yourself, as I’m working, and this is only just in 22nd, in fact, I used to do it for 25, actually, because it used to suit me better. But if you just focus entirely for that, don’t answer the phone, don’t answer your emails, focus on the task. And if you do that, that’s a great way of staying focused and not getting distracted.
Danny de Hek 21:10
What do you do in the breaks in how do you how do you get back to 20 minutes? How much of a break would you have?
David Clarkson 21:16
What what I used to do is do it I used to do 25. And I’d have first one be a five minute break. And then after the next one, I’d have a 10 minute break. And then after the next one quarter of an hour, and then start back again.
Helen Oakes 21:31
I think it’s really late those breaks, because you got to have the breaks hours and not move. And then I think God, I’ve got to get up and walk around. And that’s right. And
David Clarkson 21:41
When when when especially when you give them the longer ones, the teams and the 15 minutes, we only have to take a normal break for lunch half an hour or an hour or whatever it is that you take. And it is essential to get up, walk around, go to the loo, get a cup of coffee, whatever, you know, that’s the time. But again, just watch when you have the breaks, because very often you find the breaks, extending a side takes a bit of discipline. But once you get into the way of doing it, it’s it’s it’s super productive.
Stefano Pietroiusti 22:13
You actually get mobile apps that help you with the flight timing as well.
David Clarkson 22:18
Oh, yeah, probably could be something out there, Stefano. Yeah,
Lachlan McNeill 22:21
I just talked to my phone, I just say so hit the phone. I mean, I find for me, I go for 45 minutes. Some people do 48 because then you get 12 and then do the hour. And I say phone to Google set timer for 45 minutes, and it’s quite good. except you’re in a call, then the phone rings and you pick up a call. And then as beeping starts going in the background.
Danny de Hek 22:46
Everyone’s phones just got Siri to put a 45 minute timer on who’s listening.
David Clarkson 22:53
Are you see it’s interesting. Laughlin I used to do I tried off the 20 minutes. Yeah, it was I just found it a bit short. But just an extra five minutes made a bit of difference for me, I found if I tried to go longer. Yeah, the my chances of actually staying that totally focused sort of started to diminish. That’s why I never, I didn’t used to go that long.
Lachlan McNeill 23:14
I think it’s more to do with the type of jobs I have to do. I’ve done it with 20 minutes, I just get started into it. And really, you know, but I don’t have quite a few faltering stats. And if I if I had a faltering start, I’ll tell you about this, restart that and try to build the habit, but it’s, you know, I’d actually I’m a great fan of the the Pomodoro thing.
Stefano Pietroiusti 23:33
And look at Wikipedia, there’s actually research behind why the charge is 25 minutes. And I think it’s to do with like how your brain works. And there’s like a lot of research behind that.
Helen Oakes 23:46
So if you’ve got a task, say, David, that, you know, is going to take you about two hours, you just do 25 minutes have a break. 25 break.
David Clarkson 23:55
That’s right. And you’d be surprised it quickly gets right. And it’s that focus. That’s the really important thing.
Helen Oakes 24:01
Yeah,
Lachlan McNeill 24:02
I mean, the nice thing about something like 25 minutes, and it sounds silly, is if you need to go to the loo you can hang on for a bit. Yeah, and get the job done. Because I think I need a coffee or something you can hang on. If you’re halfway through, you’ve got TMS most people can hang on for most things if you’ve got to make a call or you got to do something else. You know, I mean I work from home so you know put the washing out or something like that. I can hang on for what it for that time. It’s really as valuable.
Danny de Hek 24:29
Good stuff, guys any other problems that you can see with trying to create a checklist? Just putting keeping on putting more stuff on keeping it up to date?
Lachlan McNeill 24:40
No kidding yourself? Aren’t you think I’ll just do what I said to my daughter Lucy, you know, the warriewood just is one of the most dangerous words because then I’ve got 14 things on my list all together and I’m not going to get the last three done. I’ll just put another one on as though by miraculously putting on the list it will automatically get done through some sort of magic system.
Danny de Hek 25:00
But if we do that, why do we put more stuff on the list? Why do we, why are we procrastinating?
Helen Oakes 25:05
Now? I think it’s because we forget, we want to note them down. And then we
Lachlan McNeill 25:09
Yeah, I think you’re separate the things, you’re reminding yourself to look at one one time, then the things you seriously need to get done that day.
Danny de Hek 25:16
So in a way, it’s accountability.
Lachlan McNeill 25:18
You Yeah. But, but I just think you’ve got to be realistic about list, you know, disciplining yourself. Hmm. Yeah. It’s a really cool thing to say, I’ve got a full page of stuff to do today. What do you some sort of superhero? You know? Yeah. You know, and, you know, you take with people the end of the day, or how much of those things did you actually get done? Well, yeah, different story. You’re not superhero at the end, I’m afraid. Call me cynical. But you know, what,
Danny de Hek 25:46
I’m shifting priorities. A lot of that’s the list, like Dave said about put them in order at the top and all that sort of stuff. But sometimes, like, if you screwed up all your items that you got to do, and put them in a jar and just put your hand in and read the first one that come out, sometimes you get, don’t want to do that one. You know, that’s often a good way of getting them done.
David Clarkson 26:06
I, yeah, I like the odd thing and time management. As you’re going through, and you’re looking at the things that you’ve got to do, and you split them between what’s necessary, what actually has to be done immediately. And what’s important. And there’s a bit of a little grid here, which splits splits these things up. And what it says is that the things that are absolutely got to be done that absolutely necessary. That’s the stuff that affect your business, or your health, you’ve got to do those because if you don’t do it, you’re going to be adversely affected. Those are the really important things you’ve got to get done today, okay, then you’ve got the important things. And the important things are the things that are going to promote your business, and your life goals, etc, etc. And they’re the important ones. And then you’ve got the really necessary stuff. But it’s unimportant. And by that they mean stuff. You’ve got to do like your GST return and what have you. That’s, that’s got to be done. But it’s, it’s, but it doesn’t have to be done for another couple of days. So it’s not, it’s not necessary at the moment. I sorry, it’s necessary, but it’s not important or urgent. And then the last one, not not necessary, and not important. They’re all those tasks you’ve got on your list. Forget about them. Mm hmm. So you know, but the key thing is, I like setting up what’s important to you. And that’s your longer term goals around your business, and what you want to do so that when you’re not doing stuff that’s absolutely necessary for you to do work on those important things. That’s the key. That’s one of the key things around priorities. I don’t know if I’ve made myself clear, I would get the idea.
Lachlan McNeill 28:00
I think there was an amount of urgency as well that came into this
David Clarkson 28:04
right. It’s urgency versus importance. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 28:09
I tell you what, it’s actually fairly useful. This this life pilot thing, I’ll keep on going back because the whole way you do it, you start with what your big gains are for the three year programme, and then you put your major projects in, and then you effectively feed those down into weekly tasks. And my goodness, it took a bit of effort at the beginning yet, I probably took me probably about four hours to go through. But the good thing is that every time you set a new task for the week, you think, okay, is this part of the big picture, it was just not because it’s so easy to add things on to the let’s get my big picture things in place that my rocks and everything else can fit around that. My goodness, it was a really good thing to do. Because you can too busy thinking of the week that was happening this week, next week, and you’re not forget, you know, in six months time you haven’t done any other big stuff.
Danny de Hek 28:53
Good, guys. So we’ve got some solutions in I think by the sounds of it, haven’t we? Yeah, we’ve written they’re a bit of software maybe could be one thing like some software perhaps? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Sticky Notes. Software.
Stefano Pietroiusti 29:14
May be using prioritisation techniques. I know in projects we use masco which is like we divide requirements into moustaches should ABS good abs and you reprioritize in what you need to do. And that’s something that could really Yes, must tabs should haves and nice to haves and they will have do this time round. Yeah, could have been must have saw something that can’t do without and that’s what you focus on first and everything else is like you know nice to haves basically.
Helen Oakes 29:52
And what is it must haves
Jaline Pietroiusti 29:57
What is it
Stefano Pietroiusti 30:02
Could have. Yeah, there’s a whole documentation around it. Yes. develop into nice to haves and must haves? Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 30:14
I thought you’re saying nice. And kebabs I’m thinking. And I’m thinking,
Stefano Pietroiusti 30:20
Oh, kebabs should definitely be at the top. Already. I’d love kebabs. kebabs chicken kebabs.
David Clarkson 30:37
Yeah. And Justin solutions, Danny just discipline to a set two goals. Yeah. And persistence to stay with them.
Danny de Hek 30:53
Rob was talking about the Reagan was that within a week 7% of people’s New Year’s resolutions go out the window. That’s right. Yeah. But
Helen Oakes 31:02
He did say that if you make that New Year, that they they do work?
David Clarkson 31:10
They don’t they have they have a 30% chance of working or something?
Stefano Pietroiusti 31:16
Yeah. The Pomodoro Technique should really be a solution. Yeah.
Helen Oakes 31:23
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I we just put timing? Whoops.
Danny de Hek 31:35
Yeah, good stuff. I like that. I don’t know, do you guys I don’t ever use but I use it myself. If I’m on a mission to do something, I normally get it done. But if I find I’ve got something on my list for more than six months, I take it off. You know, wherever I have a project I want to do, and I’ve been talking about it for six months, I just remove it out of my, you know, like, I start a new project. I’ve got a couple of websites I’ve started, but I haven’t finished and it’s been 12 months.
David Clarkson 32:06
If any, if it’s sitting on a list, spell it for that long it is not important forget about it. Yeah,
Danny de Hek 32:12
yeah, I use my file directory of my computer for my list a lot of the time. You know, you know, the yellow folders that you might have a PC. In, I’ve started a project and in there, I open it up, and I put images and I put PDF files and put logos and then I build a sort of a case, just start a new project, you know, you know, and that’s sort of what I do, where I copy the last project I did that was like minded, and then just clean it up and get it ready to go. And that’s sort of my go to, right, let’s get into this job. Cuz I think I’ve, I have to actually build something in my head completely before I start the task. It’s what the physical stuff, the running is really good, because I’ll come home and I’ll go Actually, I’ve got I know how to do that job now, and I want to get into it. And then boom, like, I’m selling one of my websites at the moment. So on Monday, I put down the I’ve been thinking about filling out the form, that I can put it up for sale. And I did it yesterday, it literally took me 20 minutes, that I’ve been certainly thinking about it for the whole week. You know, and then I didn’t save it and lost it all again. So I had to do the hard work last, but this task should be 20 minutes now took me like 35 hours, which is I guess I should have just got straight straight into that list and done it.
Helen Oakes 33:29
Danny has an innate ability to find a task and just go for it. You know, he’ll stay up till three in the morning and just do this task. And I really struggle with concentrating on one task. My mind wanders, and then I go, oh, maybe I’ll do this. And then I go and do something else. And he gets really annoyed at me for doing that. But I can understand why I really need to finish tasks. And I don’t you know, I get I think I start the task and it’s all exciting. And I go Wow, this is great. I love doing this. And then I get bored. I get bored really easy. And then maybe it’s a moment. And then I go on to something else and he keeps he’s a good taskmaster. It’s pretty hard though. And he has finished that task. And I say, no, maybe I could be doing this and he’s going to finish that. But I need I need that accountability because I am a shocker. I will go on to something else.
Danny de Hek 34:30
Is it poor planning? Is it like when you start a task and then you realise Oh, I can’t really finish this task?
Helen Oakes 34:36
No, it’s boredom.
Danny de Hek 34:37
At least I hit this in order or
Jaline Pietroiusti 34:40
I agree with Helen also do the same. It gets monotonous then I might not. I’m just gonna do something else. And then I’ll come back to it.
Helen Oakes 34:48
Yeah, for sure.
David Clarkson 34:49
I end up not going back to it.
Lachlan McNeill 34:53
Guilty as charged on that one.
Danny de Hek 34:55
Who thinks they are a perfectionist. I like to be a perfectionist, but reality is I’m happy at 85%. I’d rather I’d rather be 85% good today than perfect tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes as we say, I always say, yeah, yeah. Have you been to Dubai? I haven’t. But I know our issues Panama, Panama, if they are going to start building a building, they go in, find a land and they start clearing the section and they literally start building before they actually have the plans.
Stefano Pietroiusti 35:35
Oh, wow.
Danny de Hek 35:36
Yeah. And that’s what it’s, that’s what I feel like I do is I’d rather think I want to build in the eye and I want the building. And I’ll start building it before I even finish the plans. Because I, my brother in law is a man his father in law was a builder. And he said, this is what they do. But what’s the pitfalls of doing that? There’s probably tonnes, everyone can think of
Helen Oakes 35:58
The course that I’m going through with a Australian entrepreneur, Grace Lever, she says, she sells all these courses. And she workshops, courses. And she said, she has sold courses before she’s even built them. So she was at a retreat. And she said, I’m going to put together this course blah, blah, blah, who’s up for it. And all these people put their name down and paid for it, if she hadn’t been built it. So yeah, and she builds the first module. And then she While they’re doing that one, she’s building the second in the third. And so she always says, Don’t build your eight module course, and then put it online. And she said, do it, you know, pretty much sell it before you’ve done it, and then start building your modules. And it’s a great
Lachlan McNeill 36:42
The logic to that. Because the reason is, a lot of people will make assumptions, my goodness, that, you know, obviously, in my career, I see people who’ve got these great business ideas, and they’re all based on assumptions. And what they don’t really do is actually test the market. They’ll ask a couple friends, hey, if I did this new pink unicorn, you know, swing to hang off your tree. Would you buy it? And everyone says yes, yes. Yes. require you to come across the money. Suddenly all your friends disappear all but busy that weekend. And that’s that’s valid validating when you say I’ve got the course put some money, and then they put then the validator? Yeah. You give them options. They get engaged. They say, roughly did a course on that one, I think of course on that. And they say oh, yeah, if I had to pay for it now, that’s a different story. Yeah. Best Friends, your worst enemies when it comes to these things.
Danny de Hek 37:37
I just like a solution is actually starting. Yeah. You know, as long as it’s finishing as well. Isn’t it? Nice?
Helen Oakes 37:44
static is a really good one. I remember spark put out a set for it. And it was the whole effort was very sort of touchy feely, but it was the whole thing was based on data. And how starting can be so hard for some people?
Danny de Hek 38:02
Let’s do it.
Stefano Pietroiusti 38:05
Nike Just do it. We can say the started.
Lachlan McNeill 38:09
Yeah, I think there’s sort of two things. In terms of lists, though, there’s list of the big things you need to do. There’s also all the daily things you’ve got to check up on. I have a big list in recruitment. Again, you get tied up with stuff, but I have a list which goes through is just okay, check my calendar for the day. It goes stin scan all the new applications coming in, select an action bench or shortlist of candidates. In other words, don’t let them sit there, call one client, any invoices, I have to chase that have already sent out any invoices to seen. And it’s all an order of importance. So I can work my way through and I get a phone call halfway down what I’ve done, probably more more the important stuff, but not having to think about and I don’t think what am I going to do next is and I’ve been recruiting for 18 years. I don’t remember everything. And because I’ve done that, done that done that done that go for day to day stuff, huh?
Danny de Hek 38:59
I reckon that’s like a pie, isn’t it? You’ve got different parts of your pie, and you make sure you eat the whole pie every day.
Lachlan McNeill 39:05
That’s right, but it’s just the daily stuff you’ve got to do. It’s I mean, it sounds like putting a list like almost like cleaning your teeth. Oh, yeah. Yeah. All those things, actually. Because you don’t have to think about it. It does take a lot of pressure off your brain.
David Clarkson 39:17
Yeah. template for the day. lochlan.
Lachlan McNeill 39:19
There’s no template for the day. That’s right.
Danny de Hek 39:24
That’s really good stuff. Because I when I’m listening to that, you said something a bit cooler client. So you you also generate new leads, and you put it put it into your team that you know, that’s part of what you need to do. And you obviously see the value in hitting it there for that that long.
Lachlan McNeill 39:38
And I also also put a ball box around the things although they’re not so important. They are important to them scheduling, so calendar things. So for example, client candidate interviews to organise, yeah, now that’s actually number 10 on my list, but when I when I’m scheduling, I just look through everything with a box around it. That’s it.
Danny de Hek 40:01
The day that’s great. I really like that steal there um, I couldn’t give you
David Clarkson 40:08
All right. Oh, take a commission.
Lachlan McNeill 40:17
If I take a screenshot and put it up I will put the image up here. Can I do that in the chat? Oh, yeah.
Danny de Hek 40:23
Just down the bottom of the screen she is making. I’ll make it so you can you can do that.
Lachlan McNeill 40:29
I can show you tonight. Yeah,
Danny de Hek 40:31
Good stuff mate. Where are we? share screen All right. Welcome to a pool customers in the shop Did you extract money will be alright, so we’ve got a good 10 minutes or so left open is gonna give us a screen grab and might be able to paste it and if you want. The other one is your takeaways. takeaway. So I’ve got quite a bit. I really liked the templates.
Helen Oakes 41:04
Template of the day.
Danny de Hek 41:08
I think they could just about be a challenge for all of us. Yep. What do you call it? template does your business day template?
David Clarkson 41:21
It doesn’t just template of the day.
Danny de Hek 41:27
Where’s your sense of adventure, what else do you guys got out of this?
David Clarkson 41:32
Do it now.
Helen Oakes 41:35
Just do it?
Danny de Hek 41:38
Yeah, yeah. Stop planning
Lachlan McNeill 41:40
Actually think it’s knowing if you’re a starter or finisher.
Helen Oakes 41:44
That’s a good one or a procrastinator like me. Well see.
Lachlan McNeill 41:47
I’m a great start. I’m a lousy finisher, just yet. And someone said to me years ago, if you’re a great starter, lousy finisher, then team up with someone who’s a great finisher.
Helen Oakes 41:57
Yeah.
Paul Starling 41:59
Yeah. accountability to make sure you get done done. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 42:03
Yeah, yeah. I can see Stefanos thinking, yeah, but I’m on
Stefano Pietroiusti 42:11
the layer or britischen.
Danny de Hek 42:16
When I start a new task, we started a new website for Helen the other day. So the first thing I do is we, you know, set up all the mail. So she’s got a mailbox. And the next thing we’re doing is setting up all the DNS records for the domain and everything we’re doing, like I’m holding back the four winds before we actually start the good stuff. Yeah, I think when we start the good stuff, I’ve got a clean slate ready to rock and roll. And we don’t have to, because I know the questions that’s going to ask us along the way, you know, like him your terms or conditions or what have you, you know, everything already Ticketyboo to cut and paste, drop it all in. But I, I always seem to not procrastinate. But I seem to hold back. the start line is like America’s Cup yachting prep, say Sail around, and then they get to that line, and they’re off. I don’t want to sit there and go past the start process and then have to go back to the stack. Yeah. And grant some other.
Lachlan McNeill 43:08
You could have a template just for setting up websites in your mind. Okay, do this, do that, do this, do that. Do this, do that. And then you have a line.
Danny de Hek 43:14
Yeah, well, Funny enough, the job that Alan’s doing, she’s doing most of it by herself this time, because last time we did the job, I said, Now you’re going to chop up all these images, make sure they’re all the right size, why don’t you write down the size of the images that you need. So when we do our next task, and the last time we did was probably two years ago, and she’s going back and using the same old notes. Herrica that works!
Helen Oakes 43:34
Yeah. 10, things have sizings for each sort of image. And I’ve written that down. And I’ve got that ready. And so now I can just I can almost get this website out so fast, because I’m just following this template. It’s really quite quick. I think that’s actually batch
Lachlan McNeill 43:51
The batch system, you can just totally start with one image and just generates the rest.
Helen Oakes 43:55
Oh, you can in Photoshop. Yes. If you open images or a few talent. Yes, yeah. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 44:05
You know, you’ve talked about this template at the day, but it’s also people do SOP standard operating procedures. Yeah. And I just do lists, but but some people go a little bit further. And as if they were hit by a bus, they can say actually, you know, Dave, can you do this for me? And it’s pretty much listed down. Is there any it? It could not call you an idiot day? But you know,
Paul Starling 44:27
that’s a good idea for any business, though.
Lachlan McNeill 44:29
Yeah, they’re often done.
Paul Starling 44:31
I did it for all our accounts system. Yeah. Literally a dummies guide. And then after Sally passed away, it was invaluable because I picked it up and I was over documented. Documentation documentation.
Danny de Hek 44:47
Yeah, I’ve tried doing some things in the past.
Helen Oakes 44:52
Well, I’m kind of doing that at the moment for this new store. I’m writing I was writing down things when Danny and I was starting And doing it like a template, but also for a course that we’re going to put online as well. So we know how it works.
Danny de Hek 45:08
Is finisher word. Go on. What else do we get from that guys?
Lachlan McNeill 45:16
Well, certainly with that life quality thing, the takeaways I got from that one was, don’t be tempted. Just keep adding stuff to your list. Just be really disciplined about the stuff you can really realistically get done on that day and underplay it. Because nothing comes into your world that that harms you the amount of stuff you got to do. And always
Danny de Hek 45:38
Good stuff, man. I think you need to think not just your daily list, though, because you’ve got things you’ve got to do throughout the year. Yeah. So maybe have the stuff you know, you got to do, like taxes, GST, and for it and put the assignment side.
That like a wall planner instead, though.
Paul Starling 45:58
That’s what Outlook calendar is.
Danny de Hek 46:01
Thank you. Oh, my goodness, me, Paul. See Digital.
Helen Oakes 46:05
I’ve got Outlook calendar. I don’t have that open on my computer all the time, but I couldn’t turn my head and there it is.
Danny de Hek 46:14
And when she’s out she needs to check out did I pay that she can go back to her wall calender.
Helen Oakes 46:18
I can take a photo of my wall calender.
Paul Starling 46:25
Easy to edit that, isn’t it?
Helen Oakes 46:29
So it’s my computer went down.
Danny de Hek 46:36
You need to find a system that works for you.
Helen Oakes 46:37
Whatever works exactly. Doesn’t work for you. It works for me.
Danny de Hek 46:42
I don’t see it working for you
Stefano Pietroiusti 46:44
Post it notes
Jaline Pietroiusti 46:53
And that’s my memory system.
Danny de Hek 46:55
What that stuff. I haven’t seen it before.
Stefano Pietroiusti 47:01
Pages like this all over the desk. I don’t know how we function.
Danny de Hek 47:05
If I could show you my desk
Helen Oakes 47:10
Jaline, I love notebooks. I love stationery. So if I have a notebook, I just love it.
Paul Starling 47:17
Some of the notes off my desk
Lachlan McNeill 47:20
I just love going to stationery shops and I buy stuff and then I’d end up putting it in, I realised that the only reason I was buying it, it was like shopping when you’re hungry. Okay. It’s that you don’t solve the problem. You’re kidding yourself. When you buy filing system and stuff. And you think that’s going to make you organised.
Helen Oakes 47:38
I did buy one of those pain filing systems for my all my receipts because I save all your receipts that I started putting them in our waiting time. So that was a waste of money.
Stefano Pietroiusti 47:52
Last year is ELITE : SIX over the year. And the pod projects notes on the side. And then another client projects notes on this side.
Danny de Hek 48:04
It’s handy, isn’t it?
Stefano Pietroiusti 48:05
It’s different ways of doing notes. Yeah.
Helen Oakes 48:07
Even if I’ve had a bell and that envelope sitting on my desk or turn it over my piece of paper. I’m happy to write on.
Danny de Hek 48:20
Just got that on my desk, one person’s business card, and I’ve had to keep it for some reason. No, I don’t have to keep it
Paul Starling 48:27
You don’t know what it’s for.
Danny de Hek 48:29
Yeah, no, I bought something on Trade Me. And just in case it broke. I thought it’s good to have the guy’s card. But I don’t need it now. Because it’s Christmas. It was here before Christmas is the only piece of paper and I do have a filing system. And I do keep you know, like life insurance policies and all that.
Helen Oakes 48:45
Can you read your own machine?
Danny de Hek 48:47
No
Helen Oakes 48:48
That is the difference. Yeah, I can read my writing. I’ve got nice handwriting. So I enjoy writing.
Danny de Hek 48:54
Yeah. Oh, one other thing I wanted to share too, because this is goals for 2021. When I got back to work on my computer, I had about eight emails I hadn’t done. So I decided to start from the bottom and make sure I worked through them all. So simple things like filling out a form. So you can change an AP that’s coming out their own bank account and all that sort of carry on. But it got down to zero emails in my inbox. And then I sat there and I thought, Oh, I have to start with now. Because I use it as a procrastinator. Yeah. Yeah, I have to do my emails like that. There’s one probably temptation of your template of the day as you do your task and then you sit there and think I’m done. I’m
Lachlan McNeill 49:35
Finally it really good. But I agree with you that there’s a great saying is that if you’ve got something really really important to do, it’s amazing how untidy the cutlery drawer is.
Helen Oakes 49:43
Must wipe beach
Lachlan McNeill 49:49
Must do that. Why? Because you’re feeling as though you’re doing something a sense of agency. They’re calling you on you. I’m doing something I’m doing something. Yes, I’m trying to kind of drop and it was the thing I’ve got to call the bank.
Danny de Hek 50:00
We’ve been to a meeting yesterday and then we just what did we go afterwards we went somewhere we went on stage and then we went out for lunch and then we got home another right let’s get into work in the right frame of mind and Helen goes we should go for a bike ride you know, we’re working but you know because we sort of made every excuse not to start return another one. So we found out some weeks ago Tony out the takeaways today, we’ve got a couple of spaces here. template of the day I really like that Just do it. I your starter, a finisher, be disciplined with your daily list under play it meaning??
Lachlan McNeill 50:41
I mean, if you think you can do four things then put three things on your list, you better complete three things and then muddle around and it was weird and register your efforts on four things and just don’t you know, get to them down.
Danny de Hek 50:57
Yeah, so the list is really the for a sense of accomplishment. So you feel like you’re getting ahead Yeah,
Stefano Pietroiusti 51:03
And balance your list across those categories. Yeah, yeah.
Danny de Hek 51:08
Okay balance list balances when they’re down there. Nice and bold I’ve got bold happening for some reason I can’t forget why it’s doing right here hidden been ADHD but but we’ll select the whole lot get back to good. All right, guys. Well, let’s stop the meeting now. Not stop the meeting. But let’s stop the subject. That was really cool. Let’s think of a topic for next week. What something that would be beneficial. Apple will get a few more sailors in next week. Next week’s topic accountability?
Helen Oakes 51:41
It’s always a good one.
Danny de Hek 51:43
Do we need accountability we always do. I’m pretty motivated to do things what’s the big what’s something that’s current? are we worried about money I’m worried about money getting some more income and income streams?
Jaline Pietroiusti 52:00
Yes income definitely
Danny de Hek 52:03
Income wise generate
Helen Oakes 52:05
New ways to generate income
Danny de Hek 52:07
Who doesn’t need any more income?
Helen Oakes 52:13
Locklan’s alright is going to Nelson
Danny de Hek 52:14
He’s gonna be wealthy you have to get yourself a yacht. They don’t have the option Nelson.
David Clarkson 52:23
The power of attraction maybe that’s why you going.
Danny de Hek 52:36
I think it was the the list that we had for business nutrition, fitness and fun. Could we put it on one of the nutrition fitness or fun avenues like one of those that might be quite good, like, some exciting I’ve been asked to have been vegan for I know, 13 months now. And I’ve got so much energy, you know, and it’s could have been interesting having a change. And also I’ve sort of kicked off three and a half kgs. Throughout the years, I got back from Bangladesh, I got down to 80 to 84. And now I’m back down to 81 and a half. But all year long. I’ve been measuring my weight trying to keep my weight off because I don’t want to creep it up again. But um, you know, it’s a fitness thing has been really good. And he maintaining some of that.
Paul Starling 53:28
I want the deli Belly Diet.
Danny de Hek 53:39
Is it lifestyle balance? What do you say, Dave?
David Clarkson 53:41
I was just gonna say you just just call Fit For Business.
Danny de Hek 53:46
Fit For Business. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 53:50
That’s good. I mean, I mean, last year, I sort of changed a few habits and I have lost probably 6Kg.
Helen Oakes 53:56
What have you done? Have you done like more exercise or just
Lachlan McNeill 54:00
I did a bit of everything I did. I always do a reasonable exercise, but I’m pretty much always fairly at the back. You know, well, Tail End Charlie as they call it nicely and, but so I’ve been doing some exercise for leg strength and mountain biking. That’s been really quite good. But I just did this intermittent fasting, so I just don’t eat till lunchtime.
Danny de Hek 54:19
Starve yourself. Yeah.
Lachlan McNeill 54:21
I don’t know. I’m sorry.
Paul Starling 54:23
I don’t eat till evening. Usually I that’s the only meal I have day. I have
Lachlan McNeill 54:28
Been spectacular. Really the difference but we can talk about that next week. Hmm.
David Clarkson 54:37
Say again
Danny de Hek 54:38
It will be ok using it for business name.
David Clarkson 54:40
Oh, well, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not operating down here anymore. I don’t know if it’s gone anywhere else.
Paul Starling 54:46
That’s a topic isn’t it? So you can use it.
David Clarkson 54:48
It’s just a topic. It’s not it’s not a we’re not selling anything or doing anything
Danny de Hek 54:53
I just think it’s quite good. I think keeping an eye on your mental mental illness and mindset and all that sort of stuff. That’s been Yeah, I mean this last year, it’s been amazing, isn’t it? Yeah,
David Clarkson 55:03
There’s some things we can talk about specially post COVID you know how we how we keep ourselves fit and we did keep ourselves fit now we’re gonna keep ourselves fit in the future.
Danny de Hek 55:15
What I’ll do is I’ll finish recording but as I’ve said before, thank you very much for coming along today and I’ll turn this into a podcast because I think we’ve got some nice snippets of information there. I will stop recording now. Stop recording now.
Transcribed by Otter
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