Go from Reactive ⇨ Proactive

It can be easy to get caught up in the daily grind and spend all of your time reacting to the demands of others or ops in your business. But in order to create progress on the things that matter most (business + personal), you have to get intentional with how you spend your time — That’s what being proactive is all about.

When I was brought on board Jaspr as COO (an air purifier business), there were no systems in place and I was constantly being reactive, putting out fires left and right. I effectively had no opportunities to time block, get intentional, and be proactive.

It was very easy to assume that this was my role as head of operations… But having systemized and automated a local service business in the past, I knew this wasn’t the way.

Instead of simply putting out fires, I began to implement systems that would prevent future fires — At some point, you'll have to plug the leak in the sinking ship or you'll eventually burn out from constantly bailing out water… It’s just a matter of time.

How Jaspr handled new orders was the first process on the list to systemize and optimize. I then followed this 6-step process in order of priority, and over time I began to have a lot more structure and predictability in my day.

When you’re a lot less reactive, you have time to clarify and prioritize. You can start by doing a brain dump of all the possibilities — both personal and business-related goals. Before you can grow, you need clarity.

Once you've identified the things that matter most, the next step is to time-block them in your calendar. This means setting aside specific chunks of time to focus on these priorities without distractions or notifications (this can be recurring calendar events).

Make sure to also let those around you know about your priorities and time blocks, so they have realistic expectations of when you'll be available. This can help avoid interruptions and ensure that you have the time and space you need to focus.

Implementing systems and following this process was not only healthy for the business but for me personally as well. I was able to implement a morning routine, time block uninterrupted time to focus on my most important projects, and invest time in my physical and mental health.

The alternative to intentionally being proactive is to always be reactive, constantly responding to the demands and priorities of others. This often seems like the only option. But feeling drained, unfulfilled, and disconnected from what you value most is truly optional.

Making time to be proactive will require some upfront effort and planning, but the rewards are well worth it.

See you all next Thursday 👋

PS. Whenever you're ready... Here are three ways I can help you systemize & automate operations: