Here’s what you’ll need:

YOUR ORIGINAL BOOK

A PEN

A NICE NOTE PAD

ABOUT 15 MINUTES

 

I’d like to take you through a typical day for an Edger. Starting at 7am through to 11pm. It may look like your day or it may be a million miles from it. So think transferrable and ask yourself, ‘how can I adapt these ideas and make them work for me?’
 

If you’re ready then let’s crack on. Is that an alarm clock I can hear?
 

  7.00 WAKE UP – GET UP

One of the traits of The Edger is their ability to wake up feeling great. They don’t hit the snooze button. They just get up. And when they get up, that first hour is vital.

Some call it their ‘hour of power’ others their thinking time. What they don’t ever do is find themselves in a flap rushing about ‘til the last minute to get to work – and just on time.

  

8.00 THE COMMUTE

Millions of people spend billions of hours commuting every year, and most waste that time. The Edger uses that time to educate themselves (they’re probably not listening to Radio 1 – sorry); they listen to Radio 4 or audio learning materials. If they’re on the train they’ll read books that make them better.

And because they’ve planned their time they don’t get stressed by a hold-up on the train or unexpected road works, they get on with their journey knowing they have time to spare and things to be getting on with.   

9.00 KICK START

 

Where others start their day with a ‘To do’ list, an Edger simply takes out their previous

ight’s ‘Must Do’ list (see 22.00 for more info) and makes a start on their five most important things. This list isn’t about what’s urgent, it’s what’s important.

10.00 WALK THE FLOOR

   
Edgers who lead organisations know the importance of meeting their people and asking them great questions. I love the example in Chapter 20 about Alex. He told me that all
the answers to making that business work were already there in the minds of the staff; someone just needed to ask them and be genuinely interested in their answers.

11.00 GET ON THE PHONE

 

Ask an Edger how they communicate and the results look like this. 1) Face to face 2) Telephone 3) Text message 4) Email 5) Letter. Interesting? I think so as most people use
email as their primary method of communication. The challenge with email is it’s slow.

We think it’s fast but that’s only the transmission time. Face to face, telephone and even text demand a more speedy response.

 

 

12.00 TEAM MEETING




An Edger would arrange a Team Meeting for 12.15 and schedule it for 45 minutes. They know most meetings don’t need an hour and only take that long because that’s what

they’ve been scheduled to take. The Edger uses the first 15 minutes to properly prepare, then holds a 45-minutes 'West Wing' style meeting.

 

13.00 LUNCH

 

Always time well spent for the Edger. If they don’t have a lunch meeting they’ll use this time to feed their brain at the same time as they feed themselves. The Edger eats well.

I don’t need to tell you how to eat or what you should or shouldn’t be eating. The difference with the Edger is they know it and do it. Unless of course it’s Fish & Chip

Friday – even the Edger can’t resist that!
 

   14.00 PRESENTATION

Edgers love to present. They know it’s one of the things that sets them apart. Others may lack confidence or have no idea what to do or where to start. An Edger will have prepared their piece well in advance, have set up their equipment and tested it, they’ll know their audience and will have done everything they can to avoid DBPP.

15.00 CLIENT MEETING

Getting face to face with a client is where the Edger feels most comfortable. You achieve more and ensure they leave feeling valued. But the success of these meetings isn’t left to chance. Using a structured approach, like the one I outline in Chapter 25, ensures the Edger stays in control.

16.00 STUFF

The reason the Edger is left with an hour or so at the end of their day to sort out the ‘stuff’ is because they programmed it. We all have the same 24 hours each day, but an Edger uses theirs differently. ‘I haven’t got the time’ isn’t in their vocabulary. They make time. They’ll use this period to review their day and make sure they’ve completed their 5 Must Do’s for tomorrow.

17.00 TO WORK OR NOT TO WORK?

Edgers are happy to put in the hours. But only when they count. Staying longer than they need to get the job done isn’t an issue, but neither is it a habit. This is where their Wheel of Life spins into play and they are able to make decisions based on their values. I hope you devoured Chapter 4 and did all the tasks, because if there is one trait that really sets the Edger apart, it’s their strong values system.

18.00 HIT THE GYM

   





I bet you were wondering when this one was coming? Well the good news is it needn’t be an actual gym. That’s right, you don’t have to GO to a gym. But you do have to

exercise. At home, on the paths around your home, in a park; there are loads of places, the important thing is to find a programme - and stick to it. Edgers like to beat the week when it comes to exercise; 4 workouts or more and you’ve done it. Three or less and the week beats you!
 

 19.00 FAMILY TIME
 

Families who eat together stay together. You won’t find an Edgers’ family eating at different times, in front of the TV or with poor quality microwaved ready meals. They eat a family meal together at every opportunity. They’ll talk about their day and share challenges and advice.

 

20.00 DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
 

The Edger is as normal as the next person when it comes to the things they don’t want to do. The difference is they get on and do them anyway - from cleaning shoes to loading the dishwasher; paying the bills to doing the weekly shop, Edgers get on with it. Of course it would be easier to procrastinate, what difference would leaving it another day make? An Edger does what needs to be done so they can fully enjoy….

 

 

 

21.00 THE REWARDS
 

Edgers do what they love to do. They reward themselves and ensure they give themselves opportunities to feel great about the most important person in the world (that’s you btw). Notice the discipline of the last two hours and that the reward comes after doing what needs to be done. Delayed gratification is a strong trait among Edgers.
 

  22.00 5 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

Where others may start their day with a ‘To do’ list, the Edger ends theirs by planning

what they will do the next. And notice it’s the 5 most important not urgent things.

 

Their ability to prioritise and think about what they must do the next day makes a massive difference. This technique of focusing is amazing for time management; it clears the brain and sets you up for a deep relaxing sleep.

So that’s a taste of A Day On The Edge. Of course a day won’t really look like that. Stuff (the nice word) happens; but The Edger always knows how to deal with whatever is thrown at them.

After all, they’re the best and they’re getting better.

Thank you for downloading and reading this bonus chapter

Be Brilliant!

Michael Heppell

 

 The Wheel of Life (click to view)