Emulate the Badassery of Mary Kay Ash
Ladies, let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer badassery of Mary Kay Ash. This trailblazing entrepreneur was a powerhouse in the business world long before we had a term for it. As a single mom, she built her empire on a shoestring budget, and her legacy continues to inspire countless women today.
If you haven’t read her book Miracles Happen, do yourself a favor and grab a copy. It’s a treasure trove of wisdom and inspiration. One of my favorite excerpts from the book is what I am bringing you today – a concept her colleague introduced to her: the $35k list. This idea is simple yet transformative. It emphasizes doing the top six things on your list each day and moving any unfinished tasks to the next day. This approach ensures that sh*t. gets. done.
I’ve always been a list maker, but this concept revolutionized my understanding of the importance of my lists. Instead of filling them with fluff for the dopamine hit of checking off tasks(your 2-minute tackle list should be separate), I started prioritizing the truly important things. My lists became more focused, and I became more productive.
Creating Your $35k List
The important things aren’t always the fun things, but that doesn’t mean fun can’t be included. Your $35k list might look something like this:
- Quarterly Sales Tax filing
- Sending two project invoices
- Completing two projects
- Calling Grandma
- Attending a baseball game
- Checking/responding to emails
Life and business can coexist on your list, and everything can get done. There are days when I finish my list during nap time, and other days it takes a couple of lunch breaks and more nap times to get through it. But the key is that these tasks get done. They are important, prioritized, and fulfilled, which helps in creating the prosperity I envision for myself. And you can achieve this too, friend!
The Prosperity in Your Plan
Your planner should have a dedicated space for this prioritized list. If not… that’s why I included the $35k list concept in the ISO Prosperity Planner. This daily dedicated space is designed to help you focus on what’s truly important, making your lists more effective and your days more productive.
Head Science
Our brains are not meant to hold meaningless things, endless lists, or short term tasks. But we expend soooo much energy trying to remember when really we could write it down and spend more time being present and getting to the list when the opportunity is ripe for the picking… without picking our brain when its go-time.
So, friend, my protip for you is to write out your $35k list before bed. This practice allows you to empty your brain of endless to-dos and obligations, paving the way for better sleep and better follow-through the next day or opportunity.
Embrace the power of the $35k list, prioritize effectively, and watch your productivity soar. Just like Mary Kay Ash, you have the potential to be a powerhouse in your own right. Happy planning!
Now write yours!
So… if you could only get 6 things done today, what would they be? What would you want them to be? How would it make you feel to get them done?
