“Design your life around what is important to you, not around how much time you have.”

Jenée Dana graduated UCLA in 3 years and still had a blast, in spite of struggling with ADHD and undiagnosed reading disabilities! How did she freakin’ do that?

Jenée completed the final two years of the UCLA academic requirements in one year, all while working to help cover her living expenses. As a single parent, her mom was grateful to save a year of tuition. Those condensed two years of upper division courses were supposed to be the most difficult, however, by combining the best productivity tools she could find, her grades went up, and so did her social life!

Since then she became the President and Chief Focusing Officer of www.myfocusbook.com. Her book, Have Fun & Get It Done, debuted on Amazon as a #1 Best-Seller and received the Gold Medal for Non-Fiction Education from the Readers Favorite International Book Awards. Jenée lives in Hawaii with her husband.

MO: Can you elaborate on creating the first system that teaches students and entrepreneurs that time management does not exist?

Jenée: People are often shocked when they hear me say time management does not exist. I want you to think about how you feel when you hear the words “time management”. Give an honest evaluation of the feelings that come up. Most people feel overwhelmed, guilty, conflicted, constricted, etc. The reason you feel that way is because time management really doesn’t exist. What makes time so valuable? The value isn’t just because time is limited. If we had nothing to live for, we would be counting down the days until our time was up. Only you can determine what makes time so valuable to you. Design your life around what is important to you, not around how much time you have.

MO: What are you doing to prepare for your international speaking tour for My Focus Book?

Jenée: In order to prepare for my international speaking tour for My Focus Book, I am working with my agent to develop curriculum that appeals to international students and parents. We are collecting data on what the students and parents need from Have Fun & Get It Done in Taiwan. There is a huge need for the Have Fun & Get It Done method, particularly in Asia. Very high expectations are put on students by their parents and society. My Focus Book: Have Fun & Get It Done helps students accomplish a great deal, while still maintaining a healthy social life and decreasing stress.

MO: What are the most common issues you see entrepreneurs struggle with and how do you help them?

Jenée: The most common issue I see entrepreneurs struggle with is time management. Since time management doesn’t exist, entrepreneurs need to get a clear perspective on their own values and priorities. Then they can develop their schedule around this. I have a free “Perfect Day Exercise” video and “My Values and Priorities Weekly Schedule” pdf to help get everyone started. Go to www.myfocusbook.com and sign up for our email list so you can get your free video and MVP weekly schedule pdf.

Another issue that pops up often is “following up”. Entrepreneurs often say, “I don’t have enough time to follow up.” That isn’t true. Get out your calendar right now and look at your networking events for the next month. The day of the event or the following day, set a 30 minute or 1 hour appointment with yourself to follow up with who you meet. It’s that simple.

MO: Can you tell us a bit about some of the books that you’re currently working on and where you draw your inspiration from?

Jenée: I am currently working on two books. One of my books is a parent guide for Have Fun & Get It Done. I explain why parents should let their kids party (yes, I said party) and give tips on effective ways to support their college student. I am very excited about my other book as well. It is going to be my first children’s book. I believe in the Have Fun & Get It Done principles that I teach to students and entrepreneurs. I may be young, but I still wish I had learned the Have Fun & Get It Done method YEARS AGO. These principles have helped me start a business and become a #1 best-selling and award-winning author at 27 years old. How would the world change if these principles could be learned and absorbed by our children as early as possible? What would they accomplish by the time they are 10, 15, or 20 years old? I can’t wait to see what that world looks like.

MO: What advice would you give to someone struggling with motivation and productivity?

Jenée: Everybody struggles with motivation and productivity, especially me. In fact, because of my ADHD, it is a daily challenge to keep focused and productive. Studies show that making a simple list increases productivity by 25%. I modified and improved the list by separating my tasks into two sections. All the activities that are going to bring me closer to my goal are on top. The bottom section consists of all the “extras”, and I try to delegate from this section as much as possible. I learned from Ursula Mentjes to, “Set your day with intention” and Ruben Estrada taught me to ask: “What impact are you bringing to the world?” So I made “Daily Dibs” sheets to keep myself on track and my clients who use them have seen up to 100% increase in productivity in as little as 4 days!

For those of you struggling with motivation, I feel your pain. Before I started my business I was in a really bad place in my life. I was unmotivated, lost, and in an abusive relationship. Things changed when I read The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. Then I heard a quote from an anonymous source, “You get what you tolerate”. Instead of focusing on what I didn’t want, I decided to get clear on what I wanted. If you are struggling with motivation like I was, get clear on what you want and ask yourself, “What impact do I want to bring to the world?” Write down your answer.

MO: If I could grant you one business related wish right now, what would you ask for?

Jenée: $1,000,000 in crowd funding by September 30th, 2013 so 1 million students can use the online My Focus Book. Studies show that stress is increasing among high school and college students. I remember how much stress sucked. I want students to be given the proper tools to handle the pressures they are put under, maintain a healthy social life, and increase their academic performance. I eventually want to see every student in the world using My Focus Book. Am I crazy? Maybe. Go big or go home.

“Using myfocusbook has helped me a lot with my organizational skills. I am not the most organized person in the world. Using myfocusbook has helped me better prepare for a lot of my final exams and projects in high school as well as helped me get a great start in my college career. When I started college they threw a looooooottttt of work at me right away, but thanks to your app it is helping me manage my time and is helping me receive and maintain a 3.8 G.P.A.”

Isaiah Martinez, College Freshman