Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference. Those simple, seemingly insignificant details often have the greatest impact.

They lie in the hours, minutes and seconds of our lives.

In his book The Ultimate Sales Machine, Chet Holmes lays out a system for managing our days more effectively. One of his rules is to list the six most important things you need to do each day and, by hook or crook, get these things completed. Every day. No excuses.

To do that, Holmes argues, requires figuring out exactly how much time each thing will take.

Forty Niner coach Bill Walsh was also a master of scripting his way to success. When Walsh coached at Stanford he scripted out the first 15-25 plays of every game. The result? Stanford scored on the first possession 8 times in 11 games – an unheard of rate of success.

I began to understand that this success was not an accident; it was written in a script.

It was with this inspiration that I began create my script – my “Perfect Day.”

Much like a personal playbook, on the surface, this Perfect Day script is little more than a to-do list. Scratch beneath it just a bit, though, and it becomes so much more. Each evening, before going to sleep, I plan out every facet of my upcoming day – from my morning walk to my evening reading.

Each day, I have constants, like going to the gym, eating dinner, and even taking a little free time for myself. Each day has time that’s flexible, but is built in to the same time each day, so that I can tackle important business that mightn’t have been foreseen.

With my script, I know exactly what I need to accomplish each day. I know where I’m going to be and how long I have to meet my goals. This simple plan gives me direction. It gives me focus. It puts me in the mindset to take 100% control of each and every day. In short, it gives me the power to succeed.

You’d be amazed at the power such a simple idea can hold. Take a cue from Coach Walsh and start scripting the plays of your perfect day. Give yourself the power to succeed!