Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. Time is our most valuable asset, and of course, you won't want someone to take your money or seed corn.
You also shouldn't let anyone waste your time. Time is precious, and it's important to protect it just like you would protect your capital. When should you begin your day?
You start as soon as you finish planning it. Map out your day meticulously, allowing for flexibility to accommodate surprises and unforeseen events. Yet, if you've crafted a solid plan for a productive day, that's when you kickstart your activities.
You'll be amazed at how much more valuable your time becomes. Don't commence the day until you've completed its blueprint; likewise, don't start the week until you've had it finished. To lay out a week is a pretty good challenge.
Next, don't start the month until you have it finished—the places to go, the people to see, the productivity, the sales, the customers, the development, and all the rest of what you want to accomplish during the course of 30 days. Don't start the month until it's finished. While you may not be able to plan every minute, ensure you have a clear vision of what you aim to achieve throughout the year.
But come January 1st, things may deviate from your plans. You might even exceed your expectations and make significant progress in the first 90 days. This happened to me once.
I thought, "Wow, here's how this is going to be a great year. " But by the time I'd finished the third month, I was rolling, I was soaring, and so many things were happening. I revised my whole year's plan.
It's amazing how things can change for the better when you start planning. Life is not just the passing of time; life is a collection of experiences—their frequency and their intensity. Life is not just watching the clock tick away; life is a collection of experiences—their intensity and their frequency.
When my friend Mark died at age 44, someone said, "That's young to die," but what if he lived four lifetimes in one? It might not be too young. Whatever the span of your life turns out to be, here's what you want to fill it up with: experiences, and the intensity of those experiences.
My father lived for 93 years, which might sound like a long time, but it felt short. Even though he lived to the age of 93, it still felt short because we always wish we had more time with our loved ones. In ancient times, according to stories in the Old Testament, some people lived for hundreds of years—like 500, 600, 700, even 800 or 900 years.
If I had the chance, I'd ask, "How come we got short-changed? " It's an interesting question, don't you think? Just imagine having 700, 800, or 900 years to see your family grow and thrive through generation after generation.
Now, I mean you've got to be healthy to make it to 900. So, no matter how long or short your life may turn out to be, it's important to focus on filling it with meaningful experiences and making those experiences intense and fulfilling. Becoming a master at time management will allow you to design and improve every aspect of your life.
Managing your time meticulously is easier said than done, but just like anything great you will ever accomplish, the hardest step is to begin. Try not to just read through these steps, but to put them into action. Now, let me share some tips on managing your time effectively: 1.
If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. Designing your life is a nice way of saying don't let life happen to you; make your life happen. A ship that leaves its dock without a planned destination will wander the seas aimlessly.
And guess what? It will never get to where it was meant to be. Every day is an accumulation of time; therefore, managing your time is managing your day.
This will lead to having your life planned out day by day until you realize you have achieved most, if not all, of your goals. 2. Think on paper.
Write down your goals and dreams. This might be a document, app, or the old-fashioned pen-to-paper, but this is not an option. There is something special that happens when we jot down our goals because the mind begins to see them as actionable steps, not just dreams.
Most people say they want to be successful and dream about being great, but have never written out the steps to get there. Meticulously plan and schedule your life in real time on paper. This will lead to the next step, which is planning out how you will achieve your goals.
3. When you don't control your time, your time will control you. Have you ever experienced a day in which you did not plan out your time, and before you knew it, you had gotten nothing done?
This is how most people's lives go by—they have no specific plan for their time and therefore for their lives. Your choices determine the person you end up being. See every moment as an opportunity to savor the time and make the most of it.
If you control how you spend your time, you can control your successes and failures. Days are expensive; when you spend a day, you have one less day to spend, so make sure you spend each one wisely. 4.
If it's easy to do, it's easy to not do. We kid ourselves: "Ah, that's simple, why should I plan it out? I'll just do it.
" This has. . .
Proven not to work time and time again simply because if it's easy to do, it is easy not to do. We are a product of the things we continuously do. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy is structured around a simple principle: every single action, no matter how small, if done over and over again, will compound to a much larger product.
The small things we ignore and don't do, because we never plan for them, will eventually accumulate to some big action we now have to take, which will be much harder. Without a sense of urgency, desire loses value. If you don't plan out your time, you are not putting a timeline on your goals.
Having deadlines creates a sense of urgency. This is why we start to work on a month-long project around the last week to the deadline. The pressure makes it seem dire and will act as a type of motivator to completing and accomplishing our goals.
Put a deadline on your dreams; otherwise, they are just that: dreams. Either you run the day, or the day runs you. Study the art of setting goals every day.
Write your goals fresh, without focusing on yesterday. This is a good way to weed out non-priorities and refocus on your true goals. Focus is something lacking in today's society; don't fall victim to this.
So, review your goals on a daily basis to reinforce them and make realizing them practical. Derek Mills suggests a daily standard system, where we don't necessarily work towards a long-term goal but focus on daily goals, which eventually turn into long-term successes. Also, remember to regularly review your goals.
Take some time to go over your goals and ensure that your list is still motivating you and keeping you excited. If someone asked you why you're up so early, you can tell them, "If you were going to meet who I'm going to meet, you'd be up early. If you were headed where I'm headed, you'd be up early too.
" It's all about setting yourself up for success and making sure that you're ready to take on whatever challenges or opportunities come your way. We all have the same amount of time in a day. Start where you are; it doesn't matter where you are now.
Ninety percent of millionaires started out broke. The key to success is taking a lot of action on a great idea, and the only way to do this is to manage your time. Plan around every single action, no matter how simple.
You can turn your life around at any given moment; the best way to do this is by time management. Start simple by having a notebook where you write down how you spend every hour of your time. If you surf the web for two hours, write it down.
If it takes you thirty minutes to stalk your favorite celebrity, write it down. Everything you do for one week, write it down. In the end, you will see where most of your time goes.
You will also start to resent having to write down that you spent one hour looking at pictures of a car you could only afford if you actually used that time wisely. This is a great place to start; from there, you can follow the many time management tips available to you and see what works best for you. Ignore the whole idea of time management.
Sometimes it's okay to let go of worrying too much about time. You don't have to stress over managing every minute of your day. If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of controlling your time, remember that you have the choice to let go of that pressure.
You don't have to feel obligated to micromanage every aspect of your time if it doesn't serve you well. Sometimes it's better to take a step back and do something simpler. Let's consider an individual working in sales.
They may harbor aspirations of owning their own company one day. Eventually, they achieve this dream and ascend to the position of boss. However, they soon realize they have scant time for activities they once relished, such as playing golf.
Reflecting on their past, they reminisce about how, during their sales days, they could earn well and still enjoy golf three times a week. This prompts a pivotal decision: recognizing the demanding nature of managing a company and longing for control over their schedule, they opt to return to their former sales role. The crux lies in recognizing when things become overwhelming.
If stress mounts, it may be prudent to transition to a role with less time pressure. Remember my earlier caution about certain pursuits costing too much; hence, contemplate stepping down to something less demanding. The next key to time management is the idea of working longer and harder.
I almost lost my health the first year I went so crazy about personal development and achievement. I just went bonkers. You know I told you I was skinny, but by the end of that first year, I was a walking shadow.
Then it suddenly occurred to me: what if I got rich and too ill to spend it? I mean, that was a shocker. So, I started developing a little more reasonably because I said, "If twelve hours won't do it, I'll work fourteen.
If that won't do it, I'll work eighteen. " I mean, how many hours does it take? And sure enough, it cost me too much.
So, working longer and harder for some might be appropriate. If you're just sitting around not doing that much, this might be good; work longer and harder. But you can only work so hard.
Here's the key: not to work harder, but smarter. When you've worked as hard as you can, doing the best you can in terms of physical output in the time you have. .
. A reasonable time. Now, here's the ultimate in the management of time, and that is: you simply become more skillful.
When I first got into sales, you know, I was around people that could get nine out of ten, eight out of ten, and when I first started, I could only get one out of ten. But here's what I did: I worked around the clock. I made up in numbers what I lacked in skill.
That's good in sales; you've got to jot that down. When you're new, you make up in numbers what you lack in skill. Now, when you become more skillful, the numbers can go down because now your persuasive ability and all of that is so high that you don't need to put as many numbers out.
But at first, if you want to compete or if you want to really get good, you've got to put in the numbers. But if you get more from yourself, develop more of yourself, now the time management becomes an easier task. Next, in time management, one of the most important skills to develop is the ability to distinguish between what we call majors and minors.
When you answer the phone, ask yourself: is this conversation about something major or minor? If it's minor, you can exchange a few pleasantries and then move on. But if it's major, you might need to take some notes to remember the important points discussed.
When you're about to have an important conversation, just jot down a little agenda. It's easy to just talk out of your head, but that can lead to confusion and inefficiency. Have you ever been in a conversation where someone couldn't remember what they wanted to discuss?
It can make you look unprepared and unsure. By creating an agenda before the call, you'll have a clear outline of the topics you need to cover. This can be incredibly helpful, especially later on when you need to recall what was discussed.
For example, let's say you call Peter from the sales department and mention four specific things during the conversation. Later, if Peter claims that you didn't talk about those topics, you can refer back to your agenda to jog his memory. This way, you have evidence of what was discussed, which can be especially important when dealing with salespeople who might try to convince you otherwise.
Remember, if you don't have some form of documentation, important details can easily slip through the cracks. So, always make an agenda before making a call to ensure clarity and productivity. Now, what's major and what's minor?
Here's the key: don't major in minor things. If you focus too much on minor tasks, you'll always be playing catch-up. In sales training, they teach us about major and minor tasks.
Minor tasks include things like making lists, keeping records, visiting potential customers, and evaluating how things went after visiting a customer. These tasks might seem important, but they're actually minor because they don't directly involve interacting with the customer. Here's major time: being in the presence of the prospect.
That's major time; that's when you're in the presence of the customer, and it's the most important time for a salesperson. If you took a look, if you're in sales and you took a look at a week, you'd say, "My gosh, I'm spending 90% of my time on the minor stuff and so little time on the major stuff. " Consider how many hours you're spending in the presence of customers during your sales week because the time that really counts is in the presence of majors and minors.
So, it's essential to evaluate how much time you're spending in the presence of customers each day or week. That's the time that really counts and has the most significant impact on your success in sales. Next, here is another important aspect of time management: knowing when to say no.
In today's society, where being social is highly valued, it's easy to fall into the trap of saying yes to everything. But saying yes too often can lead to feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you said yes to something too quickly, only to realize later that you're overloaded with tasks?
Then, you have to spend even more time trying to back out of commitments you shouldn't have made in the first place. It's a hassle, isn't it? Instead of saying an immediate yes, it might be better to respond with something like, "I don't think I can do that right now, but if anything changes, I'll let you know.
" This way, you're not committing yourself right away, and you give yourself some time to consider whether you can realistically take on the task. One of my friends said, "Don't let your mouth overload your back. " It's a reminder to be mindful of how much you agree to take on so you don't end up burdening yourself with more than you can handle.
Next, this is a big one: concentration. I learned this lesson many years ago through a memorable experience. I was in the shower trying to compose a letter in my head; however, I found that the letter turned out quite strange because my mind was wandering.
So, here's what I learned to do: save your work for when you're actually at your desk in the office. Don't try to tackle work tasks while you're on your way to work; instead, focus on enjoying the journey to work. For example, if you're in the shower, fully immerse yourself in the experience of taking a shower.
Then, when you arrive at the office, you can concentrate better because you're not trying to multitask or split your focus between different activities. I found that practicing concentration is incredibly helpful. Once you're at work, it allows you to give your full attention to the task.
At hand, which ultimately leads to greater productivity and better results, one of the most important principles is: don't play at work; when you play, play; when you work, work. Don't mix the two because work is too serious. I learned this lesson the hard way.
There was a time when I used to take my family to the beach, but I would bring my briefcase along, thinking I could get some work done while we were there. However, I quickly realized that this wasn't a good idea. Instead of enjoying our family time together, I was preoccupied with thoughts about work, and my family could sense my distraction, which affected their enjoyment too.
Similarly, when I was at the office, I would often find myself daydreaming about being at the beach with my family. As a result, my productivity suffered because I wasn't fully focused on my work. So, I learned to be more present in each moment: at the beach, be at the beach and enjoy the time with my family, and when I'm at the office, concentrate on my work without letting thoughts of leisure activities distract me.
By separating work and play and giving each its dedicated time and attention, I found that I can be more productive and enjoy my leisure time more fully. So, when you work, work; when you play, play. Don't mix the two; don't work at play.
Another important thing to remember is that every job is valuable, even if you might not find your current job particularly appealing. But if it serves as stepping stones toward your desired destination, it's important to value it. You don't necessarily need to have a passion for your job; the ultimate passion lies in striving for remarkable success in every facet of life.
That's the true passion. So, don't disparage any seemingly mundane job you undertake as part of your journey toward your goals. No job is insignificant; every job holds dignity, exchanging time for remuneration and contributing to the fabric of society.
Here's the next key for managing your time: don't mistake movement for achievement. It's common to feel like you've accomplished a lot just because you've been busy all day. For example, someone might come home in the evening feeling exhausted and say, "I've been busy all day long," but the important question to ask is, "Busy doing what?
" It's not enough to just keep moving from one task to another. Some people might seem like they're constantly busy, but they're not actually making much progress. It's like running around in circles: you're moving, but you're not really getting anywhere.
It's essential not to mistake busyness for achievement. Instead of focusing solely on staying busy, focus on accomplishing meaningful tasks that move you closer to your goals. That way, you'll ensure that your efforts are leading to real progress and not just keeping you occupied.
Next, pay attention to anything that might be taking away your time. It's important to remember that time is valuable, just like money. You wouldn't let someone steal your savings or investments, right?
Similarly, you shouldn't allow anyone to steal your time. You need to be deliberate about how you allocate your time, and there are certain serious times that you simply can't afford to let anyone interrupt. It's okay to let people interrupt during less important or casual moments, but when it comes to serious tasks or designated time for important activities, you need to protect that time and not allow anyone to steal it away from you.
Next, evaluate your current state, including any weaknesses you may identify. If it appears that you're unable to rectify those weaknesses, here's the solution: find a way to compensate for them. I used to repeatedly promise myself that I would handle the bookkeeping, but eventually, I abandoned that notion.
Back then, it only cost me an additional $50 or $60 a month for an accountant to manage the books, yet I hesitated, thinking, "No, I'll save the $50. " You wouldn't believe the decline in productivity I experienced just to save that amount. So, the key takeaway is: often, you may remain as you are, but ensure you address any shortcomings adequately.
It might cost you a little extra money or effort, but in the long run, it can save you a lot of time and stress. The ultimate strategy for effective time management is to enhance your skill level in your field. When I first entered the sales profession, my colleagues boasted impressive success rates, closing nine out of ten sales, while I struggled to secure even one out of ten.
Initially, to compensate for my lack of expertise, I committed myself to relentless hard work, focusing on quantity over quality. This underscores a crucial lesson in sales: when you're new to a domain, you can offset your skill deficit by amplifying your efforts and expanding your outreach. Initially, it's about maximizing quantity; however, as you gain proficiency and experience, your success rate naturally ascends, alleviating the need for exhaustive exertion.
Your capacity to persuade and influence others burgeons, enabling you to be more discerning in your endeavors; yet attaining such mastery demands unwavering dedication and diligence, particularly in the nascent stages. Once you've honed your skills and attained competence, effective time management becomes more streamlined, as you accomplish more with less effort. In conclusion, effective time management is not merely about micromanaging every minute of the day but rather about recognizing when to assert control and when to let go.
It involves prioritizing tasks, compensating for weaknesses, and continuously striving for improvement. By valuing every job, regardless of its perceived significance, and by focusing on enhancing skills and proficiency, one can navigate through challenges and achieve greater success. Ultimately, effective time management empowers individuals to maximize productivity, fulfill their potential, and lead more fulfilling lives.
