Stop Managing Your Time - Start Managing Yourself

STOP HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON ON YOUR LIFE!
Time – it’s one of the most precious things we have and yet we often use it so carelessly. Take a moment to consider how you spend your time – are you using it wisely or are you spending time on busy work that isn’t truly productive?

I’ll let you in on a little secret: there’s no such thing as time management. I know, that’s crazy talk, right? Here’s the deal: time is an elusive, always changing thing – you can’t really manage it. What you can manage is yourself. Most people assume that because they’re semi-successful or have goals that everything will magically fall into place. Not so. Think about how your life would change if you had 2 additional hours in every day to spend as you pleased. What would you do with that time? What if I told you that you could get that time?

Most of us are misusing and abusing our time like an old pair of gym shoes. We lack respect for our time so it slips away quietly until we realize that we never seem to have enough of it. I’ve always considered myself a “productive” person, but I recently came to the realization that e-mail is a huge time sap for me. Every time my Blackberry’s little red light was flashing, I immediately picked it up to see what was incoming. This compulsive habit was distracting and draining my time. I’ve decided to limit my e-mail usage to three times per day: first thing in the morning, mid-afternoon, and just before bed. There are few e-mails that I’ll receive that will be so urgent that they cannot wait (unless it’s Zappos announcing that new Stuart Weitzman pumps came in). What is your time sap? Is it the phone? Do you look up after an unexpected phone call and wonder where the time went? Maybe your time sap is Facebook, long lunches, or poor planning. Whatever it is, get a handle on it and you’ll have more time for the things that are important to you.

Here are more tips for maximizing your time:

Map out the day on paper before you begin. Planning the day’s activities is a great way to improve efficiency. Time is often wasted wandering aimlessly from one activity to the next. Setting an intention for the day is a powerful way to get clear on your purpose and be sure that your activities are productive, not just busy. Plan 60% of your day then leave 20% for unanticipated developments and 20% for a buffer.

Make lists. Lists are a productive person's friend. Think about the amount of energy you spend trying to remember a grocery list or trying to remember to send an email, feed the dog, and grab your phone before you rush out the door. A list frees up your mental energy to be used on something more important. Use lists as miniature assistants that keep you on track and remind you of the details.

Budget time with people. Networking is important. We need to create and maintain relationships with people. As you begin to assess how you’re spending your time, think about the return on the investment of spending time with certain people. In his book, The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson noted that there are people you should spend 2 minutes with and others you should spend 2 hours with. The key is to know who is who. Be honest with yourself about whether you are growing, flourishing, and expanding in the presence of those you spend your time with and make adjustments accordingly.

Get organized. Are you spending hours and hours trying to find things? Organization is essential to moving quickly from task to task. Clear the clutter from your home, car, and office, and not only will you be thinking more clearly, you’ll observe that it’s easier to find things. Form the habit of putting things in their proper place once you’re done using them.

Freeing up time in your schedule means more time to do the things you love and spend time with your favorite people. Remember that your time, like your body, is a gift. Unlike money, once we spend our time, we can’t get it back so always spend wisely.

The Ultimate Dream Killer

Ok...I'm going to warn you that this post is going to be intense because I feel VERY strongly about this topic...

If you're reading this, I assume you have dreams, goals, and things you'd like to see happen in your life. I would guess that you're a reasonably positive person who enjoys being inspired since you're reading this.

And yet, I'd imagine that at some time in your life, you've dealt with the ultimate dream killer.

You've been cruising along, getting things done, and enjoying some success. You've happily accepted the awesome things that have come your way, only to get comfortable and begin to shrink.

And then...it rears its ugly head. The Dream Killer comes in like a thief in the night, snatching up your ability to succeed while you are none the wiser, basking in the glow of your previous accomplishments.

But you're not the victim. You weren't vigilant and so, the Ultimate Dream Killer visited you via an unspoken invitation.

You looked up and realized that you were plagued by it - PROCRASTINATION.

I have never seen anything other than fear be responsible for so many dashed dreams and so much unrealized potential. Throughout my years as a speaker, writer, and coach, I've witnessed the countless excuses people come up with for not starting NOW on making their dreams a reality and at the root, I see the Ultimate Dream Killer, procrastination, causing even the most brilliant and successful people to be stagnant.




So today, I pose a simple yet poignant question: What are you waiting for (to go to the next level, to take the next step, to create the life of your dreams, to excel even higher)? Sometimes it's money or another person or an opportunity or more time or next year or the "right situation"...frankly, I don't care what the answer is. I just want you to answer it for yourself because we can slay the dragon if he's a ghost.

So you say you're waiting on __________________. Alright...let me ask you this: What is ____________________ never comes? Will you simply forgo your dream and all of its splendor because you never got what you thought you needed? Or will you decide to find a way or make one?

I want you to challenge your assumptions. What do you believe is standing in your way and why are you putting off the specific, important action necessary to move forward? ACTION is such a beautiful thing - not only is it fear repellant, it's also kryptonite to the Ultimate Dream Killer. When you move, everything else moves. The universe is in motion - you are either evolving with it, or devolving into death. Your choice.

My challenge to you today is to DO IT NOW. No, seriously, like, right now. I know that tomorrow, or next week, or next year or next lifetime sounds and feels better, but there's no power in that. Your point of power is ALWAYS now...it's always in the moment. You leverage that power by consistently acting in alignment with your stated goals and intentions.

What will you DO today? Don't let the Ultimate Dream Killer leave you behind in a lackluster life. Create a powerful plan and take powerful action. There are enough people and things to get in your way - don't be one of them! Free yourself by opening yourself up to the possibilities of inspired action. Ok, enough chatter - go take action!

Are you making every hour in the day count?

“Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.”

Where Is Your Time Going?



Time – it’s one of the most precious things we have and yet we often use it so frivolously. Take a moment to consider how you spend your time – are you using it wisely or are you spending time on busy work that isn’t truly productive?

Time management is an important skill necessary to succeed. As adults, we assume that we know how to manage our time and often become indignant at the suggestion that we could improve. However, as with many things in our lives, we can always go from good to great. Think about how your life would change if you had 2 additional hours in every day to spend as you pleased. What would you do with that time? What if I told you that you could get that time?

Oftentimes, we are misusing and misappropriating time without realizing it. I’ve always considered myself a “productive” person, but I recently came to the realization that e-mail is a huge time sap for me. In light of this discovery, I’ve decided to begin limiting my e-mail usage to three times per day: first thing in the morning, mid-afternoon, and just before bed. There are few e-mails that I’ll receive that will be so urgent that they cannot wait. What is your time sap? Is it the phone? Do you look up after a phone call and wonder where the time went? Maybe your time sap is social networking, long lunches, or poor meeting planning. Whatever it is, consider taking control of your time and you’ll observe that you have more time than you did before!

Here are some tips for effective time management:

Map out the day on paper before you begin. Planning the day’s activities is a great way to improve efficiency. Time is often wasted wandering aimlessly from one activity to the next. Setting an intention for the day is a powerful way to get clear on your purpose and be sure that your activities are productive, not just busy. Plan 60% of your day then leave 20% for unanticipated developments and 20% for a buffer.

Make lists. Lists are a productive person’s friend. Think about the amount of energy you spend trying to remember a grocery list or trying to remember the things you needed to take care of before you leave the house. A list frees up your mental energy to be used on something more profound. Use lists as miniature assistants that keep you on track and remind you of the details.

Budget time with people. Networking is important. We need to create and maintain relationships with people. However, as you begin to assess how you’re spending your time, consider the return on the investment of spending time with certain people. In his book, The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson noted that there are people you should spend 2 minutes with and others you should spend 2 hours with. The key is to know who is who. Be honest with yourself about whether you are growing, flourishing, and expanding in the presence of those you spend your time with and make adjustments accordingly.

Get organized. Are you spending hours and hours trying to find things? Organization is essential to moving quickly from task to task. Clear the clutter from your home, car, and office, and not only will be thinking more clearly, you’ll observe that it’s easier to find things. Form the habit of putting things in their proper place once you’re doing using them.

Do it, delegate it, or dump it. Instead of putting things off, sit down and consider the task and what should really be done about it. Either do it right away, pass it off to a helper or partner, or get rid of it altogether. Using this method will free up much of your time and energy. Do what needs to be done to relieve yourself of any obligations that are no longer important to you or are not moving you in the direction of your goals.

Freeing up time in your schedule means more time to serve others, do the things you love, and spend time in God’s presence. Remember that your time, like your body, is a gift. Unlike money, once we spend our time, we can’t get it back so always spend wisely.