Time management is a misnomer, we cannot manage time it just slips away, we will never have more of it and we will never get it back.
The secret is to be more effective with our time and get to do the things we really want to do. As the saying goes, “Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today… because tomorrow never comes.”
So how can you be more effective with your time?
* The first rule is to accept that you cannot do everything, there will always be too much to do.
* The second rule is to live with a purpose and decide how you really want to spend your time.
Rule 1- Acceptance
To address the first rule, take a long look at all the things that you are currently doing with your time. If you won the lottery and had all the money and time you needed then how would you spend your time. Prioritise all your current activities and get clear on the most important ones. When we are older we never regret making more money or having more success, we regret not spending our time wisely with the people we love or getting to do the things we always dreamed about. I meet a lot of business people who spend valuable time worrying about lots of things, especially money. Yet if they put this time into more creative activity they would find many ways to earn more money.
The first rule is about being more observant about how your time is being spent. Use a diary to keep track of where your time goes; review this at the end of each day; and build up your awareness of time wasting habits.
Rule 2- Live with a Purpose
The second rule requires getting a deeper understanding about how you really do want to spend your time. What were your dreams when you were younger? What are your dreams now? What do you want to leave as your legacy? How do you want to be remembered? How do you want to help other people to have a higher quality of life? Unless we answer these questions and start living the kind of life we really want to then we will only store up more and more regrets. We also waste the natural gifts that we have been given if we do not live with a sense of purpose.
The people I admire are those who have turned their hobby into a business opportunity and do what they love. They never seem to worry about money when they are focused on helping other people or being creative, the money just comes in!
The second rule requires you to be creative, listen to your dreams and start planning to live the kind of life you really want to, rather then let circumstance or other people decide for you.Use the rule of divide to multiply and break your goals down into smaller, more manageable parts and track your progress against them.Note that we generally overestimate what we can achieve in one year but grossly underestimate what we can achieve in ten years.
Finally, one key ingredient to making more of your time and getting more done with less effort is to focus on doing the bigger more important tasks first. This helps build incredible momentum, stops procrastination and inspires others to help us by showing how serious we are about achieving our goals and the success we desire.
About ActionCOACH
Brad Sugars founded the brand Action International in 1993 when he realized there was a disconnect between business advice and implementation. The answer was Action! Brad Sugars created a business coaching company so that business owners throughout the world can realize their goals in business. Today the company is known as ActionCOACH. To learn more about business, visit Brad Sugars Review blog!
