Short on Time?

The problem is not that you and I do not have time. We have all the time there is! We do not get short-changed some days or go over on other days. What society is short on is discretionary time. For those who are chronically short on time: you do not have a time problem; you have a priority problem. We do not have time for something because we are currently engaged in an activity we deem of greater importance. If something of greater value or priority came up, then that would capture our time so that we "don't have any." That is, until something of even greater priority comes along. And so life goes. The net net here is that people are busy doing whatever it is they are doing because that is the activity of greatest importance in their lives at that time. There is nothing inherently right or wrong about this. In fact, the system works. I am going to occupy my time with the highest value activities I can that will produce the greatest return. Occasionally, something of greater importance comes along where I choose to divert my focus and attention to something else for a period of time whether it is 5 minutes, 5 days, or 5 years.

Here are 3 steps to stop "losing" time:

1. Align. Align your schedule with your priorities. Companies fail because their activities do not align with their priorities. When you compare what their initiatives are with the work they are engaged in, there is often a disconnect. Away from the office, most everyone I talk to say that their family is more important to them than anything else. That interests me considering they spend 8-10 hours at the office, then spend 1-2 hours at the gym, and finish the evening hanging out with friends watching sporting events at the bar, playing games, or watching TV. Outside of earning a wage to provide for your family, how much family time is scheduled - where nothing can interfere (if the belief that there is nothing more important)? Get aligned - and our coaching team can get you there!http://main.idream247.com/page/corporate-coaching.

2. Commit. Learn to make time commitments. This is the fastest method I know to teach people how to better manage their time. What happens is you start committing and then something of greater importance comes up, but you've already committed. There is no such thing as de-committment! After this happens a few time, you learn which activities are truly aligned with your priorities, and you will see dramatic improvements in your time management skills. You will be surprised how much more time you have (for what you truly value!).

3. Schedule. The daily items that soak up time are the things we fail to schedule. The more you account for your activities and schedule them, the more discretionary time you will have. It's more than a day timer, planner, or to-do list. My days are planned in time increments. Unexpected things come up every day. That's fine; there is a time set aside to address them. When I start a new year, I block of key dates, conferences, events, vacations, and meetings for the year based on busier and slower times of the business. Scheduling becomes a fill-in-the-blank exercise from that point. My assistant knows exactly when I am available and when I am not as a result of this type scheduling. Aligning, committing, and scheduling your time will give you discretionary time you never thought you had!