Thanks DT!
TOMORROW
The most famous "thought about" and "talked about" day is tomorrow. For
some it is filled with hope and cannot come fast enough. For others,
it is the day of reckoning when they must be held accountable for the
transgressions of the past and all the things that were never
completed. I believe for the most successful among us, tomorrow has
little meaning other than the things we plan to accomplish, the key word
being "plan." The most unproductive among us, use tomorrow as one more
excuse in a long list of excuses. "I will do it tomorrow" has to be
one of the most repeated sentences of mankind. It also represents the
single greatest difference in the ability to achieve our hopes and
dreams. If there is one skill the most successful and happy people
possess it is the ability to utilize "today" to the fullest.Time is the great equalizer. The rich man receives no more of it than the poor man. At the end of the day the same minutes have ticked from the clock for every human being. So how do some people accomplish so much more in the same time period? The answers are numerous, but one thing is true. How you use today is the key to all your future success. You can talk about time management and organizational skills and they are certainly important, but the key is "leverage."
Time leverage is the ability to squeeze the most activity out of the smallest amount of time. Some people are masters at time leverage! Let's look at how you can become one of these "time masters."
First, plan your day. If you do not, your day will control you with crisis and unforeseen diversions. Do this the night before or that morning. As you plan your day keep the following in mind:
* Plan to do the most important tasks first and try to do it before the work day starts if possible.
* Make sure you have outlined the exact action steps that will allow you to complete your most important tasks.
* Review your major goals when you plan. Make sure you have at least one of your major tasks related to the main goals.
* Define the activities that will yield you the biggest results and just do them!
Second, honor your time. Stop letting other people and things waste the most important minutes and hours. Here are a few hints:
* Stop checking e-mail every ten minutes. Decide when is the best time to check e-mail and develop an e-mail system of folders so you can easily find things.
* Group your phone calls together if possible and make as many calls as possible at one time. Also return your calls quickly but all at once if possible.
* Do not let others sit around and waste your time with idle talk. Be polite but stern when you tell them you have a lot on your plate.
* Take one hour each day behind closed doors or away where you can concentrate on the goals and objections you must finish.
* Have a top notch organizational system so you are not looking for things that you have misplaced. This often takes at least an hour a day just looking for "stuff."
Third, when tasks come up that are unexpected, evaluate them and decide what you can do within a few minutes and just do them, and decide what is going to take longer and assign a time to complete the tasks.
Last, check your list of most important tasks midday and decide what corrections you need to make. Stop right then and accomplish at least one of your most important tasks. Do not let the day finish without knowing you have accomplished what is most important. At the end of the day review what you have done, do one more task before you end your day and prepare to start again tomorrow.
There is nothing new about these things, but just by having this simple plan you will leverage time effectively and double what you get done in a day! Success comes from doing the things that others never get to! Start leveraging your time today!
Hope you liked this... Zap me a note if you want some real esatte help... or even if you just want to say "Hey!"
