THINK BEFORE YOU ACT
BEFORE YOU COMMTI TO ANY TIME-CONSUMING ACTIVITY, YOU MUST ALWAYS ASK, "IS THIS THE VERY BEST USE OF MY TIME"?
LACK OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IN TIME MANAGEMENT LEADS PEOPLE TO PROCRASTINATE THEIR TOP ASKS CONTINUALLY, CAUSING THEM TO SPEND MORE AND MORE AND MORE TIME ON TASKS OF LOVE OR NO VALUE. AND WHATEVER YOU DO REPEATEDLY EVENTUALLY BECOMES A HABIT.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED THE HABIT OF PROCRASTINATION, OF PUTTING OFF THEIR MAJOR TASKS AND INSTEAD SPENDING MOST OF THEIR TIME ON ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN THE LONG RUN.
PRIORITIES VERSUS POSTERIORITIES
SETTING PRIORITIES REQUIRES SETTING POSTERIORITIES AS WELL. A PRIORITY IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO MORE OF AND SOONER, WHEREAS A POSTERIORITY IS SOMETHING YOU DO LESS OF OR LATER. YOU ARE PROBABLY ALREADY OVERWHELED WITH TOO MUCH TO DO AND TOO LITTLE TIME. BECAUSE OF THIS, FOR YOU TO EMBARK ON A NEW TASK, YOU MUST DISCONTINUE AN OLD TASKGETTING INTO SOMETHING NEW REQUIRES GETTING OUT OF AN OTHER ACTIVITY. BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO A NEW UNDERTAKING, ASK YOURSELF, "WHAT AM I GOING TO STOP DOING SO THAT I HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO WORK ON THIS NEW TASK?
GO THROUGH YOUR LIFE REGULARLY AND PRACTICE " CREATIVE ABANDONMENT". CONSCIOUSLY DETERMINE THE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DISCONTINUE SO THAT YOU HAVE MORE TIME TO SPEND ON THOSE TASKS THAT CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR FUTURE.
IDENTIFY THE CONSEQUENCES
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORDS IN DEVELOPING THE DISCIPLINE OF TIME MANAGEMENT IS "CONSEQUENCES". SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO THE DEGREE THAT IT HAS SERIOUS POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES FOR COMPLETION OR NONCOMPETION. A TASK OR ACTIVITY IS UNIMPORTANT TO THE DEGREE THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS DONE OR NOT.
FOR EXAMPLE, COMPETING A COURSE OF STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY CAN HAVE ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES THAT CAN IMPACT YOUR LIFE FOR THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS. COMPLETING A MAJOR TASK OR PROJECT AT WORK OR MAKING AN IMPORTANT SALE CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR JOB AND YOUR INCOME.
ON THE OTHER HAND, DRINKING, COFFEE, CHATTING WITH COWORKERS, READING THE NEWSPAPER, SURFING THE INTERNET, OR CHECKING EMAILS MAY BE ENJOYABLE, BUT THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE FEW OR NO CONSEQUENCES. IN OTHER WORDS, WHETHER YOU DO THEN OR NOT MAKES LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE TO YOUR WORK OR YOUR LIFE. HOWEVER, IT IS PRECISELY ON THESE ACTITIVITIES THE MOST PEOPLE SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME.
MANAGING YOUR TIME
THERE IS A SIMPLE TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT YOU CAN USE TO OVERCOME PROCRASINATION. IT REQUIRES SELF-DISCIPLINE, WILLPOWER, AND PERSONAL ORGANIZATION, BUT THE PAYOFF IS HUGE. WHEN YOU USE THIS SYSTEM, YOU CAN DOUBLE OR EVEN TRIPLE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY, PERFORMANCE, OUTPUT, AND INCOME.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN EACH DAY, STARY BY MAKING A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO DO THAT DAY. THE BEST TIME TO MAKE THIS LIST IS THE EVENING BEFORE, AT THE END OF THE WORKDAY, SO THAT YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND CAN WORK ON YOUR LIST OF ACTIVITIES WHILE YOU SLEEP. YOU WILL OFTEN WAKE UP WITH IDEAS AND INSIGHTS FOR HOW TO MORE EFFECTIVELY COMPLETE THE TASTKS OF THE DAY.
THEN APPLY THE A B C D METHOD TO YOUR LIST :
* A = MUST DO - SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR NONCOMPLETION,
* B = SHOULD DO - MILD CONSEQUENCES FOR DOING OR NOT DOING
* C = NICE TO DO - NO CONSEQUENCES WHETHER YOU DO IT OR NOT
* D = DELEGATE - EVERYTHING YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO FREE UP MORE TIME FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.
* E = ELIMINATE - DISCONTINUE ALL TAKS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE NO LONGER ESSENTIAL TO YOUR WORK AND TO ACHIEVIN YOUR GOALS.
REVIEW YOUR LIST OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMING DAY AND WRITE AN A,B,C,D, OR E NEXT TO EACH TASK BEFORE YOU START.
IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL "A" TASKS, AND SO ON. DO THIS WITH YOUR B AND C TASKS AS WELL.
THE RULE IS THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER DO A B TASK WHEN YOU HAVE AN A TASK LEFT UNDONE. YOU SHOULD NEVER DO A LOWER VALUE TASK WHEN YOU HAVE A HIGHER-VALUE TAKS BEFORE YOU.
ONCE YOU HAVE ORGANIZED YOUR LIST USING THIS SYSTEM, DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO START OR YOUR A-1 TASK FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE.
