Time Management
by Brian Tracy
– How you manage your time will determine your success or failure in business and other areas of life.
– Time is something that when it is used can never be recovered.
– Time is something that we all have, but depending on how we use it will allow us to get more accomplished or not.
– Not using time well will causes great stress. But when we use time well, we will feel better about life, get more sleep, be less stressed and get more done.
– The four D’s of successful time management.
1. Desire – desire to change your lifestyle and habits and to begin managing your time well
2. Decisiveness – you must decide that you will use good time management if you want to accomplish more in and with your life.
3. Determination – you must persist in the face of all temptations that will distract and rob you from getting things done.
4. Discipline – you must discipline yourself in life to manage your time well. Discipline yourself to do what you know you should do whether you feel like it or not.
– Learn to form good habits and let those habits form you.
– The loss of control. This law says that you feel good about yourself or not depending on if you are in control of your time and life.
– You have to know your priority if you’re going to manage your time well.
– Review your plans daily and consistently.
– Making a checklist and knowing what needs to be done will give you superior thinking.
– Every 1 minute you use to plan out a list of what needs to be done is a minimum of 10 minutes saved in execution.
– A goal without a deadline is not really a goal, it’s merely a discussion.
– All successful people do a daily to-do checklist.
– The best time to make a list is at night so that your subconscious can think about it through the night and in the morning you are ready to get to work.
– The most important things on the list should be those that brings the biggest consequences.
– “No” is the greatest time-saving word. Just say no. Say it early and often.
– You can only get things done by not doing things that don’t matter as much.
– Use the 80-20% rule. Choose the 20% of your tasks that will give you 80% success and that day.
– There are urgent activities that are unimportant and urgent activities that are important. Most people spend the majority of time in the urgent activities that are unimportant. The key to good time management is to spend time in what is both urgent and important.
– Clarity is essential
– Delegate tasks to others.
– Concentrate on one thing at a time. If you cannot concentrate on what you’re doing, you will not be able to do it well or be successful.
– Procrastination is the thief of life. Your ability to overcome procrastination will determine your success.
– Use business meetings to plan. Start on time and have an agenda.
– A stand-up business meeting is sometimes the best meeting so that you can discuss what you need and then everyone can get back to work.
– Be wise in your reading. Tear out articles that you want to read but do not have time to read. Choose your books carefully. Read the title and first paragraph of an article instead of the whole article, most of the pertinent information is there.
– Remember that leaders are readers. You cannot stay current with information or grow if you do not selectively and frequently read.
– Invest in personal development. One of the best things that you can do for both you and your company is to continue growing and becoming better in your area of expertise.
– You can go no further tomorrow on the knowledge and information you have today – you must learn and grow more.
– You have to learn more to earn more.
– Attend seminars and learn from people who have been successful in your area of interest.
– Keep a clean desk, it will help you get more done in a less amount of time.
– Organization increases productivity.
– The quality of your life will be determined by three areas:
1. The quality of your inner life – how you feel and look at yourself.
2. Your health – no amount of success will compensate for your health. Eat right, exercise, and get the right amount of rest and relaxation.
3. Relationships – never be so busy that you do not have time for the key relationships in your life such as your marriage and children.