Time is of the Essence

HOW VALUABLE IS YOUR TIME?

For any level of success, and not just financial, it is necessary to manage your time, the

people with whom you surround yourself and the activities to which you commit. The

following are examples of how to add value to your time and to focus on what is

essential to you.

YOUR FIRST 30 MINUTES OF THE DAY

Spend time before getting out of bed:

• Give thanks

• Seek guidance for the day

• Reflect on your plan of action

This time puts your day in perspective and gets your mind to thinking about what is to

come.

YOUR TO DO LIST

Establish a to-do-list of no more than 5 things:

• Identify the 2 things that are most important, and you see as accomplishable in the first few hours of the current day.

• Save the other 3; if there is time in the current day, begin working on any that can be completed in the current day.

• Otherwise, any tasks remaining are to be saved for the next day.

• If there are tasks from the remaining day, you may only add additional tasks that do not exceed 5 tasks in total.

This approach permits you to have one to-do-list that is not overly taxing. This approach

may not be reasonable given your specific responsibilities and therefore should be

modified accordingly. The idea is to begin having structure for your day and it not

controlling you.

MANAGING A LOADED PLATE

Divide your plate into sections:

• Each section should represent a workday of the week

• Label each section with an overall focus

• Coordinate the focus with a day of the week and on that day each week, spend time working on the identified focus.

Having a different focus for every day makes it easier to be more strategic in managing

your workload and minimizes any stress related to not reacting to every communication

or action as soon as it is occurs.

SO MANY INVITATIONS, SO LITTLE TIME

Ensure there is “WHITE SPACE” on your calendar.

• Notate commitments to family

• Notate commitments to employment

• Notate commitments to other affiliations

• Only accept invitations that support your family and your purpose.

Every hour does not have to have an event scheduled. The white space gives you time

to take care of yourself and properly restore; which enables you to be fully present when

meeting the commitments. It also allows you to respond to spontaneous chats, visits or

events. All the invitations may be for something good, but your time should lend itself to

only those events that are great. Manage your sense of duty and obligation to be where

everyone else wants you to be. Be selective about the invitations you accept. Your

response can simply be “that does not work for me”. A “no” to an invitation, is a

“yes” to you.

KNOW YOUR WORTH AND THE VALUE OF YOUR TIME

There is nothing wrong with working hard at something. However, working efficiently is

far more effective than working hard. The application of the steps above, supports an

efficiency that equates to your time being valued. In you demonstrating you value your

time; others will respect and value your time. So, say yes to what is essential and

important to you maintaining your wholeness and your valuable time.