| s a time waster? A time waster is anything that | | | | priorities focuses effort on the most productive tasks. |
| decreases your productivity and your effectiveness. | | | | Realistic deadlines impose discipline, as do daily and |
| Usually, a time waster causes a shift in attention away | | | | weekly written plans, project control charts, and |
| from your No. 1 priorities. Many time wasters are a | | | | progress reports. Rewards, when tech points are |
| form of interruption. 3 Major Categories of Time | | | | successfully reached, improve self-discipline, but only if |
| Wasters: | | | | you refuse to enjoy the reward early which is more |
| Time Waster No. 1: Lack of Planning | | | | self-discipline! |
| Those who think they are too busy to plan will always | | | | Time Waster No. 3: Lack of Control Over the Work |
| waste more time managing by crisis. Even on calm | | | | Environment - Elements in your work environment can |
| days, their energies will be scattered and, if they | | | | be real time wasters. |
| achieve their No. 1 priority, it will be by accident. | | | | Controlling the Telephone - One of the most efficient |
| Sometimes people claim they have been successful | | | | tools for saving time, the telephone, also is a time |
| without planning. Once they invest time in careful | | | | management problem. When we assume that a |
| planning, however, they are astounded to see the | | | | phone call is a legitimate demand for our attention and |
| investment pay off many times over in increased | | | | we interrupt our own work to answer it, we are |
| effectiveness. One hour spent in effective planning | | | | concluding that whatever the caller wants is more |
| usually saves three in execution and this will definitely | | | | important than whatever we are doing. This is not |
| enable one to achieve far better results. Add up those | | | | always true. You need to remember your No. 1 priority! |
| hours. Using a 40-hour week, the total additional work | | | | Beware of the following telephone traps: |
| time made available to you through effective planning | | | | ...A desire to know what is happening. |
| is four months per year. People who do not take time | | | | ...A handy excuse to leave a difficult or boring task. |
| to plan waste time; people who make time to plan - | | | | ...The urge to socialize before and after the business |
| invest time. | | | | part of the call. |
| Once you have made the hard choices in establishing | | | | ...A feeling of importance because others called you. |
| real, long-range and short-range personal and | | | | Fear of offending others. |
| professional goals, you have standards for focusing | | | | Your telephone is a tool; it does not have a life of its |
| your time. You have standards for yearly, monthly, | | | | own. |
| weekly, and daily planning. You have a basis for | | | | Drop-in Visitors - We all know this question, Have you |
| determining your No. 1 priority each day and you have | | | | got a minute? never means one minute. It seldom |
| a powerful motivator to replace old time wasters with | | | | means five or even ten minutes. It really translates into |
| new habits which can turn your life and your time | | | | Can I interrupt your No. 1 priority by coming in to talk? |
| around. Definitely, a WIN-WIN! | | | | But most of us continue to permit drop-in visitors to |
| Time Waster No. 2: Lack of Self Management | | | | infringe on our time. To eliminate this time waster, you |
| Human nature makes this time waster a lifelong | | | | must recognize that drop-in visitors fritter away |
| challenge for almost everyone. Its solutions are similar | | | | precious minutes that should be invested in achieving |
| to the solutions for many other time wasters. For | | | | your No. 1 priority. These minutes add up to years |
| example, planning encourages disciplined action. Setting | | | | thrown away and goals not achieved. |