Time is a funny thing. Most of us run around feeling like we never have enough of it. In fact, most of us would probably admit that time feels like the most important commodity we have…or don’t. Once it is gone, you can’t get it back.
Time is life.
That makes time our most valuable resource.
As one of the top final expense insurance agencies in the nation, we are acutely aware of the value of time. When it comes to carefully planning every part of our days and weekends, we know that our very success in the business boils down to how we view and manage our time. Time, however, is our opportunity, if we can change our perception to look at it that way.
How do you spend your time? Are you treating your time like the valuable asset that it is? Do you live like time is running out, or do you manage your time wisely, making the most of what you’ve got?
Take note here:
WE ALL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.
Pretty irrefutable when you think about it, isn’t it? So, if we all have the same, why do some of us seem to have our lives (and therefore, our time) so much more organized and put to good use than others?
Here are some ways to take control and make sure you are capitalizing on the time you DO have. If you want to be successful in business, these fifteen “golden nuggets” taken from Kevin Kruse’s podcast Cut the Crap, and also the Motivation2Study video from YouTube, are sure to help.
- Time is your most valuable and scarcest resource.
- Identify your most important task and do it FIRST. (What domino can you tip over today that is going to lean on the next one, and the next one?)
- Work from your calendar, NOT a to-do list.
- To overcome procrastination, beat your future self.
- There will always be more to do. Don’t quit for the day once you’ve gotten “everything done.” It will never happen.
- Always carry a notebook. We love these.
- Control your inbox. Don’t get bogged down by unnecessary emails. And turn the notifications OFF.
- Schedule and attend meetings as a last resort.
- Say no to everything that doesn’t support your immediate goals.
- Follow the powerful Pareto Principle. This principle tells us that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity. What does that mean? It means you need to identify the handful of tasks that are helping you get the majority of your results…and keep repeating them.
- Focus on your unique strengths and passion. Don’t try to adopt someone else’s skill set.
- Batch your work with reoccurring themes. In other words, have focus days, buffer days (so you can catch up on phone calls and paperwork), and free days (for resting and recharging). Develop a regimen and stick with it.
- If you can do a task in less than five minutes, do it immediately.
- Routinely use early mornings to strengthen your mind, your body, and your spirit.
- Productivity is about energy and focus, not about how much time you have!
You may think the answer is to fine-tune that to-do list. Interestingly enough, according to Janet Choi and Walter Chen who authored The Busy Peron’s Guide to the Done List, a whopping 41% of the items we put on our to-do lists are never done at all. There is tons of research to support that most millionaires never claim a “to-do list” was the key to their success.
At the end of the day, there’s a lot of advice. The overall answer: don’t let anyone, or anything, steal your time.
Control your time and you’ll control your life.
Like this article and want more information? Here is an additional article on how to Identify Your Time Management Matrix.
