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Better Time Management

Beat the BIG THREE time wasters

Introduction

To a certain degree everyone wastes time.

The reason is:
there are THE BIG THREE time wasters that effect everyone.

The big three are:

1. Other people
2. Your own bad habits
3. Poor systems

If we each could beat these three, we would have more productive days.

Let’s take a closer look at the big three time wasters and see if we can make some progress.

First of the big three: Other people

Are there other people in your work that occupy your time but without any added benefit?

One of these people may even be a colleague.

This person talks too much about the wrong things.

He-she has the ability to distract you-
But only if you LET it happen.

The remedy is to notice when this person is taking you off track and politely but firmly say that you "Realise that you have lots to say, but I am really pushed for time right now. Would you let me focus on this and tell me about your story later?"

Don’t let the distraction of colleagues stop you from being your most productive.

There are other people in your work that occupy your time but without the added benefit
Perhaps: One of your managers

One of your managers is sometimes more of a hindrance than a help.

He-she can steal time off you if you are not careful.

Don’t let your manager steal your time.

Let him-her know that your time is precious and that you are already engaged on the most valuable thing, right now.
Any distraction or deviation would represent a relative waste of time.
Don’t let the distraction of a manager stop you from doing your best work.

Second of the big three: Your own bad habits

We all have bad habits.

Untidiness

We are all sometimes too untidy and leave things in the wrong place.

That causes you to lose things and you waste precious time looking for that, which should not have been lost.

Be more careful.

Resolve to put it away, in the right place, NOW. (Not later)

Then later, you will save time and frustrated effort
You will know where you put it!

Butterfly mind

You sometimes start too many tasks simultaneously.
You call it "multi tasking" because it sounds better than having a “butterfly mind”.

You end up with multiple tasks on the go, and making little or no progress on any of them.

Better to learn the art of “focused attention”.
Focused attention is the valuable mental ability to focus your mind on one thing at a time.
Put such intensity of effort onto each task. Make significant progress each time you touch it.

Third of the big three: Poor systems

There are many systems that can waste your time:
Recording systems can waste your time

You know that you will have to account for everything later in the future.

• Your spending
•  your sales
• Your activity

Decide to record them properly now.

Make the recording system simple but complete and accurate.

Don’t allow your record keeping systems to lapse.

It will create problems for you later which will swallow time.

Information system

A similar situation exists for the information that you need to keep track of:

1. Prospects
2. Phone numbers
3. e mails addresses

Design Good systems
Good systems mean that average people can achieve outstanding results.
Poor systems will cause even outstanding people to create chaotic results.

Summary
Everyone wastes time to a certain degree.
The reason is that there are three big time wastes that effect everyone
The big three are:

1. Other people
2. Our own bad habits
3. Poor systems

First of the big three: Other people
1. Don’t let the distraction of colleagues stop you from being your most productive.
2. Don’t let your manager steal your time.

Second of the big three: Your own bad habits
3. Resolve to put it away, in the right place, NOW. (Not later)
4. Put such intensity of effort onto each task. Make significant progress each time you touch it.

Third of the big three: Poor systems
5. Make the recording system simple but complete and accurate.
6. Design Good systems

Beat these three, and from now on you will enjoy more productive days.

For More information about Time Management Training vistit the Corporate Coach Group website

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