Time Management Self Improvement

It’s amazing how many sayings there are in our culture about the number three. Think about it: “Good things (or bad) come in threes;” “Third time’s the charm.” A rule of thumb in speaking is, no more than three major points in a speech. (That was three examples, wasn’t it?) And then there are all of the mystical references to powerful threesomes. My purpose today is to look purely at the practical application of this “rule of three,” and see how we can use it to become more effective managers of our lives and priorities.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

* What are the three most important goals I want to achieve this year?

* What are the three most important things I need to complete today?

* What if I had only one hour in which to accomplish something important, what three things would I choose to do?

* What three clients or prospects do you most need to contact today?

It may be difficult to boil down your seemingly endless “to do” list to just three things, but asking the question forces you to make some powerful decisions about what is really important in your life, and what is, as Shakespeare wrote, is “sound and fury signifying nothing.” And while you may still have many other tasks you want to complete, knowing your top three will begin to create a clarity, focus and momentum to your day.

Thoreau once admonished people of his day, who lived without the so-called time saving devices of cell phones, email, fax machines and rapid transportation, to let the affairs of the day number one and two, rather than having a long list of duties and obligations to tend to. I think he was on to something. What I’ve noticed (and hear from coaching clients and many others I speak to) is that we all try to cram too much stuff into too little time. As a result we’re on constant overwhelm, running faster and faster but making little real progress toward what really matters because we don’t know what really matters.

Experiment today and in the week ahead with this rule of three. Decide the three most important tasks you want to accomplish today and go at them first. Work the rest of your “to do” list around your top three. You may need to declare some time boundaries, i.e. closing your office door, letting the phone go to voicemail or not responding to every email that drops into your in box, but the results may well be worth it. Far too many of us (myself included) allow others to steal our time and make their priorities ours. It doesn’t have to be that way. This week I encourage you to use the power of three: to focus, to build momentum, to create clarity about what’s really important to you.

As with anything, applying the rule of three may require some extra discipline at first. But remember, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!”

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Quote of the Week
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“One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.” ~~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe or learn more about Betty’s coaching and training services, visit http://www.dynamic-coaching.com

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Recently I had an interesting day, and I suspect much of what occurred was the Universe supplying me with material for this newsletter. You see, I was experiencing a bit of writer’s block the last couple of weeks and simply asked the Universe to support me in moving through this. My request was to bring me an experience that would allow me to turn it into something I could share with you.

By the way, I was very clear with my request that I wanted this experience to be significant enough to inspire me, and simple enough so my world wasn’t turned upside down. I’ve come to realize, over the years, it really pays to be as specific as possible when asking for what I want!

I had several appointments scattered throughout the day and it seemed no matter what appointment I was at, my cell phone was vying for my attention, attempting to take me away from what I was doing or who I was talking to in the moment. Generally, I will find myself answering my cell phone, but on this day, something inside of me said, “Ignore it.” What I found interesting wasn’t so much that I chose to ignore it, but the reactions from the people I was with each time I did ignore it.

Every single person was more concerned than I was who might be trying to reach me. The receptionist at the eye Dr. said to me, “What if it’s an emergency?” “Then they’ll call back many times in a row.” I told her.

The man helping me at the printing store said, “I can wait. It might be important.” I said, “If it’s that important, they’ll leave a message and I’ll retrieve it in 10 minutes.” He looked at me like I had 3 eyes.

The person I was having a lunch meeting with said, “How can you just ignore that? Maybe it’s a potential client or an emergency.”

My response? “I don’t leave my cell phone number on my business line and in a true emergency the person will call back again and again. Besides, you are my priority right now and I’m only willing to focus on this moment, here and now.”

And then I did something I never do, I turned my cell phone off! She thought I’d lost my marbles but the best part was when her phone rang a few minutes later. She started to answer it when she suddenly looked up at me and I gave her a sly little smile. She smiled back and turned her phone off! We had a wonderful laugh about it and our meeting was without interruptions and a great deal got accomplished.

There is no doubt, that in this modern, technological world, you can be easily pulled in many directions, leaving you to believe you might miss something important. It takes a real effort to be committed or motivated to stay present. To not be taken away, even if just for a moment, from what you are doing or who you are with and complete it before moving on to the next situation.

Despite the efforts to remain balanced, it’s not unusual to be split between your Spiritual desires and those moments when the Gremlin (that negative chatter in your head) quickly gets a hold of you and drives the ego toward yet another accomplishment or pushes your curiosity to see if there’s something more interesting waiting for you than where you are at the moment.

We live in a society where humans, for the most part, are addicted to the achievements, the appearance of self-importance, fast-paced lives, stress and consumption. And the good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Your ability to choose is always there. You can stay connected to the moment or break away from it. It’s really the difference of Being versus Doing. It’s about your willingness to create a different inner world that ultimately becomes your outer world.

I’ll leave you now to mull that over while I allow myself to build upon this newsletter in next month’s issue. How amazing are these Universal forces! I asked for inspiration for one newsletter and end up with enough to create next month’s!

In the meantime, don’t answer your cell phone the next time it rings while you’re busy with something or someone else. Pay attention to the feelings that come up when you do this and what the Gremlin has to say about it. And, if you’re really feeling feisty, consider going all the wayturn it off!

Your Genie will be so proud!

Copyright 2005, Linda Salazar all rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in its entirety as long as all credits are included.

Linda Salazar
Certified Personal Life Coach, Author, Speaker
310-375-4800
Awaken The Genie Within

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Setting goals is the easy part — but sticking with them over the long run can be a major challenge! Some people think that motivation requires will-power and dedication. Actually, staying motivated is all about setting up an environment that is conducive to you accomplishing your goals. Here are ten “tricks” for giving your goals staying power past January 31st:

BREAK YOUR GOALS DOWN

Do you know why 90% of us don’t keep our New Year’s resolutions? Because our goals are too big and too vague. Instead of telling yourself that you want to “get organized,” try breaking that goal down into something smaller and more concrete. “Clean out all clothes that haven’t been worn in a year” or “move all of the sports equipment to the garage” gives you a solid place to start — then you can move on to another small goal that will take you one step closer to “getting organized.”

PUT IN 15 MINUTES A DAY

Some people think that you have to commit hours of uninterrupted effort if you want to accomplish a goal. But the greatest advances are often the sum total of a series of SMALL EFFORTS — a drawer here, a cabinet there, maybe a closet. Once you have set your goals for the year, commit to spending 15 minutes each day doing something that will move you closer to accomplishing that goal. You will be amazed at how quickly you progress!

PAINT YOURSELF IN A CORNER

The worst deadline you can set for accomplishing a goal is “over the next year” — too vague, to broad, and too much room for slacking. Sometimes it’s best to paint yourself into a corner if you want to get a project done. If your goal is to clean out the guest bedroom closet, invite company over! Make a COMMITMENT to someone else — just knowing that other people are counting on you is often just the little “push” you need to get moving.

WORK WITH A “BUDDY”

This rule doesn’t just apply at the gym! Do you have a friend who can help out with some of your organizing projects? Two people will get more done in shorter period of time — and you will be less inclined to keep a bunch of junk you don’t need! Just remember that you will be expected to reciprocate when your friend gets ready to clean out! And if you can’t recruit any free help, consider bringing in a Professional Organizer — someone who can be objective about your clutter.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT YOUR PLANS

The best way to make yourself accountable for accomplishing your goals is to tell other people about your plans. The minute you spread the word that you are working on a project, people become interested in your progress. “Hey, how are you doing getting that garage in order?” Every time you hear those words, one of two things will happen. Either you will feel inspired to dig back in and get to work — or you will feel lousy because you haven’t made any progress. Option A gets you moving, while Option B tells you that something is out of alignment and you need to RE-EVALUATE your goals. Either one is a step in the right direction.

PUT IT DOWN ON PAPER

You’ve heard it a million times — if you write a goal down, it is more likely to come to fruition. There is something about the act of putting your thoughts (any thoughts) on paper that makes you more committed to the outcome. You have invested time and energy writing your goals down — what a waste if you didn’t actually go through with them! And it is wonderfully therapeutic to cross an item off of your list once you complete it!

REVIEW YOUR GOALS REGULARLY

The best thing about writing your goals down is that you have something physical to hold in your hand and refer back to when you need a boost. But reviewing your goals doesn’t just mean skimming the page and counting up how many things you haven’t done yet. You must also ask yourself some questions about each goal — why haven’t I made more progress on this goal? What’s getting in my way? Is this goal still important to me? If your priorities have changed, drop it from your list. You have enough important things to do — you don’t need to sweat over not accomplishing an unimportant task.

DEVELOP A “MANTRA”

Repetition is the mother of success, so you need to remind yourself of your goals everyday. Pick your most important goal this year, and turn it into a one-sentence “mantra.” Your mantra should be in the form of an affirmation — a statement phrased as though you have already accomplished your goal (”I am the master of my time” or “I live in a clutter-free environment.”) Repeat this mantra first thing when you get up, last thing before you go to bed, when you are driving in the car, as you take a shower. Post sticky notes with your mantra on it around your home and office. Pretty soon, this will become your natural way of thinking — keeping you going when you run into a roadblock.

ENJOY YOUR SUCCESSES

When was the last time you really acknowledged the fact that you accomplished an important goal? Too often, we simply charge into the next task on our list without really appreciating our achievements. Next time, spend a few minutes reflecting on what you have accomplished — remembering the time and effort you invested and savoring the feeling of completion. This will refresh and renew your enthusiasm to continue on with your next goal. Without that moment of pause, you will eventually burn yourself out and lose all sense of motivation.

PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK

Do you reward yourself for a job well done? Lets go one step further — do you plan ahead of time what reward you will give yourself when you complete a task on your list? There is a lot of wisdom in the old idea of a “carrot and stick.” As you plan out your goals for the next year, attach a REWARD to each. It could be as simple as a walk around the block, or as grand as a two-week vacation — just make sure that your reward is commensurate with the amount of work you will have to do to reach that goal. And be consistent about rewarding yourself for every accomplishment, no matter how small. You deserve it!

Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com — offering “a world of organizing solutions!” Visit http://www.onlineorganizing.com for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau — and even get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you. And if you are interested in becoming a Professional Organizer, we have all the tools you need to succeed. If you would like to reprint this article, please send in an e-mail request to ramona@onlineorganizing.com

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