The 3 Biggest Priority Busters

As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come to recognize that unless there is a focused effort to keep vigilance over priority busters, our best time management efforts will go unrealized. Our day-to-day lives demand more to resolving this than just practicing better time management principles.

The cost of a minute
Jim Miller of U.S. West tells us we experience eight interruptions an hour. American Demographics magazine says us we receive 23 paper and electronic messages an hour-each one its own type of interruption. Regardless of the type or number, remember that every time someone stands at the door and asks if you've 'got a minute?' they invite you to climb out of your priority and into theirs. Politely moving them to an alternative time enables you to remain focused on your priorities.

'Yes' is an acceptable word
Learning to say no and meaning it is difficult. Let's face it?no can sound like 'yes' and no and sound like 'maybe'. Saying it to supervisors or customers comes with its own cautionary reminder. But identifying and being committed to your priorities is what keeps us focused on when and if we should be saying 'yes'.

Fight against procrastination
A difficult habit to break. When delaying decisions is how we handle matters, we permeate our time management practices with ineffective and frustrating scenarios. Not only for ourselves, but for others as well. Making decisions to move things forward is the only way to fight procrastination. One mindful step at a time.

Today's business climate creates pressure to produce more work?with fewer people?sooner?for less money. It demands more of us. But there's major productivity gains to be realized by proactively handling interruptions, keeping commitments tethered to priorities and actively making decisions. That is when we will realize productivity gains and less stress as individuals and as an organization.

There are only 24 hours a day. It's how you use them that determines your level of satisfaction with work and life.

Copyright 2001 Cynthia Kyriazis. All rights reserved.

Cynthia Kyriazis is a Professional Organizer, trainer, consultant, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. She is President of Organize it, Inc., an organizational consulting firm serving Fortune 500 clients since 1995. Cynthia has worked with over 150 companies and hundreds of professionals to help improve performance in the areas of time, information, space and electronic file management.

Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of International Society for Performance Improvement ? Kansas City chapter (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.

---

Top Ten Motivators

Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More

Top 10 Ways to Manage Yourself - Time Wise

"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More

How To Manage Your Time

I would like to touch upon a subject that it... Read More

Time Management For Home Business Owners

As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More

Make Procrastination Wait

Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They... Read More

Work Smarter Not Harder

To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More

Prioritize Your Life for Success

Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More

Self Improvement and Prioritising

The ability to be able to set priorities and deal... Read More

Isn?t It Time For You?

Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More

Plan Your Day and Stick to Your Plan

How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More

Increasing Your ROI

All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are... Read More

Spend Less Time at Work and Get More Done

Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies... Read More

Vilfredo Paretos Principle: The 80-20 Rule: 80% of Results are Produced from 20% of Efforts

Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly... Read More

7 ways To Win The Time Crunch

Are you working a "day job" while building your home-based... Read More

Managing Time to Accomplish More

Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More

Time Management Training - A Necessary Investment or A Waste Of Money?

Many organisations view time management training as something they'll spend... Read More

Four Steps To Make Your Day Dynamic!

There are two ways to start your day. The first... Read More

Time Management: Eliminate Time Killers to Gain More Hours Every Day

There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More

Achieve More With Less Through Proper Planning

One question a lot of people ask me recently is:... Read More

21 Questions To Assess Your Readiness For Time Management

How many of us are guilty of "Putting the cart... Read More

Time is Money - Dont Waste It

"If you control your time, you control your life" -... Read More

Time Management - How To Get More Done In A Day?

Everyday, in life, we are bombarded with 101 tasks that... Read More

Time Management Tips - How to Have a Filing System That Works

Recently I was working with a new client who had... Read More

Are You Always Late?

"Fashionably late" is no longer in fashion. In today's heavily... Read More

How To Better Handle Your Mail

Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More

How to Make More Time For Your Life

Do you wish you could work less and play more?... Read More

Time Management And How It Affects Your Kids

Last week I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More

Time Management Lessons from a 3 Year Old

Zak is my three-year old godson. He is the apple... Read More

Everythings Blurry Except For You

Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More

Let Someone Else Do It

When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More

The Ultimate Virtual Reality

I used to think video game addictions were a joke... Read More

Mercury Retrograde and Time Management

The concept of Mercury Retrograde is very well known even... Read More

Looking At Time With A Capital T

I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More