Time Management is Life Management

Many of the clients I work with in success coaching can relate to the following example.

If you have ever been to the circus, you have probably seen the side show in which a clown or juggler puts a plate on a stick and spins it. Then he puts another plate on a stick and spins that one, and another, and another, etc. A neat trick, but then he has to constantly run around to keep all the plates spinning.

Now there's a metaphor for modern life if I've ever heard one.

In order to talk in a useful way about time management, we need to call it what it really is, which is life management. Each of us is given twenty four hours each day in which to manage our lives. That's why I call my time/life management seminars "24 and No More."

In order to manage your time and therefore your life, well, a very important distinction needs to be made. Do you organize your life around work or do you organize your work around your life? A key distinction to be made is that if you are part of a family, your most important job is not at work, it's at home.

Having said all that, let's put some hands and feet onto this idea of time/life management, and provide you with some solutions you can take home.

Get organized. That's step one. So much time is spent and wasted looking for something or doing something over and over again, when a little organization can allow you to organize once and be done with it.

If you are at all like me and don't come by organization naturally, either hire or borrow someone who has the gift of organization. Or you could get lucky like me and marry someone with this gift.

Create systems. Creating systems for doing things is a great time saver. In fact, an acronym for system is:

Saves
You
Some
Time
Energy and
Money.

Prioritized To Do Lists. Remember, a to do list is a tool that you use to work for you, not you for it. A prioritized to do list is divided into three categories, A tasks, B tasks, and C tasks. A tasks are things that must be done today, B tasks are things you would like to get done today, and C tasks are things you can get done with any extra time. If you have items left over at the end of the day, simply put them behind you for the day and move them on to the next day's list.

"But what if all my tasks are A tasks?" That's a question I often hear. Here's a two part answer to the question. Part one is to go back through the list and ask this question, "What will happen if I don't get this task done today?" If you can live with the answer, it may not be an A task. Part two is, if all your tasks are really A tasks, then the key is to.......

Delegate. That's a fancy way of saying ask for help. It's amazing to me how willing most people are to help. Just about every time I've gotten over my pride and asked for help with something, I've been pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Block Scheduling. For those of us who have multiple projects and multiple daily demands, block scheduling can be a real life saver. Block scheduling simply means to set aside blocks of time on a daily, weekly, monthly basis in order to do certain tasks. Barring a true emergency, nothing is to interfere with the task scheduled for this time.

There are at least three clear benefits to block scheduling:

a time is set aside to accomplish key tasks
lower anxiety knowing there is time set aside
you get more done.

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


10 Tips on the Right Time of Day for Your Personal Best

Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More

Measure Your Time Against Active Inactivity

We don't realize many things we do until we draw... Read More

Mercury Retrograde and Time Management

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

Time Management And How It Affects Your Kids

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

If Only Your Brain Was the Size Of That Of an Ant You Could Easily Implement Habits

A year and a half ago I was introduced to... Read More

Decrease Your Sleep, Increase Your Energy! And Have More Time In Your Day!

Many of the world's most driven and successful people sleep... Read More

Put Yourself First

Are you too busy to put yourself first? If a... Read More

Simple Strategies for Home Based Business Owners to Reduce Stress and be More Satisfied

Handle small emergencies fast: When a small emergency does pop... Read More

Have You Got a Minute?

Such an innocuous little phrase, yet when you are hard... Read More

6 Time Management Tips for Moms

Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having... Read More

Time Management? NO!

Many people want to be coached to manage their time... Read More

Taking Time Out to Play - Summertime and the Living is Easy

As the song goes, this is the time to relax,... Read More

Writing a Thank You Letter for Meeting

I have a habit of sending a thank you letter... Read More

House Cleaning - Three Ways To Finding The Time

It's always a challenge finding time to clean my house.... Read More

Do You Have The Time?

Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More

Everythings Blurry Except For You

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

How Are You Viewing Your Time?

In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More

5 Days to A Simpler Life!

Of all the Attraction Principles, the most popular class I... Read More

Priorities: Dont Dry Your Dishes

Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More

More Precious Than Gold

In this world there is something more precious than gold.... Read More

Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it?

Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is... Read More

Are You Running Out of Time?

Here's some time management tips to try:1) Set strict office... Read More

Effective Use of Your Online Time

The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for... Read More

Coping with the Time Crunch

"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it." -Malcolm... Read More

Todays Overload: Tommorrow

Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More

Freelance Productivity: Do One Thing Extra Each Day

This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More

Where Do Your Priorities Fit?

An expert in time management was speaking to a group... Read More

You Cant Buy Time

Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More

The Myth of What We Manage

Perhaps it is merely semantics, but an underlying problem I... Read More

Time Managements

There are the golden rules that apply to time. If... Read More

Sharpen The Saw

Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More

When is the Best Time to Plan Your Day?

When is the best time to plan your day? Well,... Read More

Achieve More With Less Through Proper Planning

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