How do You spend Your Time?

How do you spend your time?

Thanks to those of you who have given me feedback on my Maiden Voyage into the mass e-mail world...

Sounds like people are eager to hear what's on deck next...

Well, let's get right to it...


Kekich Credo #2:

Cherish time, your most valuable resource. You can never make up the time you lose. It's the most important value for any productive, happy individual and is the only limitation to all accomplishment. To waste time is to waste your life. The most important choices you'll ever make are how you use your time.

I think we can all agree that this is a true statement.

We all know it, but do we live it?

If you are like me, you've spent hours trying to create a system that allows you to manage your time more efficiently. You may have even spent money on courses, programs and seminars to help you squeeze more results out of the time you have been given each day...it's the same amount for every one...24 hours...a total of 1440 minutes...that comes out to 86, 400 seconds of every single day. (That's 31, 536, 000 seconds a year!)

Why is it that some people seem to be able to get so much done in a day and others go to bed asking, "What the heck did I do today?"

We live in hectic times...It's the information age. Everything moves faster and we are expected to handle 20 things at once...yesterday! No wonder everyone is stressed out, tired, living on coffee and feeling like crap!

So here is the secret...

STOP TRYING TO MANAGE TIME!

I know what you're saying, "Wait a minute, Doc...Isn’t this segment about how precious time is as a resource?"

Hang with me for a second, here...

What if you stop focusing on managing time and begin by focusing on PRIORITIES.

There are two concepts here...

The first is to start "majoring only in major things rather than majoring in minor things." There are many things that are urgent. There are other things which are important. Then there are the urgent AND important things.

How do you decide what is what and where to place your attention?

You have to have goals. You have to know what your desired outcome is. Whether you are talking about a health goal, a wealth goal, a relationship goal...it doesn't matter. You need to be crystal clear about what you want to get out of your time and your life. Now it's easy to decide what task is important, urgent, important AND urgent or just a waste of your time. Same thing with people, places and things.

So here's what you do...you say YES to only those tasks, people, places and things that are going to get you closer to your goal and you say no to those that won't.

The second concept is that of the "Obtuse Goal." What I mean by this is that you don't focus on the goal itself...but on the action steps that get you closer to the goal. You don't climb a mountain by looking at the top the whole time. You focus on the next few steps. (Or if you have ever been at altitude...the very next step ONLY, and then the next one and so on) The ultimate goal is in the background. It's the reason for the action steps...however, you only glance up every so often to look at it and make sure your actions are still moving you in that direction.

So, you see...it's really about priorities. Time Management becomes the obtuse goal...the next action step which leads you closer to the person you want to become is now the focus of your attention. Based upon that paradigm, now it's easy to choose how to spend your time, where to spend your time and whom to spend your time with.

This may sound a little cold hearted and calculated to you but guess what...

THIS IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR HEALTH, YOUR WEALTH, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, YOUR BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT AND IT'S NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL! If you don’t define and create it, others will.

Don't be apologetic if you want to maximize the time you have. Set a specific time to exercise, to prepare for the day, to rest, to socialize, to work, etc. Set “end points” for every thing you do. “I’m going to work out from 0630 to 0700. I’m going to shower and dress from 0700 to 0720. I’m going to make and eat breakfast from 0720 to 0745.” You get the idea. Stick to the time limits. Don’t allow interruptions.

Set a certain time or a couple of times a day for “catch-up” sessions. Maybe 15 minutes every morning and evening to handle things that would normally be interruptions. If an emergency pops up, simply get back on the plan at the appropriate place on your timeline and plan.

David Kekich is right...Time is your most valuable resource. How are you spending yours? Who will you have become 31, 536,000 seconds from now? Or even 315,360,000 seconds from now? (That's 10 years from now.)

You get to decide...You get to take action. You get to pick your priorities...when you do, you'll find time takes care of itself.

Be well.

'Til next time...

Dr. Pete