"80% of success is showing up."
- Woody Allen
Ok, ok, ok. I know I am late on this one... Lets see if it was worth the wait.
I have been in one of my increased awareness modes lately. Watching, examining, questioning the ways things are done and why they are done that way. I have really been keyed in on timeliness (and yes, I am late, thus writing about it).
Interestingly enough, culture seems to be the strongest motivator for timeliness. In some areas of the country and just in lines of business, people EXPECT you not to be on time, but early. Others, however, are much more loose with their time, accepting when you are tardy, or even having you wait in the lobby while they run behind. What is wrong? Right? I don't know...
What I do know is that TIMELINESS, to me, is like dressing for an event. If you do not know what to wear to a party or gathering, out dress everyone (maybe not a tux, but you get the point). As a habit, with relation to time, if you do not have an awareness of the cultural value, err on the side of being early. (at least 15 minutes I suggest).
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: Most of fall into the common time traps causing us to be late. Mis-prioritization, time wasting in non productive activities, failure to plan or delegate low level work. The list goes on and on and on... One of the biggest life suckers, er, I mean, time suckers, is "early morning email." just as a note, before we look at ways to solve your time issues, understand that an email sent overnight does not have a "reply by" time associated with it. Take your time, get focused and knock out the important stuff before you start the back-and-forth of morning emails.
Here are some great helpers for better balancing your schedule. Hope it helps...
1. Take responsibility for your time. If you do not respect your time - no one will!
2. Focus your schedule around your priorities. Not everything in our lives is equally important (you know that already.) Focus on solving this question - "What are my top 5 priorities today?" Complete them in order of importance, not convenience.
3. Eliminate time traps. Take a look at your daily schedule. Are there certain activities that zap your energy and keep you from reaching your goals? Hint: TV, Web surfing, too much Social media, Checking email too frequently, answering unimportant texts, Running errands every day
4. Be willing to decline tasks. Agree only to the tasks that are meaningful to you. It might sound selfish at first, but it really is not.
5. Plan only for 80% of your time. Did you ever have something unexpected happen to you during the day? Those unexpected things usually happen quite often and mess up your schedules completely. Allow 20% of your time be unscheduled and completely free.
6. Distinguish between urgent and important tasks. Important activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of your goals. This gets you closer to keeping your life priorities in balance. Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are often associated with the achievement of someone else's goals or satisfying your necessities
7. Keep your daily schedule organized. All of the tips mentioned above can be hard to digest and bring into your life. That is why using a daily planner will help you organize your schedule, declutter your tasks and avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Guess who is re-reading this MM as soon as it hits his email?? Well, at lunch... wink wink
Cheers,
Zach
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