| SOME TIME SAVERS | | | | |
| | | | 4. Prioritize It. Your To Do list will have |
| By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore | | | | crucial and not crucial items on it. Despite |
| | | | the fact most people want to be productive, |
| In my Time Management seminars which I have | | | | when given the choice between crucial and not |
| conducted for more than 100,000 people from | | | | crucial items, we will most often end up |
| around the globe, I show people how to get | | | | doing the not crucial items. They are |
| more done in less time, with less stress; to | | | | generally easier and quicker than crucial |
| help them have more time for the things they | | | | items. Prioritize your To Do list each night. |
| want to do in their work and business lives. | | | | Put the #1 next to the most important item on |
| | | | your list. Place the #2 next to the second |
| If you can recapture a wasted hour here and | | | | most important item on your list, etc. Then |
| there and redirect it to a more productive | | | | tackle the items on your list in order of |
| use, you can make great increases in your | | | | their importance. You may not get everything |
| daily productivity. | | | | done on your list, but you will get the most |
| | | | important things done. This is working |
| Here are five of the techniques I share in | | | | smarter, not harder, and getting more done in |
| our Time Management seminars, each one of | | | | less time. |
| which will help you to get at least one more | | | | |
| hour out of your day of additional productive | | | | 5. Control Procrastination. The most |
| time. | | | | effective planning in the world does not |
| | | | substitute for doing what needs to be done. |
| 1. Maintain Balance. Your life consists of | | | | We procrastinate and put off important things |
| Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, | | | | because we don't sense enough pain for not |
| Intellectual, Social, Professional, and | | | | doing it or enough pleasure to do it. To get |
| Spiritual. You will not spend equal amounts | | | | going on something you have been putting off, |
| of time in each area or time every day in | | | | create in your mind enough pain for not doing |
| each area. But, if in the long run, you are | | | | it or enough pleasure to do it. I prefer the |
| spending a sufficient quantity and quality of | | | | pleasure approach. Take a procrastinated |
| time in each area, then your life will be | | | | project and turn it into to a game. Work with |
| balanced. But ignore any one of your areas, | | | | one thing in front of you at a time so other |
| (never mind two or three!) and you will get | | | | things won't distract you. ("Out of sight, |
| out of balance and potentially sabotage your | | | | out of mind.") Break it down to little |
| success. Fail to take time now for your | | | | bite-sized, manageable pieces. Get it |
| health and you will have to take time for | | | | started, take the first step and you will |
| illness later on. Ignore your family and they | | | | likely continue it to completion. |
| may leave you and cost you a lot of time to | | | | |
| re-establish relationships. | | | | Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time |
| | | | Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost |
| 2. Get the Power of the Pen. A faint pen has | | | | experts on Time Management and the author of |
| more power than the keenest mind. Get into | | | | "Beat the Clock," "Organizing Your Life" and |
| the habit of writing things to do down using | | | | "The Productivity Handbook." If you would |
| one tool (a Day-Timer, pad of paper, Palm | | | | like to receive your copy of his humorous |
| Pilot, etc.) Your mind is best used for the | | | | article, "Poor John," who wastes hours in his |
| big picture rather than all the details. The | | | | days, email your request now for "John" to: |
| details are important, but manage them with | | | | Dr. Donald E. Wetmore |
| the pen. If you want to manage it you have to | | | | |
| measure it first. Writing things down helps | | | | Professional Speaker |
| you to more easily remember all that you need | | | | |
| to accomplish. | | | | Productivity Institute |
| | | | |
| 3. Do Daily Planning. It is said that people | | | | Time Management Seminars |
| do not plan to fail but a lot of people fail | | | | |
| to plan. Take the time each night to take | | | | 127 Jefferson St. |
| control of the most precious resource at your | | | | |
| command, the next twenty-four hours. Plan | | | | Stratford, CT 06615 |
| your work and then work your plan each day. | | | | |
| Write up a To Do list with all you have to's | | | | (203) 386-8062 (800) Professional |
| and all of your want to's for your next day. | | | | Member-National Speakers Association since |
| Without a plan for the day, you can easily | | | | 1989 |
| get distracted, spending your time serving | | | | |
| the loudest voice rather than attending to | | | | Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above |
| the most important things for your day that | | | | information in its entirety in your |
| will enhance your productivity. | | | | publication or newsletter. |