One of the most critical Success Principles is using your time wisely. While squandered money can sometimes be replaced, wasted time is gone forever.
The pace at which the world is moving seems to be increasing exponentially: we now have the tools to monitor a universe of information continuously – companies buying and selling; changes of ownership; economic ups and downs; the war on terrorism; the war for talent; the war on drugs; natural disasters; racial tension; campus massacres, and at home my kids growing by inches every time I turn around – things are different now and downtime is diminishing. With the current state of the world, the new issue is getting more done with less.
So, how do you muster enough power to accomplish everything you need to get done in a frenetic world where information overload is the norm, and stay committed to being the best you can be at work and home?
My personal breakthrough in time management has to do with gaining mastery on three levels: leveraging my power, choosing my opportunities wisely, and becoming a power user in Outlook. Each level took me time to grasp, master, and implement.
The breakthrough into power, freedom, and peace of mind I experienced came from a course I attended years ago when I was a Landmark Seminar Leader called Mission Control. That course certainly continues to have an impact on me; it showed me that I was spending a considerable amount of time doing things that either did not “light me up,” that I was not particularly adept at, or that were simply distractions on the path to achieving my goals.
That course made me realize that there were a many things I need to delegate, outsource, or simply stop doing. Over time I built a system in which anything that I am not any good at, or does not add value to me personally, or does not bring forth new opportunities for KeenHire, is delegated. Using the power of talented people and resources has enabled me to essentially clone myself 25 times – through the use of full-time, part-time, “virtual” employees, or off-site consultancy capacities.
Now I have much more time to take care of the important things, like watch my sons’ basketball games, run, bike, make dinners, see friends and loved ones and to be a part of life – and all because I do not try to do everything myself.
This is a continual learning process because discovery takes place each time as I ask, “Is this the best use of my time and, if not, who can I find to take care of this and how can I structure it so it works for everyone?”
The second level that requires me to gain mastery of was attracting and choosing my customers and business opportunities wisely.
Who are the people you find pleasurable to work with? Who are the people who respect and appreciate my 25 years in the recruiting and selection industry as a top performer ranked for quality and integrity?
Who will pay me to save their time? Who has a compelling mission that people can wrap their hands around and to which they want to contribute?
Who offers a well-managed work environment that fosters excellence in employee performance as well as in development?
The more specific I am on what type of customers and opportunities I want to represent, the easier it is to spend my time on things that have a pay off or make a difference, and which use my best skills and talents.
When I compromise any of the above for the sake of ‘getting a deal,’ I always wind up spinning my wheels, becoming frustrated and exhausted.
The technique of choosing your clients wisely can also be applied to attracting and choosing your perfect mate and/or employee and is based on a process called the “law of attraction,” a process detailed in the book, Attracting Perfect Customers (Stacey Hall: Jan Brogniez).
The last level that requires me to become powerful with was using a tool like Microsoft Outlook to foster mastery in productivity and eliminate time bandits. I learned about every function that Outlook offers and how to use those elements of the software to impact the way in which I spend my time as well as to create efficiencies in my work day.
The message is clear: time – there is a limit on it; we only have so much of it; and, as the song says, ‘You only got 100 years to live.’ (if your lucky)
Best in Success
Margo
