WHAT'S STEALING YOUR TIME?

Ever feel like you are being pecked to death by ducks or that you're caught up in the old video game being eaten alive by that little munching monster Pacman? What I'm talking about this week are the "time stealers," those small but collectively mighty tasks and incidents that keep you running in place and give you a sense at the end of the day you're right where you started.

I'm sure you've also heard the old adage that "time is money." If there is even a kernel of truth to that message, take it a step further and answer this: Would I allow just anyone to have access to my bank account and pilfer amounts large and small at their discretion? The answer most likely would be an absolutely unequivocal, "No...never!"

And yet that is exactly what happens to far too many of us throughout our days. We start off the day convinced that this one will be different but before you know it, the time stealers have begun draining away our focus and productivity. Well before that happens this week or this day, here are some thoughts on turning back the time stealers and reclaiming the sole right to manage your time as it benefits you, and ultimately those you care most about.

Among the most common time stealers are: interruptions, email, poor planning, failure to schedule, "yes-itis", and pointless meetings. Here are some ideas on how to address and deal with each.

• Interruptions: Whether it's phone calls that break into your productive time, co-workers who stop by to tell you what they did over the weekend or subordinates who commonly break in to ask a simple question--10 times a day--the interruptions are robbing you blind! Do the math: If you have five interruptions in the morning, five in the afternoon (conservative estimate), each lasting five minutes, you are potentially losing nearly an hour of productive time a day dealing with these "little" matters. There are any number of ways to reduce the interruptions, including hanging a "do not disturb" sign on your door for periods where you need to concentrate. Let co-workers and subordinates know when you are available and schedule time to meet with them. It's easy to excuse the interruptions with rationalizations such as, "it's only a minute," or "if I don't answer their question now they can't move forward." But the truth is, only a minute multiplied 10-15 times a day is like being pecked to death by ducks. And perhaps if you let your subordinates know you will meet with them at a prescribed time each day, they will either find answers elsewhere or learn to make better use of their time and yours by coming with all of their questions at once.
• Email: Of all the time-stealers this one seems the most overwhelming. By some estimates many of us are spending more time on email than any other single task each day. It's enough to make you "postal" because it never ends! Here are some tips for managing the email monster: Have a system for quickly scanning and deleting unnecessary email and be ruthless about it. Don't hold onto emails that while well intended you know you'll never read. Politely ask others not to forward you jokes, chain mails or other junk that wastes your time. Use your computer's filing system for organizing and sorting. And designate specific periods in your day for dealing with email. I know professionals who say they only handle email in the morning and afternoon. Maybe that works for you, maybe it doesn't. Regardless, find a system and use it...religiously.
• Poor planning and failure to schedule: These two go hand-in-hand and are often confused with each other. Planning is the process of deciding the priorities based on your whole life...not just your business life. Scheduling is figuring out where the priorities go in your calendar. Do you want to exercise? First it has to be part of your plan then it has to be scheduled. "When I get around to it" is not scheduling, it's failing to execute. Do you want to spend time with your family? How often, doing what? Plan it, then schedule it. In his autobiography Lee Iacocca, the former chairman of Chrysler Corporation, described how he spent two hours every Sunday evening planning his week. THEN, he would schedule according to his highest priorities. He knew when he would attend family activities because he planned and scheduled them. He knew when he had to travel and scheduled that in. He knew what the "big rocks" were, like exercise, vacation, think time. He prioritized them and then put them on his calendar. Planning then scheduling isn't rocket science but it has the power to launch you to new heights of productivity. One final note: Know what your top 3-6 priorities are going to be everyday. Write them down, block time to accomplish them and never give up the important in exchange for the trivial.
• Yes-itis: This is the malady so aptly described by my friend and fellow coach Honoree Corpron as "nice person's disease." I say "yes" because I want to be a "nice" person, not because the project or task is really something I want or need to take on. In the process I often betray myself, exchanging my life priorities for the cheap approval of others. Bad trade. Learn the delicate art of saying "no". I can't say it any better than she did in her blog last week, so here is the best advice I've heard on the subject: "When a new 'opportunity' for extra work comes your way: 1) separate false urgency from real urgency using your education and experience; 2) set expectations for beginning and completing the work based on what you already have on your plate and the true urgency of the item, and 3) let go of your need to please the person(s) asking and do what is best for you, your practice/business and your life." For more of Honoree's wisdom, visit www.honoree.blogspot.com.
• Pointless meetings: Of all the time-stealers in people's lives today, pointless meetings are perhaps the most draining. Not only do pointless meetings drain our time, they often do so in multiples of hours, depending on how many people are involved. Here is a way to combat pointless meetings: Absolutely insist that any meeting you attend has a PAL. PAL stands for Purpose, Agenda, Length. If you're planning the meeting, use that simple acronym to help you make it productive. If it's someone else's meeting, introduce them to the PAL and ask them to try it out. This one simple step alone could save you, me and everyone who either attends or (God forbid) perpetrates pointless meetings countless hours of lost time and productivity.

Time is the currency of our lives. The way we spend it and allow others to spend it for us will determine both the quality and quantity of what we pack into our all-too-short lives. Make the choice to decide rather than default on how you use your time and how others are allowed to use it as well. One of the best ways to see just what is stealing your time is to do a time log. If you'd like a simple method for seeing exactly how you're using your time, reply to this email with "Time Log" in the subject line and I'll send you a form I use. And, I hope you found this week's Monday Morning Coach, time well spent!

Quote of the Week:

"Time is free but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back." ~~Harvey Mackay

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Betty Mahalik, PCC Life & Business Coach, Trainer bettym@dynamic-coaching.com www.dynamic-coaching.com	Dynamic Solutions 5240 Mustang St. Las Vegas, NV 89130 tel: 702 658-4425 fax: 702 658-5802 mobile: 702 443-0175
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