Tell us about your best Time Management practices.
We at the Productivity Institute would love to hear about your best Time Management practices that help you get more done in less time.
Add your comments below.
Thanks for your participation!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson Street
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Workaholics: Extreme Workers
WORKAHOLICS: EXTREME WORKERS
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In the May 23, 2007 edition of USAToday there appeared a feature article about the growing number of workaholics in our country. My experience with my clients confirms that it becoming an epidemic in the workplace where employees are given increased tasks and then achieve increased performance by paying for it out of their hides, putting in more time rather than acquiring better time management skills to learn how to get more done in less time.
About 60% of high earners work more than 50 hours each week and complain that their health and sleep suffer as well as their relationships with their spouses and children. About 35% of the workforce is giving up some vacation time to work more and more a third of those surveyed felt guilty about taking time off.
The causes for this increase of workaholics include a more competitive business environment, less job security and technology such as BlackBerries, laptops and cell phones that keep people tethered to their jobs 24/7.
The article offers some warning signs to tell if you are an Extreme Worker.
Do you find your enjoyment of social activities less?
Are you thinking or worrying about work?
Does your family complain about your work hours?
Are you the last one to leave the office?
Effective personal productivity is not working harder but getting the most important items done. You will leave undone more that you ever get done. You will only accomplish a tiny fraction of what you would like to get done. Having a goal, then, of “getting it all done” just buys stress and frustration and more hours for work and less time for you as you become ensnared in the Extreme Worker trap.
What to do? Two strategies might be helpful.
Start by setting in advance the total number of hours you wish to spend on the job. This will help you to take advantage of Parkinson’s Law which says, in part, that a project tends to expand with the time allocated for it. If you give yourself ten hours in the day to do your work it will take ten hours to complete. You will fill in that time.
On the other hand, if you chose to give yourself eight hours in the day to do your work, you will find yourself generally getting it done within that time frame. You will automatically become more effective at planning and managing your time. You will be less willing to spend time in wasteful meetings for example and will suffer fewer wasteful interruptions.
Second, take a regular, hard look at your To Do list and identify the items that can be delegated. There is a big difference between “I do it” and “It gets done.” What is more important is that it gets done. And the hardest part about delegating is simply letting go, especially for Extreme Workers.
I have had many executive coaching assignments helping clients to get free of the workaholic syndrome and as is often the case, the problem stems from an inability and unwillingness to delegate. “If you want a job done well you have to do it yourself,” leads you to the prison of an Extreme Worker.
If these ideas were helpful, we have prepared an additional article entitled, “Your Just Might Be a Workaholic”. It’s a humorous take on the Extreme Worker that you will find amusing and instructive. If you would like a complimentary copy, email your request for “might” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In the May 23, 2007 edition of USAToday there appeared a feature article about the growing number of workaholics in our country. My experience with my clients confirms that it becoming an epidemic in the workplace where employees are given increased tasks and then achieve increased performance by paying for it out of their hides, putting in more time rather than acquiring better time management skills to learn how to get more done in less time.
About 60% of high earners work more than 50 hours each week and complain that their health and sleep suffer as well as their relationships with their spouses and children. About 35% of the workforce is giving up some vacation time to work more and more a third of those surveyed felt guilty about taking time off.
The causes for this increase of workaholics include a more competitive business environment, less job security and technology such as BlackBerries, laptops and cell phones that keep people tethered to their jobs 24/7.
The article offers some warning signs to tell if you are an Extreme Worker.
Do you find your enjoyment of social activities less?
Are you thinking or worrying about work?
Does your family complain about your work hours?
Are you the last one to leave the office?
Effective personal productivity is not working harder but getting the most important items done. You will leave undone more that you ever get done. You will only accomplish a tiny fraction of what you would like to get done. Having a goal, then, of “getting it all done” just buys stress and frustration and more hours for work and less time for you as you become ensnared in the Extreme Worker trap.
What to do? Two strategies might be helpful.
Start by setting in advance the total number of hours you wish to spend on the job. This will help you to take advantage of Parkinson’s Law which says, in part, that a project tends to expand with the time allocated for it. If you give yourself ten hours in the day to do your work it will take ten hours to complete. You will fill in that time.
On the other hand, if you chose to give yourself eight hours in the day to do your work, you will find yourself generally getting it done within that time frame. You will automatically become more effective at planning and managing your time. You will be less willing to spend time in wasteful meetings for example and will suffer fewer wasteful interruptions.
Second, take a regular, hard look at your To Do list and identify the items that can be delegated. There is a big difference between “I do it” and “It gets done.” What is more important is that it gets done. And the hardest part about delegating is simply letting go, especially for Extreme Workers.
I have had many executive coaching assignments helping clients to get free of the workaholic syndrome and as is often the case, the problem stems from an inability and unwillingness to delegate. “If you want a job done well you have to do it yourself,” leads you to the prison of an Extreme Worker.
If these ideas were helpful, we have prepared an additional article entitled, “Your Just Might Be a Workaholic”. It’s a humorous take on the Extreme Worker that you will find amusing and instructive. If you would like a complimentary copy, email your request for “might” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Why We Divorce
WHY WE DIVORCE
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Time Management only has to do with making up a good “to do” list and following through. Right? Not really. Time Management has a lot more to do with what we are NOT doing rather than what we ARE doing.
Good Time Management requires that we get what we “have to” get done but, more importantly, what we “want to” get done.
This requires balancing our lives in all of life’s Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional, and Spiritual. If we are out of balance on one (never mind two or three!) it is going to adversely impact on the other legs.
There will be about 2 million marriages in the country this year. Isn’t that nice? And there will be 1 million divorces. For the last twenty years, I have been a Professional Speaker and also an attorney and I have participated in over 200 divorces, representing an equal number of men and women in all age groups. (And out of the 200 divorces I have been involved in, I have never represented the party who was at fault!)
Why is marriage and divorce a Time Management issue? Well, let’s say you are 25 years old, you get married, and now, 20 years later, at age 45 you are going through a divorce, all so common in our culture. In one day in divorce court, you give up over 50% of everything you have ever worked for in your adult life through a property settlement. Now that’s good Time Management.
It is so much like the squirrel, hoarding the nuts in his tree while someone is drilling a hole in the bottom of the tree to steal his bounty, but the squirrel doesn’t pay attention to the drilling sound. He is so caught up in doing it the wrong way, he cannot find time to plan how to do it the right way.
And the cause of divorce? You typically hear reasons like money issues, “he has a girlfriend”, “she drinks to much”, etc, etc. But in my experience, 95% of all divorces are caused by one thing. A lack of communication.
The average working business professional spends, on average, just two minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or “significant other”. I don’t know about you, but I can’t get out my story let alone hear what my wife Nancy did in her day in just two minutes. (Interesting to note also that the average working business professional spends less than 30 seconds per day in meaningful communication with their children. That’s just a bit more than, “Hi. How was school? Good. Do you have homework? Go do it. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Now, when we go back to the beginning the relationship that preceded the marriage, was the couple communicating? Sure. Why? Because they were spending time together. They were going places together, laughing together, crying together, doing this thing called “communication”. And then what happened? After the wedding “something came along”. Lots of “something’s” came along. He was busy traveling and she was busy getting her degree, and the kids, yes the kids, and like two ships in the dark, we frequently pass each other daily with only slight notice.
I am not who I was five years ago, nor are you. I am not who I am going to be five years from now, nor are you. Don’t you think that this is true about that special person in your life? Of course and without substantive ongoing communication we tend to grow apart and then one morning at the breakfast table one asks, “who is that stranger sitting across from me and who is the young pool boy she’s with…..we don’t have a pool.”
I have written a short article entitled, “Five Ideas to Improve a Marriage” to help increase the quantity and quality of time we spend with that special person. It’s no cost. To get yours, email your request for “ideas” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIME MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION LIST”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore-Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson Street
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit our Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Time Management only has to do with making up a good “to do” list and following through. Right? Not really. Time Management has a lot more to do with what we are NOT doing rather than what we ARE doing.
Good Time Management requires that we get what we “have to” get done but, more importantly, what we “want to” get done.
This requires balancing our lives in all of life’s Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional, and Spiritual. If we are out of balance on one (never mind two or three!) it is going to adversely impact on the other legs.
There will be about 2 million marriages in the country this year. Isn’t that nice? And there will be 1 million divorces. For the last twenty years, I have been a Professional Speaker and also an attorney and I have participated in over 200 divorces, representing an equal number of men and women in all age groups. (And out of the 200 divorces I have been involved in, I have never represented the party who was at fault!)
Why is marriage and divorce a Time Management issue? Well, let’s say you are 25 years old, you get married, and now, 20 years later, at age 45 you are going through a divorce, all so common in our culture. In one day in divorce court, you give up over 50% of everything you have ever worked for in your adult life through a property settlement. Now that’s good Time Management.
It is so much like the squirrel, hoarding the nuts in his tree while someone is drilling a hole in the bottom of the tree to steal his bounty, but the squirrel doesn’t pay attention to the drilling sound. He is so caught up in doing it the wrong way, he cannot find time to plan how to do it the right way.
And the cause of divorce? You typically hear reasons like money issues, “he has a girlfriend”, “she drinks to much”, etc, etc. But in my experience, 95% of all divorces are caused by one thing. A lack of communication.
The average working business professional spends, on average, just two minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or “significant other”. I don’t know about you, but I can’t get out my story let alone hear what my wife Nancy did in her day in just two minutes. (Interesting to note also that the average working business professional spends less than 30 seconds per day in meaningful communication with their children. That’s just a bit more than, “Hi. How was school? Good. Do you have homework? Go do it. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Now, when we go back to the beginning the relationship that preceded the marriage, was the couple communicating? Sure. Why? Because they were spending time together. They were going places together, laughing together, crying together, doing this thing called “communication”. And then what happened? After the wedding “something came along”. Lots of “something’s” came along. He was busy traveling and she was busy getting her degree, and the kids, yes the kids, and like two ships in the dark, we frequently pass each other daily with only slight notice.
I am not who I was five years ago, nor are you. I am not who I am going to be five years from now, nor are you. Don’t you think that this is true about that special person in your life? Of course and without substantive ongoing communication we tend to grow apart and then one morning at the breakfast table one asks, “who is that stranger sitting across from me and who is the young pool boy she’s with…..we don’t have a pool.”
I have written a short article entitled, “Five Ideas to Improve a Marriage” to help increase the quantity and quality of time we spend with that special person. It’s no cost. To get yours, email your request for “ideas” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIME MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION LIST”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore-Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson Street
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit our Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Five Ways to Not Get Promoted
FIVE WAYS TO NOT GET PROMOTED
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
“Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go;
From 7-3 it’s misery;
Hi ho, hi ho.”
Time Management has a lot more to do with “investing” our time wisely rather than just “spending it”. A lot of people are not getting the returns from their time that they desire because they are not investing their time effectively, keeping them from getting promoted and advancing beyond where they are, more rapidly. They view their job as just that, a “job”, where they exchange their time for money rather than viewing it as a “position”, a platform and a springboard to even greater success.
In my twenty years as a professional speaker, I have met many who lament that they are stuck where they are at and are not getting the advancement they desire thinking that external forces are keeping them from moving up the ladder. In some cases, this is true. In most cases, it is not. A lot of why we do not get what we want in life is because of what we are and are not doing. Time Management, you see, is not doing the “wrong” things quicker. That just gets us nowhere faster. Time Management is really about doing the “right” things.
And so, here are the five surefire ways to “not” get promoted.
1. Don’t plan your day. Go to work each day without a plan in mind. “People don’t plan to fail but many fail to plan”. Respond to whatever comes at you, the loudest voice demanding your attention. You will work “hard” but maybe not “smart”.
2. Do the minimum. Many have the attitude “they don’t pay me for that”. They do what is required of them to cover themselves and fail to recognize that in order to qualify for a raise, we have do more now than what we are already being paid to do. Like a wood burning stove, many stand at the cold stove and demand its heat without recognizing that you have to put the wood in first, start the flame, and wait a while for heat to radiate.
3. Rely on your current base of knowledge. Half of what we know today, we did not know fifteen years ago. The amount of information has doubled in the last fifteen years and it is said to be doubling every eighteen months hereafter. The world, our companies, and our jobs are changing whether we are along for the ride or not. It has been reported that within five years, 60% of us will be doing jobs that are not even in existence today. Statistically, if we continue to do what we do, the same way, within five years, most of us will be obsolete, the world will pass us by.
4. Voice your complaints. Every job has something to complain about. The pay, the hours, the location, the facility, your boss, your co-workers, the customers, etc. Since we can never be sure whether those around us are aware of our particular discontent, be vocal about what you don’t like. It will keep you and them from doing what really needs to be done and it will send out a message to the “powers that be” that maybe, just maybe, you won’t be here in a few months, so why should they give you any more money or any more responsibility? And you may not mean anything by the complaining but it does have a tendency to send out a negative message about your commitment to the organization and call into question whether or not you will be here in a few months.
5. Don’t share the credit. When something goes right, put your name on the top of the list of those who made it happen. Don’t acknowledge others’ contributions. If something doesn’t work out well, point the finger to someone else. “Victory has a thousand fathers. Failure is an orphan”.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost experts and speakers on Time Management and Personal Productivity and the author of “Beat the Clock”. If you would like to receive a no cost copy of his companion article, “5 Practices to Get a Promotion”, email your request for “practices” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
“Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go;
From 7-3 it’s misery;
Hi ho, hi ho.”
Time Management has a lot more to do with “investing” our time wisely rather than just “spending it”. A lot of people are not getting the returns from their time that they desire because they are not investing their time effectively, keeping them from getting promoted and advancing beyond where they are, more rapidly. They view their job as just that, a “job”, where they exchange their time for money rather than viewing it as a “position”, a platform and a springboard to even greater success.
In my twenty years as a professional speaker, I have met many who lament that they are stuck where they are at and are not getting the advancement they desire thinking that external forces are keeping them from moving up the ladder. In some cases, this is true. In most cases, it is not. A lot of why we do not get what we want in life is because of what we are and are not doing. Time Management, you see, is not doing the “wrong” things quicker. That just gets us nowhere faster. Time Management is really about doing the “right” things.
And so, here are the five surefire ways to “not” get promoted.
1. Don’t plan your day. Go to work each day without a plan in mind. “People don’t plan to fail but many fail to plan”. Respond to whatever comes at you, the loudest voice demanding your attention. You will work “hard” but maybe not “smart”.
2. Do the minimum. Many have the attitude “they don’t pay me for that”. They do what is required of them to cover themselves and fail to recognize that in order to qualify for a raise, we have do more now than what we are already being paid to do. Like a wood burning stove, many stand at the cold stove and demand its heat without recognizing that you have to put the wood in first, start the flame, and wait a while for heat to radiate.
3. Rely on your current base of knowledge. Half of what we know today, we did not know fifteen years ago. The amount of information has doubled in the last fifteen years and it is said to be doubling every eighteen months hereafter. The world, our companies, and our jobs are changing whether we are along for the ride or not. It has been reported that within five years, 60% of us will be doing jobs that are not even in existence today. Statistically, if we continue to do what we do, the same way, within five years, most of us will be obsolete, the world will pass us by.
4. Voice your complaints. Every job has something to complain about. The pay, the hours, the location, the facility, your boss, your co-workers, the customers, etc. Since we can never be sure whether those around us are aware of our particular discontent, be vocal about what you don’t like. It will keep you and them from doing what really needs to be done and it will send out a message to the “powers that be” that maybe, just maybe, you won’t be here in a few months, so why should they give you any more money or any more responsibility? And you may not mean anything by the complaining but it does have a tendency to send out a negative message about your commitment to the organization and call into question whether or not you will be here in a few months.
5. Don’t share the credit. When something goes right, put your name on the top of the list of those who made it happen. Don’t acknowledge others’ contributions. If something doesn’t work out well, point the finger to someone else. “Victory has a thousand fathers. Failure is an orphan”.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost experts and speakers on Time Management and Personal Productivity and the author of “Beat the Clock”. If you would like to receive a no cost copy of his companion article, “5 Practices to Get a Promotion”, email your request for “practices” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Big Time Wasters
Big Time Wasters
By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
You may be well intended about getting things done during your day at work or during your personal time, but there are big time wasters that will conspire against you to take your productive time away. It has been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In conducting my Time Management Seminars over the last 20 years, I have identified five Big Time Wasters that you can attack.
Poor planning. “People don’t plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan.” Without a plan of action for your day you tend to direct your attention to the most urgent thing that may not necessarily be the best use of your time. Often, the day will be filled with wheel spinning and “busy-ness”, rather than business. When I was in the military, we referred to the “Six P’s”: “Poor planning produces pretty poor performance”. (I recall that some used a different word for “pretty”, but I’m sure you get the point.)
Procrastination. Taking the time for planning is great but what if you don’t execute on your plan? You tend to put off doing what you know you ought to be doing when there is little or no pain for not doing it and little or no pleasure to do it. Procrastinating the unimportant things has a positive value in your day. The problem for many is that they are procrastinating the important items.
Interruptions. You can do a great job of planning and not be much of a procrastinator, but interruptions will come your way and rob you of productivity. An interruption is an unanticipated event. That’s what makes it an interruption. They come to you from two sources, in-person and electronic (telephone, email, beeper, pager, etc.) Interruptions are both good and bad. There are A (crucial) and B (important) interruptions that you receive without reservation. By definition, they have value to you and are welcomed. But then there are the C (little value) and D (no value) interruptions that only take you away from being as productive as you might otherwise desire.
Failure to delegate. “If you want a job done well, you have to do it yourself”. Have you ever said that to yourself? The problem is you only have 24 hours in your day, 7 days a week for a total of 168 hours. Subtract from that the time you sleep (perhaps 8 hours per night, 7 nights per week, or 56 hours in total) and you are now down to only 112 hours each week to do everything you need and want to do. Delegation is plugging into someone else’s time stream when you don’t have the time or the expertise to accomplish a particular task. Delegation is how you can leverage your time through other people. A lot of time is being wasted by doing what ought to be delegated to others.
Attending meetings. In a typical day in the United States, there are 17 million meetings. A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet it surely is a major time waster for many. They are particularly wasteful and unproductive when there is no agenda or time frame and the meeting then drifts out on one tangent and then another without concrete results.
Want five easy tips to help you to stop wasting a lot of your time? Get your no cost copy now of “Stop Wasting Time”. Email your request for “stop” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Receive your no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
You may be well intended about getting things done during your day at work or during your personal time, but there are big time wasters that will conspire against you to take your productive time away. It has been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In conducting my Time Management Seminars over the last 20 years, I have identified five Big Time Wasters that you can attack.
Poor planning. “People don’t plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan.” Without a plan of action for your day you tend to direct your attention to the most urgent thing that may not necessarily be the best use of your time. Often, the day will be filled with wheel spinning and “busy-ness”, rather than business. When I was in the military, we referred to the “Six P’s”: “Poor planning produces pretty poor performance”. (I recall that some used a different word for “pretty”, but I’m sure you get the point.)
Procrastination. Taking the time for planning is great but what if you don’t execute on your plan? You tend to put off doing what you know you ought to be doing when there is little or no pain for not doing it and little or no pleasure to do it. Procrastinating the unimportant things has a positive value in your day. The problem for many is that they are procrastinating the important items.
Interruptions. You can do a great job of planning and not be much of a procrastinator, but interruptions will come your way and rob you of productivity. An interruption is an unanticipated event. That’s what makes it an interruption. They come to you from two sources, in-person and electronic (telephone, email, beeper, pager, etc.) Interruptions are both good and bad. There are A (crucial) and B (important) interruptions that you receive without reservation. By definition, they have value to you and are welcomed. But then there are the C (little value) and D (no value) interruptions that only take you away from being as productive as you might otherwise desire.
Failure to delegate. “If you want a job done well, you have to do it yourself”. Have you ever said that to yourself? The problem is you only have 24 hours in your day, 7 days a week for a total of 168 hours. Subtract from that the time you sleep (perhaps 8 hours per night, 7 nights per week, or 56 hours in total) and you are now down to only 112 hours each week to do everything you need and want to do. Delegation is plugging into someone else’s time stream when you don’t have the time or the expertise to accomplish a particular task. Delegation is how you can leverage your time through other people. A lot of time is being wasted by doing what ought to be delegated to others.
Attending meetings. In a typical day in the United States, there are 17 million meetings. A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet it surely is a major time waster for many. They are particularly wasteful and unproductive when there is no agenda or time frame and the meeting then drifts out on one tangent and then another without concrete results.
Want five easy tips to help you to stop wasting a lot of your time? Get your no cost copy now of “Stop Wasting Time”. Email your request for “stop” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Receive your no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Visions that Repeat
VISIONS THAT REPEAT
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
You spend a lot of time reliving memories from the past. Some memories are positive and uplifting and give our days a bounce, enhancing our productivity and results. Other memories are not so bright and bum us out, draining our spirits and motivation and productivity.
Memories are stored in your head after a long journey that begins with a single vision. Visions are the pictures you see in your mind. You can have positive visions or negative visions.
For example, you are going to a party Friday night. This is a party that your brother-in-law always attends and in the past you always got in an argument with him, then left the party in a huff, and generally had a bad time. So you start to visualize going to the party again on Friday and what do you see? You see yourself having a bad time at this party because, after all, you’ve always had a bad time at the party with your brother-in-law.
From those visions, those pictures, you take action. You see a confrontation coming with your brother-in-law and consistent with that image you attend the party waiting for him to trigger the arguments as he has in the past, and sure enough, your body language and words telegraph the message that you are ready for verbal combat and so the process moves forward to conflict and leaving in a huff.
These actions produce results. Your result was, “not having good time at the party”. Those results then become the memories that you re-live over and over again negatively affecting your future productivity.
Your visions direct the actions you take that create the results you realize that form the memories you re-live over and over again,
Now let’s say you would prefer to have a positive memory from this upcoming party in your mind to relive in the future for enhanced productivity. What can you do in advance to change the outcome, the lingering memory? You change the vision.
You stop visualizing having a bad time at the next party. I know, you’ve had a lot of history with bad results, but you put a new picture in your mind this time. You see yourself intentionally avoiding being in the same room with your brother-in-law and if he presses to goad you into argument, you see yourself walking away. You see yourself sitting with Aunt Sarah, whom you spend little time with and talking with her for the evening.
You repeat that vision only, over and over, and if you do enough of that, you find yourself changing your behavior, avoiding your brother-in-law and instead, spending quality time with the other guests. When you leave, you discover you have produced the result called “not having too bad a time at the party”. You recall and remember this now in a positive vein, as an uplifting memory that boosts your attitude and daily productivity in the future.
Does it all happen so easily and quickly? Unlikely. Maybe you create no new results in the near term from this new, more positive way of visioning, but if you are willing to persist and make this healthier way of thinking a consistent habit, then soon you will find it does work. Your visions will be more positive, your actions will follow the visions creating the results that form the positive memories you will re-live over and over.
Don is available to conduct his unique and dynamic Time Management Seminar worldwide, at your location, for groups of any size, from one hour up to three full days, helping you to get more done in less time, with less stress. For details, email your request now for “in-house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2006 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
You spend a lot of time reliving memories from the past. Some memories are positive and uplifting and give our days a bounce, enhancing our productivity and results. Other memories are not so bright and bum us out, draining our spirits and motivation and productivity.
Memories are stored in your head after a long journey that begins with a single vision. Visions are the pictures you see in your mind. You can have positive visions or negative visions.
For example, you are going to a party Friday night. This is a party that your brother-in-law always attends and in the past you always got in an argument with him, then left the party in a huff, and generally had a bad time. So you start to visualize going to the party again on Friday and what do you see? You see yourself having a bad time at this party because, after all, you’ve always had a bad time at the party with your brother-in-law.
From those visions, those pictures, you take action. You see a confrontation coming with your brother-in-law and consistent with that image you attend the party waiting for him to trigger the arguments as he has in the past, and sure enough, your body language and words telegraph the message that you are ready for verbal combat and so the process moves forward to conflict and leaving in a huff.
These actions produce results. Your result was, “not having good time at the party”. Those results then become the memories that you re-live over and over again negatively affecting your future productivity.
Your visions direct the actions you take that create the results you realize that form the memories you re-live over and over again,
Now let’s say you would prefer to have a positive memory from this upcoming party in your mind to relive in the future for enhanced productivity. What can you do in advance to change the outcome, the lingering memory? You change the vision.
You stop visualizing having a bad time at the next party. I know, you’ve had a lot of history with bad results, but you put a new picture in your mind this time. You see yourself intentionally avoiding being in the same room with your brother-in-law and if he presses to goad you into argument, you see yourself walking away. You see yourself sitting with Aunt Sarah, whom you spend little time with and talking with her for the evening.
You repeat that vision only, over and over, and if you do enough of that, you find yourself changing your behavior, avoiding your brother-in-law and instead, spending quality time with the other guests. When you leave, you discover you have produced the result called “not having too bad a time at the party”. You recall and remember this now in a positive vein, as an uplifting memory that boosts your attitude and daily productivity in the future.
Does it all happen so easily and quickly? Unlikely. Maybe you create no new results in the near term from this new, more positive way of visioning, but if you are willing to persist and make this healthier way of thinking a consistent habit, then soon you will find it does work. Your visions will be more positive, your actions will follow the visions creating the results that form the positive memories you will re-live over and over.
Don is available to conduct his unique and dynamic Time Management Seminar worldwide, at your location, for groups of any size, from one hour up to three full days, helping you to get more done in less time, with less stress. For details, email your request now for “in-house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2006 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Uni or Duo Dimensional
UNI OR DUO DIMENSIONAL
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
The underlying core of my more than 2,000 Time Management presentations during the last twenty years has been the concept of “balance”. Success in managing our time has less to do with the tools available to us, such as “to do lists” and techniques for delegation, as it has to do with achieving daily balance in our lives. If we are not in balance to begin with, we are likely to sabotage our success. Successful Time Management then has a lot to do with what we are not doing.
Our lives are built on several legs, the Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional and Spiritual. If one is a little longer than the rest, like a table, it will affect then entire table.
Life can be cruel. You can lose in any of those areas overnight. Your health can go away. Your money can be lost. Your family can leave you, all on a moment’s notice. Not that we don’t do things to prevent that from happening, but the point is, if one or two legs falters, you have others to hold you up.
It takes three legs for a stool to stand. If you build your life around just one or two legs or areas you first have a continual problem maintaining your balance. Worse, if you lose those one or two legs of those remaining legs, you collapse.
Here’s my list of the seven best ways to get out of balance and become uni or duo dimensional.
1. Ignore your Health. Don’t get the quantity and quality of sleep you require. Don’t take time for exercise. Eat the wrong stuff. (90% of those who join Health and Fitness Clubs today will stop going within the next 90 days.) Your resistance level will be reduced and you will be susceptible to all the latest sniffles and flues going around to ensure that you take advantage of all the sick days you are allowed. 75% of all adult deaths are preventable. We are literally driving ourselves to early grave in the “hurry-up, stressful” life of ours.
It’s interesting when someone gets a new car, they bring it in for the scheduled maintenance, put the right grade of fuel in the tank, and keep it shiny and clean. Our pets visit the veterinarian on a scheduled basis. In a recent study, 34% of the men surveyed said they would not go to doctor even if they were experiencing chest pains.
2. Postpone Family time. They will always be there for you anyway when you get the time for them. A student once asked me, “What is the best way to take my four year old on vacation?” I replied, “You take her when she’s four years old.” Fifty percent of marriages wind up in divorce court. Imagine, getting married at age twenty-five and twenty years later, at age forty-five, you give up 50% of everything you have worked for in your adult life in a property settlement in divorce court. It’s like the squirrel, gathering the nuts, hoarding away while someone is drilling a hole in the side of the tree to let all the nuts escape. The squirrel is too busy to hear the impending threat. The average working person spends less than two minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or “significant other” and less than thirty seconds per day in meaningful communication with their children.
3. Don’t plan your Financial life. Be assured that your employer, and if not, then the government, and if not, then maybe a kindly relative will take care of your needs. Most people arrive at the end of life financially deficient or dependant upon some type of assistance from the government or relatives. Most people do not spend a little of their time, on a regular basis, to create financial freedom and live their lives they way they “want to”, but rather do what do because they “have to”. Eighty percent do not want to go to work on Monday morning. Ninety-seven percent say that if they did achieve financial independence, they would not continue with their current employer or in their current line of work.
4. Stay away from Intellectual development. You have the degree. You read books at one time. Five percent of the population purchases ninety-five percent of all the books. The other ninety-five purchase the other five percent of the books. They don’t have time to read them. They give them away as gifts. You barely have enough time to keep your head above water, what with work and other interests. Coast with the knowledge you have. It’s draining away from you daily but hopefully you filled the reservoir enough early on that it will carry you through your life.
5. Let your Social contacts decide your future. Follow the advice of your friends about what you should be doing in your life even if they are not in a place where you would want to be. Be ever conscious of “What would my friends say/think if I did…?”. Always seek out and act only with the approval of your peers. Take comfort in the knowledge that when there is a void in leadership your life on how you should be spending your time, someone else will fill that void and tell you what to do.
6. Let your Professional life just happen. Do not establish a lifetime plan of where you want to go. Take whatever opportunity and advancement life gives you and be satisfied. Don’t rock the boat. Seek the familiar and avoid the strange. Play it safe. Make it comfortable. If you chose a career path when you were eighteen or twenty years old, and now at age forty you are unhappy, don’t consider a change. Hold on to that decision you made twenty years ago. It will be like going to a twenty year old for career counseling.
7. Avoid spending time in your Spiritual area. Not only in a formal religious venue, but also in our relationships to others, our community, our environment, and the universe. Leave those questions to others to ponder. “When man forgets his Creator, his own creations will be turned upon him.”
Don is available to conduct his unique and dynamic Time Management Seminar worldwide, at your location, for groups of any size helping you to get more done in less time, with less stress. For details, email your request now for “in-house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2006 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
The underlying core of my more than 2,000 Time Management presentations during the last twenty years has been the concept of “balance”. Success in managing our time has less to do with the tools available to us, such as “to do lists” and techniques for delegation, as it has to do with achieving daily balance in our lives. If we are not in balance to begin with, we are likely to sabotage our success. Successful Time Management then has a lot to do with what we are not doing.
Our lives are built on several legs, the Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional and Spiritual. If one is a little longer than the rest, like a table, it will affect then entire table.
Life can be cruel. You can lose in any of those areas overnight. Your health can go away. Your money can be lost. Your family can leave you, all on a moment’s notice. Not that we don’t do things to prevent that from happening, but the point is, if one or two legs falters, you have others to hold you up.
It takes three legs for a stool to stand. If you build your life around just one or two legs or areas you first have a continual problem maintaining your balance. Worse, if you lose those one or two legs of those remaining legs, you collapse.
Here’s my list of the seven best ways to get out of balance and become uni or duo dimensional.
1. Ignore your Health. Don’t get the quantity and quality of sleep you require. Don’t take time for exercise. Eat the wrong stuff. (90% of those who join Health and Fitness Clubs today will stop going within the next 90 days.) Your resistance level will be reduced and you will be susceptible to all the latest sniffles and flues going around to ensure that you take advantage of all the sick days you are allowed. 75% of all adult deaths are preventable. We are literally driving ourselves to early grave in the “hurry-up, stressful” life of ours.
It’s interesting when someone gets a new car, they bring it in for the scheduled maintenance, put the right grade of fuel in the tank, and keep it shiny and clean. Our pets visit the veterinarian on a scheduled basis. In a recent study, 34% of the men surveyed said they would not go to doctor even if they were experiencing chest pains.
2. Postpone Family time. They will always be there for you anyway when you get the time for them. A student once asked me, “What is the best way to take my four year old on vacation?” I replied, “You take her when she’s four years old.” Fifty percent of marriages wind up in divorce court. Imagine, getting married at age twenty-five and twenty years later, at age forty-five, you give up 50% of everything you have worked for in your adult life in a property settlement in divorce court. It’s like the squirrel, gathering the nuts, hoarding away while someone is drilling a hole in the side of the tree to let all the nuts escape. The squirrel is too busy to hear the impending threat. The average working person spends less than two minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or “significant other” and less than thirty seconds per day in meaningful communication with their children.
3. Don’t plan your Financial life. Be assured that your employer, and if not, then the government, and if not, then maybe a kindly relative will take care of your needs. Most people arrive at the end of life financially deficient or dependant upon some type of assistance from the government or relatives. Most people do not spend a little of their time, on a regular basis, to create financial freedom and live their lives they way they “want to”, but rather do what do because they “have to”. Eighty percent do not want to go to work on Monday morning. Ninety-seven percent say that if they did achieve financial independence, they would not continue with their current employer or in their current line of work.
4. Stay away from Intellectual development. You have the degree. You read books at one time. Five percent of the population purchases ninety-five percent of all the books. The other ninety-five purchase the other five percent of the books. They don’t have time to read them. They give them away as gifts. You barely have enough time to keep your head above water, what with work and other interests. Coast with the knowledge you have. It’s draining away from you daily but hopefully you filled the reservoir enough early on that it will carry you through your life.
5. Let your Social contacts decide your future. Follow the advice of your friends about what you should be doing in your life even if they are not in a place where you would want to be. Be ever conscious of “What would my friends say/think if I did…?”. Always seek out and act only with the approval of your peers. Take comfort in the knowledge that when there is a void in leadership your life on how you should be spending your time, someone else will fill that void and tell you what to do.
6. Let your Professional life just happen. Do not establish a lifetime plan of where you want to go. Take whatever opportunity and advancement life gives you and be satisfied. Don’t rock the boat. Seek the familiar and avoid the strange. Play it safe. Make it comfortable. If you chose a career path when you were eighteen or twenty years old, and now at age forty you are unhappy, don’t consider a change. Hold on to that decision you made twenty years ago. It will be like going to a twenty year old for career counseling.
7. Avoid spending time in your Spiritual area. Not only in a formal religious venue, but also in our relationships to others, our community, our environment, and the universe. Leave those questions to others to ponder. “When man forgets his Creator, his own creations will be turned upon him.”
Don is available to conduct his unique and dynamic Time Management Seminar worldwide, at your location, for groups of any size helping you to get more done in less time, with less stress. For details, email your request now for “in-house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2006 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Twice as Much
TWICE AS MUCH
By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
I take Time Management very seriously. I have conducted over 2,000 presentations as a professional speaker on Time Management over the last twenty years to over 100, 000 people. But a good laugh now and then is as important as our serious side.
So, I have accumulated some of the most offbeat Time Management tips for you to get twice as much done. I know you’ll get a chuckle or two from them.
Don’t buy an address book and fill it out. Instead, get a copy of the white pages from your local telephone company and cross out the names you don’t need.
Support cloning.
Watch the television program “60 Minutes” in half an hour.
Always use twice as much grass seed as the directions call for and grow twice the grass.
Always order a double martini.
Use a large scrub brush to brush your teeth.
Shower for twice as much time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and you can skip Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Catch two colds at a time and take only half the sick days.
Go to bed dressed, ready to start your next day.
Keep one eye closed during the day and you’ll only have to sleep half as much time.
Have twins.
Ski downhill twice as fast as you are used to and get it over with in half the time.
Buy Double-Mint gum.
Only go out on a double date.
Listen to your politicians and learn how to be better at double talk.
At the beach, roll across the sand and tan your front and back at the same time.
When angry, slam the door twice so you won’t have to do it the next time you get angry.
Only look at every other word and read twice as fast.
I know cookies should be baked at 350 degrees, but try cooking them at 700 degrees in half the time.
Pack twice as much as you need when traveling.
Play your CD’s and DVD’s in the Fast Forward mode.
Eat your dessert while eating your main course.
When writing, always use both hands at the same time.
Have a double set of speakers for your sound system and you will listen to twice as much.
On rainy days, leave the umbrella home and then you can skip your shower the next day.
If you are a golfer, hit two balls at the same time.
When you make a big mistake, be sure to have two excuses why you goofed, to get you out of trouble twice as fast.
At a birthday party, leave off singing the second half of the “Happy Birthday” song.
Fish with two poles.
Cut off half the buttons on your shirts and blouses and you will be able to button what’s left in half the time.
Bet on the Daily Double.
Dig a hole with two shovels.
Use two bars of soap when you wash and get it done in half the time.
Always wear a sweater so you don’t have to spend time looking for one when you really need one.
Tip 30% rather than 15% at the restaurant and enjoy twice the service.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost and entertaining speakers on Time Management and the author of “Beat the Clock” and “Organizing Your Life”, and “The Productivity Handbook”. Invite Don to conduct his dynamic Time Management Seminar on site, at your location from one hour up to three full days for groups of any size. For details, mailto:ctsem@msn.com and put “on site” in the subject line.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore-Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute-Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St., Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
email: ctsem@msn.com
Timely Time Management Tips:
Visit our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com/
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
I take Time Management very seriously. I have conducted over 2,000 presentations as a professional speaker on Time Management over the last twenty years to over 100, 000 people. But a good laugh now and then is as important as our serious side.
So, I have accumulated some of the most offbeat Time Management tips for you to get twice as much done. I know you’ll get a chuckle or two from them.
Don’t buy an address book and fill it out. Instead, get a copy of the white pages from your local telephone company and cross out the names you don’t need.
Support cloning.
Watch the television program “60 Minutes” in half an hour.
Always use twice as much grass seed as the directions call for and grow twice the grass.
Always order a double martini.
Use a large scrub brush to brush your teeth.
Shower for twice as much time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and you can skip Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Catch two colds at a time and take only half the sick days.
Go to bed dressed, ready to start your next day.
Keep one eye closed during the day and you’ll only have to sleep half as much time.
Have twins.
Ski downhill twice as fast as you are used to and get it over with in half the time.
Buy Double-Mint gum.
Only go out on a double date.
Listen to your politicians and learn how to be better at double talk.
At the beach, roll across the sand and tan your front and back at the same time.
When angry, slam the door twice so you won’t have to do it the next time you get angry.
Only look at every other word and read twice as fast.
I know cookies should be baked at 350 degrees, but try cooking them at 700 degrees in half the time.
Pack twice as much as you need when traveling.
Play your CD’s and DVD’s in the Fast Forward mode.
Eat your dessert while eating your main course.
When writing, always use both hands at the same time.
Have a double set of speakers for your sound system and you will listen to twice as much.
On rainy days, leave the umbrella home and then you can skip your shower the next day.
If you are a golfer, hit two balls at the same time.
When you make a big mistake, be sure to have two excuses why you goofed, to get you out of trouble twice as fast.
At a birthday party, leave off singing the second half of the “Happy Birthday” song.
Fish with two poles.
Cut off half the buttons on your shirts and blouses and you will be able to button what’s left in half the time.
Bet on the Daily Double.
Dig a hole with two shovels.
Use two bars of soap when you wash and get it done in half the time.
Always wear a sweater so you don’t have to spend time looking for one when you really need one.
Tip 30% rather than 15% at the restaurant and enjoy twice the service.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost and entertaining speakers on Time Management and the author of “Beat the Clock” and “Organizing Your Life”, and “The Productivity Handbook”. Invite Don to conduct his dynamic Time Management Seminar on site, at your location from one hour up to three full days for groups of any size. For details, mailto:ctsem@msn.com and put “on site” in the subject line.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore-Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute-Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St., Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
email: ctsem@msn.com
Timely Time Management Tips:
Visit our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com/
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Top Five Best Time Management Practices
TOP FIVE BEST TIME MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
From my thirty years in the field of Time Management, I have developed the “Top Five Best Time Management Practices” to help you to get more out of every day.
1. Plan an hour per day for “Me Time”. Give twenty-three hours to the world but keep one hour for yourself. During this hour add a new dimension to your life that is not there because you didn’t feel you had the time for it. Read the books, learn a hobby, learn a foreign language, develop computer skills, start a business, spend time on health development etc. One hour per day is 365 hours in a year. The average college course is about 35 classroom hours. That equals 10 college courses per year. One hour per day and you become a full-time student! By taking one hour per day of focused study, any of us can become a world-class expert in a topic of our choice. Would your future be more secure, certain, and successful if you became a world-class expert in a topic of your choice?
2. Establish a regular reading program. It can be just fifteen minutes a day. Even with that small investment, the average person will read fifteen books in a year. Also, consider taking a Speed Reading course. I did. It helped me to double my reading rate and comprehension. I can now read twice as much in the same time period.
3. Overload your days. Build a daily action plan that includes not only the things you “have to do”, but the things you “want to do”. Parkinson’s Law tells us that a project will tend to expand with the time allocated for it. If we give ourselves one thing to do during the day, it will take us all day. If we give ourselves two things to do during the day, we get them both done. If we give ourselves twelve things to do, we may not get twelve done, but we may get eight done. Having a lot to do in a day creates a healthy sense of pressure on us to get focused and get it done. We almost automatically become better time managers, less likely to suffer interruptions, not waste time in meetings, etc. by having a lot to do. (“If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.”)
4. Prioritize your list of “things to do”. Some of our tasks are “crucial” and some of our tasks are “not crucial”. We have a tendency to gravitate to the “not crucial” items because they are typically quicker, more fun, and easier to do. Identify the most important task you need to do and label it as a “1”, the second most important task as a “2”, etc. Then tackle your items in the order of importance, doing the most important items first.
5. Radiate a genuine, positive attitude. Often, like attracts like and it repels the opposite. When you are in a negative mood you tend to repel the positive people who do not want to be strained and drained and brought down by your negativity. And, when you are in a negative mood, you have a natural system set up to attract the other negative people to you who want to share their stories of their misery so the two of you can compare experiences to decide who has the worse life. Positive people help to bring us up. Negative people help to bring us down.
Have you been meaning to get going on these suggestions but couldn’t get started? Get your no cost copy now of “Procrastination Paula”. (Don’t wait until tomorrow!) To get yours now, email your request for “Paula” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
From my thirty years in the field of Time Management, I have developed the “Top Five Best Time Management Practices” to help you to get more out of every day.
1. Plan an hour per day for “Me Time”. Give twenty-three hours to the world but keep one hour for yourself. During this hour add a new dimension to your life that is not there because you didn’t feel you had the time for it. Read the books, learn a hobby, learn a foreign language, develop computer skills, start a business, spend time on health development etc. One hour per day is 365 hours in a year. The average college course is about 35 classroom hours. That equals 10 college courses per year. One hour per day and you become a full-time student! By taking one hour per day of focused study, any of us can become a world-class expert in a topic of our choice. Would your future be more secure, certain, and successful if you became a world-class expert in a topic of your choice?
2. Establish a regular reading program. It can be just fifteen minutes a day. Even with that small investment, the average person will read fifteen books in a year. Also, consider taking a Speed Reading course. I did. It helped me to double my reading rate and comprehension. I can now read twice as much in the same time period.
3. Overload your days. Build a daily action plan that includes not only the things you “have to do”, but the things you “want to do”. Parkinson’s Law tells us that a project will tend to expand with the time allocated for it. If we give ourselves one thing to do during the day, it will take us all day. If we give ourselves two things to do during the day, we get them both done. If we give ourselves twelve things to do, we may not get twelve done, but we may get eight done. Having a lot to do in a day creates a healthy sense of pressure on us to get focused and get it done. We almost automatically become better time managers, less likely to suffer interruptions, not waste time in meetings, etc. by having a lot to do. (“If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.”)
4. Prioritize your list of “things to do”. Some of our tasks are “crucial” and some of our tasks are “not crucial”. We have a tendency to gravitate to the “not crucial” items because they are typically quicker, more fun, and easier to do. Identify the most important task you need to do and label it as a “1”, the second most important task as a “2”, etc. Then tackle your items in the order of importance, doing the most important items first.
5. Radiate a genuine, positive attitude. Often, like attracts like and it repels the opposite. When you are in a negative mood you tend to repel the positive people who do not want to be strained and drained and brought down by your negativity. And, when you are in a negative mood, you have a natural system set up to attract the other negative people to you who want to share their stories of their misery so the two of you can compare experiences to decide who has the worse life. Positive people help to bring us up. Negative people help to bring us down.
Have you been meaning to get going on these suggestions but couldn’t get started? Get your no cost copy now of “Procrastination Paula”. (Don’t wait until tomorrow!) To get yours now, email your request for “Paula” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
The Tools for Increasing Employees' Productivity
THE TOOLS FOR INCREASING EMPLOYEES’ PRODUCTIVITY
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Helping employees to become more productive means they are getting more done in less time and with less stress, burn out, and turnover. It also means recruiting and retention costs go down, enhancing the bottom line. (And, it’s not a bad way to run a business!) Over the years, I found these five suggestions as valuable principles to help employees to increase their daily productivity.
1. Train for success. No one can do it better and more productively, unless they know how to do it. Many employers fail to not only train employees initially, but as an on-going process. They are fearful of taking people offline and losing their immediate output. The result is, however, that people are so busy doing it the wrong way because they cannot take out some time to learn how to do it the right way. The training process ought to help employees handle their current responsibilities more effectively and to prepare them for what they need to know a year from now, and five years from now, as the information explosion changes the way we all do business.
2. Provide the right tools. These tools include not only the physical resources and proper staffing but also the personal tools of self-development. Many employers will send a painter out in the field with a ladder that’s three feet short. Employees are the Rolls Royce’s of the company. If you fail to spend a little to give the Rolls the proper fuel and maintenance, that $200,000 machine will not operate properly.
3. Keep employees in the loop. Let employees know what the “big picture” is, where the company is going, and how they fit into the scheme of things. There is nothing less productive than an employee who doesn’t understand how they fit into that “big picture”, how their every act and contribution is vital to the success of the entire organization.
4. Recognize and reward. Most employees want recognition above money. Sure, the money is important but so is the pat on the back. Catch people doing it right. Behavior rewarded persists. Praise publicly. Send complimentary notes. (It’s an event in most people’s lives. When was the last time your received one?) This is not about spending money, it’s about giving what employees want and need the most. Apples shine when you polish them.
5. Empower. “What they write, they will underwrite.” Push decision making to the lowest levels. Help employees to feel a part of the decision making process. Give them some authority to make decisions that will make their job more productive. Will they make “bad” decisions? Sure. But over time, the “good” decisions will far outweigh the “bad”.
It has been said, “A problem well-defined is 95% solved”. We have developed a unique Staff Personal Productivity Assessment Questionnaire to measure your employees’ strengths and weaknesses and we will include our specific recommendations to help your employees achieve higher levels of daily productivity. If you would like more information on how this tool can help improve your company’s profitability, you may contact Don Wetmore directly at: ctsem@msn.com or call him at (203) 386-8062.
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 1999 & 2004 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Helping employees to become more productive means they are getting more done in less time and with less stress, burn out, and turnover. It also means recruiting and retention costs go down, enhancing the bottom line. (And, it’s not a bad way to run a business!) Over the years, I found these five suggestions as valuable principles to help employees to increase their daily productivity.
1. Train for success. No one can do it better and more productively, unless they know how to do it. Many employers fail to not only train employees initially, but as an on-going process. They are fearful of taking people offline and losing their immediate output. The result is, however, that people are so busy doing it the wrong way because they cannot take out some time to learn how to do it the right way. The training process ought to help employees handle their current responsibilities more effectively and to prepare them for what they need to know a year from now, and five years from now, as the information explosion changes the way we all do business.
2. Provide the right tools. These tools include not only the physical resources and proper staffing but also the personal tools of self-development. Many employers will send a painter out in the field with a ladder that’s three feet short. Employees are the Rolls Royce’s of the company. If you fail to spend a little to give the Rolls the proper fuel and maintenance, that $200,000 machine will not operate properly.
3. Keep employees in the loop. Let employees know what the “big picture” is, where the company is going, and how they fit into the scheme of things. There is nothing less productive than an employee who doesn’t understand how they fit into that “big picture”, how their every act and contribution is vital to the success of the entire organization.
4. Recognize and reward. Most employees want recognition above money. Sure, the money is important but so is the pat on the back. Catch people doing it right. Behavior rewarded persists. Praise publicly. Send complimentary notes. (It’s an event in most people’s lives. When was the last time your received one?) This is not about spending money, it’s about giving what employees want and need the most. Apples shine when you polish them.
5. Empower. “What they write, they will underwrite.” Push decision making to the lowest levels. Help employees to feel a part of the decision making process. Give them some authority to make decisions that will make their job more productive. Will they make “bad” decisions? Sure. But over time, the “good” decisions will far outweigh the “bad”.
It has been said, “A problem well-defined is 95% solved”. We have developed a unique Staff Personal Productivity Assessment Questionnaire to measure your employees’ strengths and weaknesses and we will include our specific recommendations to help your employees achieve higher levels of daily productivity. If you would like more information on how this tool can help improve your company’s profitability, you may contact Don Wetmore directly at: ctsem@msn.com or call him at (203) 386-8062.
Would you like to receive no cost Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 1999 & 2004 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Some Time Savers
SOME TIME SAVERS
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In my Time Management seminars, which I have conducted for more than 100,000 people from around the globe, I show people how to get more done in less time, with less stress; to help them have more time for the things they want to do in their work and personal lives.
If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity and the quality of your life.
Here are five of the many techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day for additional productive time.
1. Run an Interruptions Log The average person gets 50 interruptions a day. The average interruption takes five minutes. Some five hours each day are spent dealing with interruptions. Many are crucial and important and are what we are paid to do but many have little or no value. Run an Interruptions Log to identify and eliminate the wasteful interruptions. Just use a pad of paper and label it “Interruptions Log” Create six columns: Date, Time, Who, What, Length, Rating. After each interruption is dealt with, log in the date and time it occurred, who brought it to you, a word or two about what it related to, the length of time it took, and finally the rating of its importance: A=crucial, B=important, C=little value, and D=no value. Run it for a week or more to get a good measure of what is happening in your life. Then evaluate the results and take action to eliminate some of the C and D interruptions that have little or no value.
2. Delegate It We all have 168 hours each week and when you subtract 56 hours for sleep and another 10 hours for personal care, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to get done what needs to be done. Delegation permits you to leverage your time through others and thereby increase your own results. The hardest part of delegation though, is simply letting go. We take great pride in doing things ourselves. “If you want a job done well, you better do it yourself”. Every night in Daily Planning, look at all that you have to do and want to do the next day and with each item ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If it isn’t, try to arrange a way to delegate it to someone else. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done”.
3. Manage Meetings A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet, it can one of the biggest time wasters we must endure. Before a meeting ask, “Is it necessary?” and “Am I necessary?” If the answers to either are “no”, consider not having the meeting or excusing yourself from attending. Then prepare a written agenda for the meeting with times assigned for each item along with a starting time and ending time. Circulate the written agenda among those who will be attending. There is no sense in holding a meeting by ambush. Let people know in advance what is to be discussed.
4. Handle Paper It’s easy to get buried today in the blizzard of paperwork around us. The average person receives around 150 communications each day via email, telephone, hard mail, memos, circulars, faxes, etc. A lot of time is wasted going through the same pile of paper day after day and correcting mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Try to handle the paper once and be done with it. If it is something that can be done in a minute or two, do it and be done. If it is not the best use of your time, delegate it. If it is going to take some time to complete, schedule ahead in your day calendar on the day you think you might get to it and then put it away.
5. Run a Time Log If you want to manage it, you have to measure it. A Time Log is a simple yet powerful tool to create a photo album sort of overview of how your time is actually being spent during the day. Simply make an ongoing record of your time as you spend it. Record the activity, the time spent on it, and then the rating using A, B, C, and D as described in #1 above. Some examples of how your time might be spent: Made telephone calls, 35 minutes, A; Answered emails, 48 minutes, B; Attended staff meeting, 55 minutes, C. Run this for a few days to get a good picture of how your time is being spent. Then analyze the information. Add up all the A, B, C, and D time. Most discover a lot of their time is being spent on C and D items that have little or no value. Finally, take action steps to reduce the C and D items to give you more time for the really important things in your life.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost experts on Time Management and the author of “Beat the Clock”, “Organizing Your Life” and “The Productivity Handbook”. If you would like information about his on-site Time Management Seminars for groups of any size, email your request now for “on-site” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive more Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe”. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2001 & 2006 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In my Time Management seminars, which I have conducted for more than 100,000 people from around the globe, I show people how to get more done in less time, with less stress; to help them have more time for the things they want to do in their work and personal lives.
If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity and the quality of your life.
Here are five of the many techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day for additional productive time.
1. Run an Interruptions Log The average person gets 50 interruptions a day. The average interruption takes five minutes. Some five hours each day are spent dealing with interruptions. Many are crucial and important and are what we are paid to do but many have little or no value. Run an Interruptions Log to identify and eliminate the wasteful interruptions. Just use a pad of paper and label it “Interruptions Log” Create six columns: Date, Time, Who, What, Length, Rating. After each interruption is dealt with, log in the date and time it occurred, who brought it to you, a word or two about what it related to, the length of time it took, and finally the rating of its importance: A=crucial, B=important, C=little value, and D=no value. Run it for a week or more to get a good measure of what is happening in your life. Then evaluate the results and take action to eliminate some of the C and D interruptions that have little or no value.
2. Delegate It We all have 168 hours each week and when you subtract 56 hours for sleep and another 10 hours for personal care, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to get done what needs to be done. Delegation permits you to leverage your time through others and thereby increase your own results. The hardest part of delegation though, is simply letting go. We take great pride in doing things ourselves. “If you want a job done well, you better do it yourself”. Every night in Daily Planning, look at all that you have to do and want to do the next day and with each item ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If it isn’t, try to arrange a way to delegate it to someone else. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done”.
3. Manage Meetings A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet, it can one of the biggest time wasters we must endure. Before a meeting ask, “Is it necessary?” and “Am I necessary?” If the answers to either are “no”, consider not having the meeting or excusing yourself from attending. Then prepare a written agenda for the meeting with times assigned for each item along with a starting time and ending time. Circulate the written agenda among those who will be attending. There is no sense in holding a meeting by ambush. Let people know in advance what is to be discussed.
4. Handle Paper It’s easy to get buried today in the blizzard of paperwork around us. The average person receives around 150 communications each day via email, telephone, hard mail, memos, circulars, faxes, etc. A lot of time is wasted going through the same pile of paper day after day and correcting mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Try to handle the paper once and be done with it. If it is something that can be done in a minute or two, do it and be done. If it is not the best use of your time, delegate it. If it is going to take some time to complete, schedule ahead in your day calendar on the day you think you might get to it and then put it away.
5. Run a Time Log If you want to manage it, you have to measure it. A Time Log is a simple yet powerful tool to create a photo album sort of overview of how your time is actually being spent during the day. Simply make an ongoing record of your time as you spend it. Record the activity, the time spent on it, and then the rating using A, B, C, and D as described in #1 above. Some examples of how your time might be spent: Made telephone calls, 35 minutes, A; Answered emails, 48 minutes, B; Attended staff meeting, 55 minutes, C. Run this for a few days to get a good picture of how your time is being spent. Then analyze the information. Add up all the A, B, C, and D time. Most discover a lot of their time is being spent on C and D items that have little or no value. Finally, take action steps to reduce the C and D items to give you more time for the really important things in your life.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost experts on Time Management and the author of “Beat the Clock”, “Organizing Your Life” and “The Productivity Handbook”. If you would like information about his on-site Time Management Seminars for groups of any size, email your request now for “on-site” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive more Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe”. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2001 & 2006 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Some Time Savers #2
SOME TIME SAVERS #2
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In my Time Management seminars, which I have conducted for more than 100,000 people from around the globe, I show people how to get more done in less time, with less stress; to help them have more time for the things they want to do in their work and personal lives.
If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity and the quality of your life.
Here are five of the many techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day for additional productive time.
1. Run an Interruptions Log The average person gets 50 interruptions a day. The average interruption takes five minutes. Some five hours each day are spent dealing with interruptions. Many are crucial and important and are what we are paid to do but many have little or no value. Run an Interruptions Log to identify and eliminate the wasteful interruptions. Just use a pad of paper and label it “Interruptions Log” Create six columns: Date, Time, Who, What, Length, Rating. After each interruption is dealt with, log in the date and time it occurred, who brought it to you, a word or two about what it related to, the length of time it took, and finally the rating of its importance: A=crucial, B=important, C=little value, and D=no value. Run it for a week or more to get a good measure of what is happening in your life. Then evaluate the results and take action to eliminate some of the C and D interruptions that have little or no value.
2. Delegate It We all have 168 hours each week and when you subtract 56 hours for sleep and another 10 hours for personal care, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to get done what needs to be done. Delegation permits you to leverage your time through others and thereby increase your own results. The hardest part of delegation though, is simply letting go. We take great pride in doing things ourselves. “If you want a job done well, you better do it yourself”. Every night in Daily Planning, look at all that you have to do and want to do the next day and with each item ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If it isn’t, try to arrange a way to delegate it to someone else. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done”.
3. Manage Meetings A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet, it can one of the biggest time wasters we must endure. Before a meeting ask, “Is it necessary?” and “Am I necessary?” If the answers to either are “no”, consider not having the meeting or excusing yourself from attending. Then prepare a written agenda for the meeting with times assigned for each item along with a starting time and ending time. Circulate the written agenda among those who will be attending. There is no sense in holding a meeting by ambush. Let people know in advance what is to be discussed.
4. Handle Paper It’s easy to get buried today in the blizzard of paperwork around us. The average person receives around 150 communications each day via email, telephone, hard mail, memos, circulars, faxes, etc. A lot of time is wasted going through the same pile of paper day after day and correcting mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Try to handle the paper once and be done with it. If it is something that can be done in a minute or two, do it and be done. If it is not the best use of your time, delegate it. If it is going to take some time to complete, schedule ahead in your day calendar on the day you think you might get to it and then put it away.
5. Run a Time Log If you want to manage it, you have to measure it. A Time Log is a simple yet powerful tool to create a photo album sort of overview of how your time is actually being spent during the day. Simply make an ongoing record of your time as you spend it. Record the activity, the time spent on it, and then the rating using A, B, C, and D as described in #1 above. Some examples of how your time might be spent: Made telephone calls, 35 minutes, A; Answered emails, 48 minutes, B; Attended staff meeting, 55 minutes, C. Run this for a few days to get a good picture of how your time is being spent. Then analyze the information. Add up all the A, B, C, and D time. Most discover a lot of their time is being spent on C and D items that have little or no value. Finally, take action steps to reduce the C and D items to give you more time for the really important things in your life.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost experts on Time Management and the author of “Beat the Clock”, “Organizing Your Life” and “The Productivity Handbook”. If you would like to receive a no cost copy of his humorous article, “You Just Might be a Workaholic”, email your request now for “might” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive more Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe”. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In my Time Management seminars, which I have conducted for more than 100,000 people from around the globe, I show people how to get more done in less time, with less stress; to help them have more time for the things they want to do in their work and personal lives.
If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity and the quality of your life.
Here are five of the many techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day for additional productive time.
1. Run an Interruptions Log The average person gets 50 interruptions a day. The average interruption takes five minutes. Some five hours each day are spent dealing with interruptions. Many are crucial and important and are what we are paid to do but many have little or no value. Run an Interruptions Log to identify and eliminate the wasteful interruptions. Just use a pad of paper and label it “Interruptions Log” Create six columns: Date, Time, Who, What, Length, Rating. After each interruption is dealt with, log in the date and time it occurred, who brought it to you, a word or two about what it related to, the length of time it took, and finally the rating of its importance: A=crucial, B=important, C=little value, and D=no value. Run it for a week or more to get a good measure of what is happening in your life. Then evaluate the results and take action to eliminate some of the C and D interruptions that have little or no value.
2. Delegate It We all have 168 hours each week and when you subtract 56 hours for sleep and another 10 hours for personal care, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to get done what needs to be done. Delegation permits you to leverage your time through others and thereby increase your own results. The hardest part of delegation though, is simply letting go. We take great pride in doing things ourselves. “If you want a job done well, you better do it yourself”. Every night in Daily Planning, look at all that you have to do and want to do the next day and with each item ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If it isn’t, try to arrange a way to delegate it to someone else. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done”.
3. Manage Meetings A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet, it can one of the biggest time wasters we must endure. Before a meeting ask, “Is it necessary?” and “Am I necessary?” If the answers to either are “no”, consider not having the meeting or excusing yourself from attending. Then prepare a written agenda for the meeting with times assigned for each item along with a starting time and ending time. Circulate the written agenda among those who will be attending. There is no sense in holding a meeting by ambush. Let people know in advance what is to be discussed.
4. Handle Paper It’s easy to get buried today in the blizzard of paperwork around us. The average person receives around 150 communications each day via email, telephone, hard mail, memos, circulars, faxes, etc. A lot of time is wasted going through the same pile of paper day after day and correcting mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Try to handle the paper once and be done with it. If it is something that can be done in a minute or two, do it and be done. If it is not the best use of your time, delegate it. If it is going to take some time to complete, schedule ahead in your day calendar on the day you think you might get to it and then put it away.
5. Run a Time Log If you want to manage it, you have to measure it. A Time Log is a simple yet powerful tool to create a photo album sort of overview of how your time is actually being spent during the day. Simply make an ongoing record of your time as you spend it. Record the activity, the time spent on it, and then the rating using A, B, C, and D as described in #1 above. Some examples of how your time might be spent: Made telephone calls, 35 minutes, A; Answered emails, 48 minutes, B; Attended staff meeting, 55 minutes, C. Run this for a few days to get a good picture of how your time is being spent. Then analyze the information. Add up all the A, B, C, and D time. Most discover a lot of their time is being spent on C and D items that have little or no value. Finally, take action steps to reduce the C and D items to give you more time for the really important things in your life.
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, a full-time Professional Speaker, is one of the foremost experts on Time Management and the author of “Beat the Clock”, “Organizing Your Life” and “The Productivity Handbook”. If you would like to receive a no cost copy of his humorous article, “You Just Might be a Workaholic”, email your request now for “might” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive more Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe”. We welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Three Steps for Positive Goal Setting
Three Steps for Positive Goal Setting
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
As I conduct my Time Management Seminars all over, my audiences consistently tell me they want more out of life. Almost everyone I speak with has a yearning for improving several aspects of their lives. They have dreams and goals about their futures that are as yet unrealized.
Many come to the end in life with those visions unrealized, pictures in their minds only.
Achieving goals helps us to get the “want to’s” in our lives. Life ought to be more than just achieving the “have to’s”.
I offer three important tips to help increase the probability of achieving your dreams, getting more of what you want in your life.
Put your goals into writing. There is something powerful about writing out what you want, getting your dream out of your head and on to a piece of paper. It then seems more realizable. It’s a stonger affirmation of what you are working towards rather than having a vague, wispy notion floating around in your head.
An even stronger tool is to prepare a goal scrapbook. Nothing fancy. Get a three-ring binder and fill it with notebook paper. Then get a picture of each your goals and paste them into your new goal scrapbook. You can go to the car dealer and get a brochure of the new car you want. Visit a travel agent and pick up brochures of your ideal vacation’s destination and add that. Clip a picture of your dream house out of the newspaper’s real estate section and add this as well.
Then, each night, review your goal scrapbook and see a picture of what will surely be coming to you. It’s like viewing a crystal ball and seeing your future.
Quantify your goals. Many do not get what they truly want in their lives because they are too vague about what they want. It is not enough to say, “I want more money” or “I want to be rich”. Instead, if you write, “I want $10,000”, you now have a clear target to shoot for.
Set a deadline. Did you ever set a New Year’s resolution and never achieve it? Most people have. And most people fail to achieve their dreams because they did not include a deadline with their goal. Deadlines move us to action.
When we fail to include a deadline for our goal, when we commit to achieving it “as soon as possible”, the goal winds up in our “as soon as possible” pile of things I will do another day, which is probably never. Why? Because we all too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. The items that have deadlines for completion tend to bubble up in priority and importance so that we take action and achieve them.
Having written out the goal, placed a picture in our goal scrapbook, quantified it, and set a deadline, we can now break that goal down into its little component pieces so that achievement becomes realistic and manageable.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. No goal achievement is a leap across some huge canyon. Many are intimidated and driven away from going after what they really want in their lives for fear they will have to take a giant leap across that canyon and, hey, what if I don’t leap far enough? Disaster.
Let’s say you have a goal to get an additional $10,000 in savings two years from today. Make up a picture of your new bank statement two years from now showing the additional $10,000 in your account. The goal is in writing. It is quantified and a deadline has been set. Now you can break that goal into its little steps for achievement.
To get $10,000 over the next two years requires getting an additional $5,000 per year. A year is made up of twelve months, so that means you need to get approximately $400 per month. A month is made up of four weeks, so that’s $100 per week. And a week is made of, let’s say, five business days. That’s $20 per day. (I have not added in interest to these calculations just for simplicity.)
I don’t know about you, but the notion of going out in the world tomorrow and getting an extra $20 is a whole lot more realistic and certainly a whole more doable than getting $10,000. Getting the entire $10,000 is the leap across the canyon. It scares me. $20 is the single step. That’s something I can handle. Now the goal seems realistic and is realizable.
But until you write out your goal, quantify it, and set a deadline so that you break it down to its small steps, it will forever appear to be too big a stretch and therefore unattainable. But every time you follow these three steps and break the goal down, you will always find that you have within your control what it takes to accomplish that next step. And once you begin, you are on your way!
Help your group to set and achieve their goals with our dynamic “Beat the Clock” seminar at your location, for groups of any size, from one hour up to three full days. For more information, send your request for “in house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
As I conduct my Time Management Seminars all over, my audiences consistently tell me they want more out of life. Almost everyone I speak with has a yearning for improving several aspects of their lives. They have dreams and goals about their futures that are as yet unrealized.
Many come to the end in life with those visions unrealized, pictures in their minds only.
Achieving goals helps us to get the “want to’s” in our lives. Life ought to be more than just achieving the “have to’s”.
I offer three important tips to help increase the probability of achieving your dreams, getting more of what you want in your life.
Put your goals into writing. There is something powerful about writing out what you want, getting your dream out of your head and on to a piece of paper. It then seems more realizable. It’s a stonger affirmation of what you are working towards rather than having a vague, wispy notion floating around in your head.
An even stronger tool is to prepare a goal scrapbook. Nothing fancy. Get a three-ring binder and fill it with notebook paper. Then get a picture of each your goals and paste them into your new goal scrapbook. You can go to the car dealer and get a brochure of the new car you want. Visit a travel agent and pick up brochures of your ideal vacation’s destination and add that. Clip a picture of your dream house out of the newspaper’s real estate section and add this as well.
Then, each night, review your goal scrapbook and see a picture of what will surely be coming to you. It’s like viewing a crystal ball and seeing your future.
Quantify your goals. Many do not get what they truly want in their lives because they are too vague about what they want. It is not enough to say, “I want more money” or “I want to be rich”. Instead, if you write, “I want $10,000”, you now have a clear target to shoot for.
Set a deadline. Did you ever set a New Year’s resolution and never achieve it? Most people have. And most people fail to achieve their dreams because they did not include a deadline with their goal. Deadlines move us to action.
When we fail to include a deadline for our goal, when we commit to achieving it “as soon as possible”, the goal winds up in our “as soon as possible” pile of things I will do another day, which is probably never. Why? Because we all too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. The items that have deadlines for completion tend to bubble up in priority and importance so that we take action and achieve them.
Having written out the goal, placed a picture in our goal scrapbook, quantified it, and set a deadline, we can now break that goal down into its little component pieces so that achievement becomes realistic and manageable.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. No goal achievement is a leap across some huge canyon. Many are intimidated and driven away from going after what they really want in their lives for fear they will have to take a giant leap across that canyon and, hey, what if I don’t leap far enough? Disaster.
Let’s say you have a goal to get an additional $10,000 in savings two years from today. Make up a picture of your new bank statement two years from now showing the additional $10,000 in your account. The goal is in writing. It is quantified and a deadline has been set. Now you can break that goal into its little steps for achievement.
To get $10,000 over the next two years requires getting an additional $5,000 per year. A year is made up of twelve months, so that means you need to get approximately $400 per month. A month is made up of four weeks, so that’s $100 per week. And a week is made of, let’s say, five business days. That’s $20 per day. (I have not added in interest to these calculations just for simplicity.)
I don’t know about you, but the notion of going out in the world tomorrow and getting an extra $20 is a whole lot more realistic and certainly a whole more doable than getting $10,000. Getting the entire $10,000 is the leap across the canyon. It scares me. $20 is the single step. That’s something I can handle. Now the goal seems realistic and is realizable.
But until you write out your goal, quantify it, and set a deadline so that you break it down to its small steps, it will forever appear to be too big a stretch and therefore unattainable. But every time you follow these three steps and break the goal down, you will always find that you have within your control what it takes to accomplish that next step. And once you begin, you are on your way!
Help your group to set and achieve their goals with our dynamic “Beat the Clock” seminar at your location, for groups of any size, from one hour up to three full days. For more information, send your request for “in house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
The Time Thieves
The Time Thieves
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
You have 24 hours in every day, seven days a week for a total of 168 hours to accomplish what needs to be done in your life. And every day, eleven time thieves gang up on you and work to take some of that precious time away from productive use. Let me introduce you to this inconsiderate troupe.
Poor planning. People don’t plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan. Without a plan of action set up before your day begins you are likely to get caught up in “stuff”, responding the loudest voice that gets your time and attention. Will you have been productive for the day? Sure, but not as productive as you might have been.
Crisis management. When a deadline sneaks up on you it robs you of all choice and you are controlled by the clock. Crisis management, for the most part, is poor time management because you’re rushed and stressed, letting things slip through the cracks and often having to go back and redo what was not done well in the first place. Most of what puts you into crisis management is within your control, you could have seen it coming.
Procrastination. All the planning in the world does not substitute for the doing. Many find that they just can’t get going on the things that will make a big difference in their success. They have “permanent potential”. First thing in your day, get going on the most difficult tasks and get them out of the way.
Interruptions. Unanticipated events coming your way, in person or electronically, can steal your time away. Many interruptions are necessary and part of what you get paid for. However, most are unnecessary thieves of your time. Be less willing to automatically give away your time just because they demand it. Rather, determine whether or not they deserve it.
Not delegating. “If you want a job done well you better do it yourself.” What a thief! Look at everything you have to do and ask, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If not, delegate it. There’s a world of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done.” Leverage your time through others and don’t allow the things that can be delegated to steal your time.
Unnecessary meetings. If two or more people get together and nothing productive comes of the time spent together, that meeting was unnecessary and, sadly, most meetings are time thieves. Before meeting ask, “Is it really necessary?” If it is, then meet but take action as a result of the meeting and not let it be a time bandit.
The “shuffling blues”. Many people manage their time through piles. Piles of appear on their desk. Piles of “to be read” emails on their computer and lots of “to be heard” voicemails stored away. The piles require frequent review creating the shuffling blues which surrenders valuable time. Keep a clean work environment. When encountering something new, schedule it to your day planner under the day you plan to tackle it and then put it away so you are out of the shuffling blues.
Poor physical setup. Not having the things you need the most often within arm’s reach and having a lot of the things you rarely need close by causes you to waste a lot of time wearing out the carpet retrieving what you frequently need. And of course, as you pass others they will often pull you aside to steal some of your time. Have the most needed stuff near by, within arm’s reach and save that stolen time.
Poor networking. Quality relationships with others can be a huge time saver as they open doors for you with all kinds of opportunities. Failing to develop a good network base will cause you to waste time creating what you might have had through your network. Be a good networker. Help them whenever possible. You want a friend? You have to be a friend.
Bad attitude. Nothing sinks a day more effectively than having a poor attitude. It causes you to dwell on the problems and not the solutions and makes it possible to throw the day away. When you are burdening others with your problems and complaints you are stealing your time and theirs. And the truth is that when you complain to others, 85% of them really don’t care and the other 15% are actually glad it’s happening to you.
Negative people. Some people are the life of the party and some people are the death of the party. The problem with having negative people around you is you wind up spending a lot of your time listening to their complaints rather than focusing on your success.
Arrest each of these time thieves. Sentence them to solitary confinement and re-claim your productive time. You deserve it.
Want help eliminating the time thieves from your day? You can easily get more of the important things done, in less time, with less stress. Invite Don to conduct his dynamic Time Management Seminar at your location, from one hour up to three full days, for groups of any size. For details, email your request now for “in house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2005 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
You have 24 hours in every day, seven days a week for a total of 168 hours to accomplish what needs to be done in your life. And every day, eleven time thieves gang up on you and work to take some of that precious time away from productive use. Let me introduce you to this inconsiderate troupe.
Poor planning. People don’t plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan. Without a plan of action set up before your day begins you are likely to get caught up in “stuff”, responding the loudest voice that gets your time and attention. Will you have been productive for the day? Sure, but not as productive as you might have been.
Crisis management. When a deadline sneaks up on you it robs you of all choice and you are controlled by the clock. Crisis management, for the most part, is poor time management because you’re rushed and stressed, letting things slip through the cracks and often having to go back and redo what was not done well in the first place. Most of what puts you into crisis management is within your control, you could have seen it coming.
Procrastination. All the planning in the world does not substitute for the doing. Many find that they just can’t get going on the things that will make a big difference in their success. They have “permanent potential”. First thing in your day, get going on the most difficult tasks and get them out of the way.
Interruptions. Unanticipated events coming your way, in person or electronically, can steal your time away. Many interruptions are necessary and part of what you get paid for. However, most are unnecessary thieves of your time. Be less willing to automatically give away your time just because they demand it. Rather, determine whether or not they deserve it.
Not delegating. “If you want a job done well you better do it yourself.” What a thief! Look at everything you have to do and ask, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If not, delegate it. There’s a world of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done.” Leverage your time through others and don’t allow the things that can be delegated to steal your time.
Unnecessary meetings. If two or more people get together and nothing productive comes of the time spent together, that meeting was unnecessary and, sadly, most meetings are time thieves. Before meeting ask, “Is it really necessary?” If it is, then meet but take action as a result of the meeting and not let it be a time bandit.
The “shuffling blues”. Many people manage their time through piles. Piles of appear on their desk. Piles of “to be read” emails on their computer and lots of “to be heard” voicemails stored away. The piles require frequent review creating the shuffling blues which surrenders valuable time. Keep a clean work environment. When encountering something new, schedule it to your day planner under the day you plan to tackle it and then put it away so you are out of the shuffling blues.
Poor physical setup. Not having the things you need the most often within arm’s reach and having a lot of the things you rarely need close by causes you to waste a lot of time wearing out the carpet retrieving what you frequently need. And of course, as you pass others they will often pull you aside to steal some of your time. Have the most needed stuff near by, within arm’s reach and save that stolen time.
Poor networking. Quality relationships with others can be a huge time saver as they open doors for you with all kinds of opportunities. Failing to develop a good network base will cause you to waste time creating what you might have had through your network. Be a good networker. Help them whenever possible. You want a friend? You have to be a friend.
Bad attitude. Nothing sinks a day more effectively than having a poor attitude. It causes you to dwell on the problems and not the solutions and makes it possible to throw the day away. When you are burdening others with your problems and complaints you are stealing your time and theirs. And the truth is that when you complain to others, 85% of them really don’t care and the other 15% are actually glad it’s happening to you.
Negative people. Some people are the life of the party and some people are the death of the party. The problem with having negative people around you is you wind up spending a lot of your time listening to their complaints rather than focusing on your success.
Arrest each of these time thieves. Sentence them to solitary confinement and re-claim your productive time. You deserve it.
Want help eliminating the time thieves from your day? You can easily get more of the important things done, in less time, with less stress. Invite Don to conduct his dynamic Time Management Seminar at your location, from one hour up to three full days, for groups of any size. For details, email your request now for “in house” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2005 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Ten Time Savers
TEN TIME SAVERS
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In my Time Management seminars which I have conducted for more than 100,000 people from around the globe, I show people how to get more done in less time, with less stress; to help them have more time for the things they want to do in their work and business lives.
If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity.
Here are ten of the techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day of additional productive time.
1. Maintain Balance. Your life consists of Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional, and Spiritual. You will not spend equal amounts of time in each area or time every day in each area. But, if in the long run, you are spending a sufficient quantity and quality of time in each area, then your life will be balanced. But ignore any one of your areas, (never mind two or three!) and you will get out of balance and potentially sabotage your success. Fail to take time now for your health and you will have to take time for illness later on. Ignore your family and they may leave you and cost you a lot of time to re-establish relationships. It is especially challenging for self-employed people to maintain balance, isn’t it?
2. Get the Power of the Pen. A faint pen has more power than the keenest mind. Get into the habit of writing things to do down using one tool (a Day-Timer, pad of paper, Palm Pilot, etc.) Your mind is best used for the big picture rather than all the details. The details are important, but manage them with the pen. If you want to manage it you have to measure it first. Writing all things down, not just incoming orders, helps you to more easily remember all that you need to accomplish.
3. Do Daily Planning. It is said that people do not plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan. Take the time each night to take control of the most precious resource at your command, the next twenty-four hours. Plan your work and then work your plan each day. Write up a To Do list with all you “have to’s” and all of your “want to’s” for your next day. Without a plan for the day, you can easily get distracted, spending your time serving the loudest voice, the noisiest customer, rather than attending to the most important things for your day that will enhance your productivity.
4. Prioritize It. Your To Do list will have crucial and not crucial items on it. Despite the fact most people want to be productive, when given the choice between crucial and not crucial items, we will most often end up doing the not crucial items. They are generally easier and quicker than crucial items. Prioritize your To Do list each night. Put the #1 next to the most important item on your list. Place the #2 next to the second most important item on your list, etc. Then tackle the items on your list in order of their importance. You may not get everything done on your list, but you will get the most important things done. This is working smarter, not harder, and getting more done in less time.
5. Control Procrastination. The most effective planning in the world does not substitute for doing what needs to be done. We procrastinate and put off important things because we don’t sense enough pain for not doing it or enough pleasure to do it. To get going on something you have been putting off, create in your mind enough pain for not doing it or enough pleasure to do it. I prefer the pleasure approach. Take a procrastinated item and turn it into to a game. Work with one thing in front of you at a time so other things won’t distract you. (“Out of sight, out of mind.”) Break it down to little bite-sized, manageable pieces. Get it started, take the first step and you will likely continue it to completion.
6. Run an Interruptions Log. The average person gets 50 interruptions a day. The average interruption takes five minutes. Some four hours each day, on average, are spent dealing with interruptions. Many are crucial and important, like new orders, and are what we get paid to do but many have little or no value. Run an Interruptions Log to identify and eliminate the wasteful interruptions. Just use a pad of paper and label it “Interruptions Log”. Create six columns: Date, Time, Who, What, Length, Rating. After each interruption is dealt with, log in the date and time it occurred, who brought it to you, a word or two about what it related to, the length of time it took, and finally the rating of its importance: A=crucial, B=important, C=little value, and D=no value. Run it for a week or more to get a good measure of what is happening in your life. Then evaluate the results and take action to eliminate some of the C and D interruptions that have little or no value.
7. Delegate It. We all have 168 hours each week and when you subtract 56 hours for sleep and another 10 hours for personal care, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to get done what needs to be done. Delegation permits you to leverage your time through others and thereby increase your own results. The hardest part of delegation though, is simply letting go. We take great pride in doing things ourselves. “If you want a job done well, you better do it yourself”. Every night in Daily Planning, look at all that you have to do and want to do the next day and with each item ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If it isn’t, try to arrange a way to delegate it to someone else. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done”.
8. Manage Meeting Time. A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet, it can be one of the biggest time wasters we must endure. Before a meeting ask, “Is it necessary?” and “Am I necessary?” If the answers to either are “no”, consider not having the meeting or excusing yourself from attending. Then prepare a written agenda for the meeting with times assigned for each item along with a starting time and ending time. Circulate the written agenda among those who will be attending. There is no sense in holding a meeting by ambush. Let people know in advance what is to be discussed.
9. Handle Paper. It’s easy to get buried today in the blizzard of paperwork around us. The average person receives around 150 communications each day via email, telephone, hard mail, memos, circulars, faxes, etc. A lot of time is wasted going through the same pile of paper day after day and correcting mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Try to handle the paper once and be done with it. If it is something that can be done in a minute or two, do it and be done. If it is not the best use of your time, delegate it. If it is going to take some time to complete, schedule ahead in your day calendar on the day you think you might get to it and then put it away.
10. Run a Time Log. If you want to manage it, you have to measure it. A Time Log is a simple yet powerful tool to create a photo album sort of overview of how your time is actually being spent during the day. Simply make an ongoing record of your time as you spend it. Record the activity, the time spent on it, and then the rating using A, B, C, and D as described in #1 above. Some examples of how your time might be spent: Made telephone calls, 35 minutes, A; Made baskets, 48 minutes, A; Attended meeting, 55 minutes, C: Telephone call from Janis, 7 minutes, D. Run this for a few days to get a good picture of how your time is being spent. Then analyze the information. Add up all the A, B, C, and D time. Most discover a lot of their time is being spent on C and D items that have little or no value. Finally, take action steps to reduce the C and D items to give you more time for the really important things in your life.
Time Management Seminars available on-site, at your location, from one hour to three full days for groups of any size. Get more done in less time. For information, email your request for “on-site” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2004 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
In my Time Management seminars which I have conducted for more than 100,000 people from around the globe, I show people how to get more done in less time, with less stress; to help them have more time for the things they want to do in their work and business lives.
If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity.
Here are ten of the techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day of additional productive time.
1. Maintain Balance. Your life consists of Seven Vital Areas: Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual, Social, Professional, and Spiritual. You will not spend equal amounts of time in each area or time every day in each area. But, if in the long run, you are spending a sufficient quantity and quality of time in each area, then your life will be balanced. But ignore any one of your areas, (never mind two or three!) and you will get out of balance and potentially sabotage your success. Fail to take time now for your health and you will have to take time for illness later on. Ignore your family and they may leave you and cost you a lot of time to re-establish relationships. It is especially challenging for self-employed people to maintain balance, isn’t it?
2. Get the Power of the Pen. A faint pen has more power than the keenest mind. Get into the habit of writing things to do down using one tool (a Day-Timer, pad of paper, Palm Pilot, etc.) Your mind is best used for the big picture rather than all the details. The details are important, but manage them with the pen. If you want to manage it you have to measure it first. Writing all things down, not just incoming orders, helps you to more easily remember all that you need to accomplish.
3. Do Daily Planning. It is said that people do not plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan. Take the time each night to take control of the most precious resource at your command, the next twenty-four hours. Plan your work and then work your plan each day. Write up a To Do list with all you “have to’s” and all of your “want to’s” for your next day. Without a plan for the day, you can easily get distracted, spending your time serving the loudest voice, the noisiest customer, rather than attending to the most important things for your day that will enhance your productivity.
4. Prioritize It. Your To Do list will have crucial and not crucial items on it. Despite the fact most people want to be productive, when given the choice between crucial and not crucial items, we will most often end up doing the not crucial items. They are generally easier and quicker than crucial items. Prioritize your To Do list each night. Put the #1 next to the most important item on your list. Place the #2 next to the second most important item on your list, etc. Then tackle the items on your list in order of their importance. You may not get everything done on your list, but you will get the most important things done. This is working smarter, not harder, and getting more done in less time.
5. Control Procrastination. The most effective planning in the world does not substitute for doing what needs to be done. We procrastinate and put off important things because we don’t sense enough pain for not doing it or enough pleasure to do it. To get going on something you have been putting off, create in your mind enough pain for not doing it or enough pleasure to do it. I prefer the pleasure approach. Take a procrastinated item and turn it into to a game. Work with one thing in front of you at a time so other things won’t distract you. (“Out of sight, out of mind.”) Break it down to little bite-sized, manageable pieces. Get it started, take the first step and you will likely continue it to completion.
6. Run an Interruptions Log. The average person gets 50 interruptions a day. The average interruption takes five minutes. Some four hours each day, on average, are spent dealing with interruptions. Many are crucial and important, like new orders, and are what we get paid to do but many have little or no value. Run an Interruptions Log to identify and eliminate the wasteful interruptions. Just use a pad of paper and label it “Interruptions Log”. Create six columns: Date, Time, Who, What, Length, Rating. After each interruption is dealt with, log in the date and time it occurred, who brought it to you, a word or two about what it related to, the length of time it took, and finally the rating of its importance: A=crucial, B=important, C=little value, and D=no value. Run it for a week or more to get a good measure of what is happening in your life. Then evaluate the results and take action to eliminate some of the C and D interruptions that have little or no value.
7. Delegate It. We all have 168 hours each week and when you subtract 56 hours for sleep and another 10 hours for personal care, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to get done what needs to be done. Delegation permits you to leverage your time through others and thereby increase your own results. The hardest part of delegation though, is simply letting go. We take great pride in doing things ourselves. “If you want a job done well, you better do it yourself”. Every night in Daily Planning, look at all that you have to do and want to do the next day and with each item ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” If it is, do it. If it isn’t, try to arrange a way to delegate it to someone else. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “It gets done”.
8. Manage Meeting Time. A meeting is when two or more people get together to exchange common information. What could be simpler? Yet, it can be one of the biggest time wasters we must endure. Before a meeting ask, “Is it necessary?” and “Am I necessary?” If the answers to either are “no”, consider not having the meeting or excusing yourself from attending. Then prepare a written agenda for the meeting with times assigned for each item along with a starting time and ending time. Circulate the written agenda among those who will be attending. There is no sense in holding a meeting by ambush. Let people know in advance what is to be discussed.
9. Handle Paper. It’s easy to get buried today in the blizzard of paperwork around us. The average person receives around 150 communications each day via email, telephone, hard mail, memos, circulars, faxes, etc. A lot of time is wasted going through the same pile of paper day after day and correcting mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Try to handle the paper once and be done with it. If it is something that can be done in a minute or two, do it and be done. If it is not the best use of your time, delegate it. If it is going to take some time to complete, schedule ahead in your day calendar on the day you think you might get to it and then put it away.
10. Run a Time Log. If you want to manage it, you have to measure it. A Time Log is a simple yet powerful tool to create a photo album sort of overview of how your time is actually being spent during the day. Simply make an ongoing record of your time as you spend it. Record the activity, the time spent on it, and then the rating using A, B, C, and D as described in #1 above. Some examples of how your time might be spent: Made telephone calls, 35 minutes, A; Made baskets, 48 minutes, A; Attended meeting, 55 minutes, C: Telephone call from Janis, 7 minutes, D. Run this for a few days to get a good picture of how your time is being spent. Then analyze the information. Add up all the A, B, C, and D time. Most discover a lot of their time is being spent on C and D items that have little or no value. Finally, take action steps to reduce the C and D items to give you more time for the really important things in your life.
Time Management Seminars available on-site, at your location, from one hour to three full days for groups of any size. Get more done in less time. For information, email your request for “on-site” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2004 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: mailto:ctsem@msn.com
Conquer Telephone Tag
Conquer Telephone Tag
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
I love technology. I am not a technical person but I admire the techno-things that have helped my business, productivity and profitability. Things like laptops, the Internet, and email have cut costs and boosted productivity and profits dramatically during the last decade.
With almost all new technological breakthroughs, there is a period that is heralded as the answer to all our problems followed quickly by a learning period during which we figure out how to best capitalize on this new way of working.
Voicemail fits this paradigm. Voicemail-the culprit that heightened “telephone tag” to an art form.
Ten years ago, I had to pay the salary of a receptionist or acquire the services of an answering service to handle incoming telephone calls. Or I might use an answering machine with a limited recording limit. I opted for the live receptionist. More personal, more real, I thought.
Then along came voicemail, a way of accepting incoming phone calls at a low cost with more options than an answering machine and a way of more effectively handling phone calls than before, giving the caller the opportunity to receive answers to their inquiries without talking to a real person.
Multiple menu options surfaced (if you would like sales, press 2, if you press 2 and would like to receive a copy of our catalog, press 4, if you press 4 and would like our winter catalog, press 5, but if you would like our spring catalog, press 6…..). I actually timed a menu option thing recently and it took over a minute and a half to get to the option that I wanted to get to the information I needed.
Voicemail also creates a new opportunity for people to duck your calls. Many people rarely answer a phone when it rings waiting until you have slogged through their voicemail menu, then to play your message and decide whether or not to call you back. Of course, when they call you back, they get your voicemail system and then you have to listen to their message and decide whether or not to return their call. Hmmm. Telephone tag and you’re it!
We need a better system. Here are a few suggestions to better deal with voicemail and avoid telephone tag.
Use an alternative to telephone. Look, people you call are going to duck your call via voicemail so use a different mode of communication that might have a better rate of success of getting through. Fax your message or email it or even use a first class letter. Some of those “old” methods are better than the new technology.
Don’t spill the beans. Want someone to call you back? Don’t give them the entire speal in your voicemail. Less is more. A little intrigue. Teasers. “Debbie. Please give me a call to talk about how to make your job easier” v “ Debbie. I found a new online course for only $259 that will show us how to get a lot more done in less time with a lot less stress. The problem is I can’t afford to buy it on my own. Would you be willing to kick in half of this and we could share the program? Let me know if you want to do this.”
Be specific. If you want a return call, don’t end with “Call me as soon as possible” or “Call me soon” or “Call me when you can”. Everyone has “too much to do”. You are then just one more thing to do. Those vague requests wind up in the “as soon as possible” pile of Never Never Land that rarely gets acted upon. Instead, give a specific day and time to call back. Don’t give two or more choices because that will necessitate a call back from that person to confirm which date and time is best to return the call.
For example: “Joe, this is Don. I need to speak to you about how to make the Anderson research run more smoothly. Give me a call back on Tuesday, the fifth at 9:00 a.m. I blocked that time for you. If this doesn’t work for you, please give me a call to reschedule and leave a message on my voicemail with at least two alternate dates and times for us to talk. Gutsy? Offensive? Well, 95% of the time you will not hear back from this person to change the date and time you have selected and you will accomplish what you intended to do on the date and time you have selected.
Get more done in less time, with less stress! Don is available to conduct his dynamic Time Management Seminar, on site, at your location for groups of any size from one hour up to three days. For full information, email your request for “on-site” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2002 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
I love technology. I am not a technical person but I admire the techno-things that have helped my business, productivity and profitability. Things like laptops, the Internet, and email have cut costs and boosted productivity and profits dramatically during the last decade.
With almost all new technological breakthroughs, there is a period that is heralded as the answer to all our problems followed quickly by a learning period during which we figure out how to best capitalize on this new way of working.
Voicemail fits this paradigm. Voicemail-the culprit that heightened “telephone tag” to an art form.
Ten years ago, I had to pay the salary of a receptionist or acquire the services of an answering service to handle incoming telephone calls. Or I might use an answering machine with a limited recording limit. I opted for the live receptionist. More personal, more real, I thought.
Then along came voicemail, a way of accepting incoming phone calls at a low cost with more options than an answering machine and a way of more effectively handling phone calls than before, giving the caller the opportunity to receive answers to their inquiries without talking to a real person.
Multiple menu options surfaced (if you would like sales, press 2, if you press 2 and would like to receive a copy of our catalog, press 4, if you press 4 and would like our winter catalog, press 5, but if you would like our spring catalog, press 6…..). I actually timed a menu option thing recently and it took over a minute and a half to get to the option that I wanted to get to the information I needed.
Voicemail also creates a new opportunity for people to duck your calls. Many people rarely answer a phone when it rings waiting until you have slogged through their voicemail menu, then to play your message and decide whether or not to call you back. Of course, when they call you back, they get your voicemail system and then you have to listen to their message and decide whether or not to return their call. Hmmm. Telephone tag and you’re it!
We need a better system. Here are a few suggestions to better deal with voicemail and avoid telephone tag.
Use an alternative to telephone. Look, people you call are going to duck your call via voicemail so use a different mode of communication that might have a better rate of success of getting through. Fax your message or email it or even use a first class letter. Some of those “old” methods are better than the new technology.
Don’t spill the beans. Want someone to call you back? Don’t give them the entire speal in your voicemail. Less is more. A little intrigue. Teasers. “Debbie. Please give me a call to talk about how to make your job easier” v “ Debbie. I found a new online course for only $259 that will show us how to get a lot more done in less time with a lot less stress. The problem is I can’t afford to buy it on my own. Would you be willing to kick in half of this and we could share the program? Let me know if you want to do this.”
Be specific. If you want a return call, don’t end with “Call me as soon as possible” or “Call me soon” or “Call me when you can”. Everyone has “too much to do”. You are then just one more thing to do. Those vague requests wind up in the “as soon as possible” pile of Never Never Land that rarely gets acted upon. Instead, give a specific day and time to call back. Don’t give two or more choices because that will necessitate a call back from that person to confirm which date and time is best to return the call.
For example: “Joe, this is Don. I need to speak to you about how to make the Anderson research run more smoothly. Give me a call back on Tuesday, the fifth at 9:00 a.m. I blocked that time for you. If this doesn’t work for you, please give me a call to reschedule and leave a message on my voicemail with at least two alternate dates and times for us to talk. Gutsy? Offensive? Well, 95% of the time you will not hear back from this person to change the date and time you have selected and you will accomplish what you intended to do on the date and time you have selected.
Get more done in less time, with less stress! Don is available to conduct his dynamic Time Management Seminar, on site, at your location for groups of any size from one hour up to three days. For full information, email your request for “on-site” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association since 1989
Copyright 2002 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Systematize and Simplify
SYSTEMATIZE AND SIMPLIFY
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
During thirty years as a Time Management speaker and consultant, I have learned and shared a lot of simple practices that help my audiences to increase their daily results. A lot of time is wasted because we don’t have a system in place for many of the repetitive tasks we do so that we have to pay over and over again, with our time, for the same results.
So here’s one neat tip: systematize. (I don’t think this is really a word, but hey, if no one invents new words, how will our language grow?) Systematize is the simple procedure of creating a routine way of responding to a myriad of tasks that will open our time for more important things. We can systematize in all areas of our life. Here are a few places you may wish to begin.
1. Standard text documents. I have dozens of documents in “My Documents” section of my computer. These include a lot of the articles that people request through our website and standard letters I send out for business and personal contacts, standard information documents (like directions to our office). Most of the information I need to send to respond to my emails is there or easily modified and tailored so that I don’t have to type out a lot of repetitive information.
2. A single calendaring system. Some people use as many as a dozen ways of tracking their appointments and scheduled events and their “To Do” list items. There’s a calendar for work and one for personal things. There’s stuff lying out on the desk reminding us what needs to be done. The dentist appointment card is on the bathroom mirror and the dry cleaner claim slip is hanging from the visor in the car. The softball schedule is on the refrigerator and we have several other commitments in our heads. Boil this all down to a single system. I use Daytimer products, but whatever product you feel comfortable with is fine. Just make it a simple, singular, master system from which you take control of appointments and scheduled events and your “To Do” list items.
3. Clean up the messy desk or work area. Studies have shown that the person who works with a messy desk spends, on average, one and a half hours per day looking for things or being distracted by things. That’s seven and a half hours per week! (“Out of sight, out of mind.” And the reverse of that is true too, “In sight, in mind”.) And, it’s not a solid block of an hour and a half, but a minute here and a minute there, and like a leaky hot water faucet, drip, drip, drip, it doesn’t seem like a major loss, but at the end the day, we’re dumping gallons of hot water down the drain that we are paying to heat. If you have ever visited the office of a top manager, typically, that person is working with a clean desk environment. Many would attribute this result to that person’s access to other staff members. While there may be some truth in that conclusion, in most cases, if we went back some years in that person’s career, they probably were working with a clean desk back then which gave them the focus they needed to become promoted to where they are today.
4. Have adequate supplies. Some people spend a lot of their productive time looking for a pen or a pad of paper or staples for their stapler. Have enough pens, pencils, yellow markers, “sticky notes”, writing pads, fax paper, printer cartridges, updated telephone directories, staples, “Wite Out”, report forms, index cards, paper clips, rolls of adding machine tapes, etc., etc.
5. Make your physical surroundings workable. Move the fax machine closer (or further away!) from your desk. Have the most frequently used and needed files within arm’s reach and the less frequently required items further out. Have adequate space at your desk to do what you need to do. Remove some unnecessary items, if necessary, to make room.
6. Set up a functional briefcase. I travel a lot and am out of my office at seminars or meetings with clients requiring that I tote along a briefcase. In addition to the stuff I need for where I am going, I have my briefcase stocked with a lot of neat things like a calculator, a pocket map of the United States, basic office supplies (writing pads, pens, yellow markers, small stapler, paper clips, stamps and a few envelopes), blank checks, a few deposit slips, a paperback book I have been intending to read, and at least one project I can work on if I get stuck in traffic or am waiting for the meeting to begin. It gives me more choices.
7. Schedule maintenance. The equipment you use, your car, stuff around the house, and oh yeah, you. You know your car needs to be serviced. Why wait for a breakdown to get it done and spend more time on what could have been accomplished in less time. (You still need a tune-up, but now you have to wait for the tow truck to arrive.) Regular medical and dental checkups save huge amounts of time in our future by fixing small conditions before they become major costly issues.
8. Catalog contacts. Develop and maintain your contacts list so that networking can enhance your future with the contacts you make. A computer-based program such as ACT is excellent, but even a simple 3x5 card system will work. Keep track of a growing list of contacts, help them at every turn and they will be there to help you.
Need some help getting systematized? Our Executive Coaching service might be the answer. For information now, email your request for “coach” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 2000 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
During thirty years as a Time Management speaker and consultant, I have learned and shared a lot of simple practices that help my audiences to increase their daily results. A lot of time is wasted because we don’t have a system in place for many of the repetitive tasks we do so that we have to pay over and over again, with our time, for the same results.
So here’s one neat tip: systematize. (I don’t think this is really a word, but hey, if no one invents new words, how will our language grow?) Systematize is the simple procedure of creating a routine way of responding to a myriad of tasks that will open our time for more important things. We can systematize in all areas of our life. Here are a few places you may wish to begin.
1. Standard text documents. I have dozens of documents in “My Documents” section of my computer. These include a lot of the articles that people request through our website and standard letters I send out for business and personal contacts, standard information documents (like directions to our office). Most of the information I need to send to respond to my emails is there or easily modified and tailored so that I don’t have to type out a lot of repetitive information.
2. A single calendaring system. Some people use as many as a dozen ways of tracking their appointments and scheduled events and their “To Do” list items. There’s a calendar for work and one for personal things. There’s stuff lying out on the desk reminding us what needs to be done. The dentist appointment card is on the bathroom mirror and the dry cleaner claim slip is hanging from the visor in the car. The softball schedule is on the refrigerator and we have several other commitments in our heads. Boil this all down to a single system. I use Daytimer products, but whatever product you feel comfortable with is fine. Just make it a simple, singular, master system from which you take control of appointments and scheduled events and your “To Do” list items.
3. Clean up the messy desk or work area. Studies have shown that the person who works with a messy desk spends, on average, one and a half hours per day looking for things or being distracted by things. That’s seven and a half hours per week! (“Out of sight, out of mind.” And the reverse of that is true too, “In sight, in mind”.) And, it’s not a solid block of an hour and a half, but a minute here and a minute there, and like a leaky hot water faucet, drip, drip, drip, it doesn’t seem like a major loss, but at the end the day, we’re dumping gallons of hot water down the drain that we are paying to heat. If you have ever visited the office of a top manager, typically, that person is working with a clean desk environment. Many would attribute this result to that person’s access to other staff members. While there may be some truth in that conclusion, in most cases, if we went back some years in that person’s career, they probably were working with a clean desk back then which gave them the focus they needed to become promoted to where they are today.
4. Have adequate supplies. Some people spend a lot of their productive time looking for a pen or a pad of paper or staples for their stapler. Have enough pens, pencils, yellow markers, “sticky notes”, writing pads, fax paper, printer cartridges, updated telephone directories, staples, “Wite Out”, report forms, index cards, paper clips, rolls of adding machine tapes, etc., etc.
5. Make your physical surroundings workable. Move the fax machine closer (or further away!) from your desk. Have the most frequently used and needed files within arm’s reach and the less frequently required items further out. Have adequate space at your desk to do what you need to do. Remove some unnecessary items, if necessary, to make room.
6. Set up a functional briefcase. I travel a lot and am out of my office at seminars or meetings with clients requiring that I tote along a briefcase. In addition to the stuff I need for where I am going, I have my briefcase stocked with a lot of neat things like a calculator, a pocket map of the United States, basic office supplies (writing pads, pens, yellow markers, small stapler, paper clips, stamps and a few envelopes), blank checks, a few deposit slips, a paperback book I have been intending to read, and at least one project I can work on if I get stuck in traffic or am waiting for the meeting to begin. It gives me more choices.
7. Schedule maintenance. The equipment you use, your car, stuff around the house, and oh yeah, you. You know your car needs to be serviced. Why wait for a breakdown to get it done and spend more time on what could have been accomplished in less time. (You still need a tune-up, but now you have to wait for the tow truck to arrive.) Regular medical and dental checkups save huge amounts of time in our future by fixing small conditions before they become major costly issues.
8. Catalog contacts. Develop and maintain your contacts list so that networking can enhance your future with the contacts you make. A computer-based program such as ACT is excellent, but even a simple 3x5 card system will work. Keep track of a growing list of contacts, help them at every turn and they will be there to help you.
Need some help getting systematized? Our Executive Coaching service might be the answer. For information now, email your request for “coach” to: ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 2000 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Ten Super Marketing Ideas for the Professional Speaker
TEN SUPER MARKETING IDEAS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER
By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
During the past eighteen years as a full-time Professional Speaker, I have learned a lot about what to and, more importantly, what not to do to market Professional Speaking Services. Below are ten SUPER marketing ideas that have worked for me. They all have two things in common. They are all low cost/no cost and they have all produced great results for me.
1. Get a non-profit sponsor. Work out an arrangement with a non-profit organization (Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, etc.) to co-sponsor your event as a fundraiser for them. They are responsible for all marketing, filling the room. Expenses are taken off the top and the balance is split 50/50. For example, let’s say you co-sponsor an event, the non-profit signs up 30 people at $200. Total revenues are $6,000 less expenses of $1,000 or a net of $5,000. Your share is $2,500 and the non-profit has had a successful fundraiser.
2. Introductory breakfast. Target the audience you want to reach (sales managers, human resources professional, finance managers, etc) and invite them to a no charge Preview breakfast. Give a short overview of your talk and follow-up with each to secure paid engagements.
3. Radio promotion for barter. Many local radio stations will trade advertising time for your services. They may not sell it anyway and it’s a way to get some value out of lost airtime. In return, you conduct an engagement for their staff.
4. Trade shows. Almost all local Chambers of Commerce sponsor mini trade shows. They provide a flow of traffic where you can meet qualified decision makers for your services. This never fails to generate business for us.
5. Sell products at every engagement. Develop your own materials, manuals, audio tapes, etc. If you have nothing developed, sell someone else’s related materials. As you speak, your audiences will almost always want more information. For example, if you are speaking to a group of 60 people, and 20 purchase your manual at $30, that’s an additional $600 in revenue.
6. Set up direct, face-to-face meetings with decision makers. Compared to direct mail and telephone it is very effective because it is harder to say “no” to someone face-to-face then to a piece of mail or over the phone. Have a purpose in mind when asking for the meeting that is valuable to that person. Everyone needs to know, “what’s in it for me?”
7. Give pro bono speeches. Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Chambers of Commerce are always looking for speakers for their meetings. As a condition of your no cost service, ask that you be provided with a list of attendees to follow-up with your marketing efforts. This was how I started off, when I knew no one and no one knew me. To this day, I still get business as a result of those speeches.
8. Use the fax machine. Gather fax numbers of decision makers you need to market to. Send them something of value, tips, etc. We send out 2,000 per month (about 100 per day). The payoff has always been about $2 per fax in new business, or $4,000 per month.
9. Create an “In-House” mailing list. Add people to it as you make contacts at business events, people contact you, hear your no cost speeches, or attend your paid engagements. Mail to them 3-4 times per year. These are people who at least have some familiarity with you versus a cold list you can purchase. We derive about $2 in new business per piece mailed.
10. Create and maintain a webpage. I am not a computer geek. Five years ago, I couldn’t turn on a computer. (Small exaggeration-but close to the truth.) Today, 50% of our revenues are coming from the web. It is important to create a useable site and, just as important, to constantly promote it on the web listing it everywhere on search engines, classified ads, directories, etc. It’s all yours to promote, but requires the discipline of your time. I spend about an hour per day promoting my site but the payoff is extraordinary.
Do have an interest in developing or improving your own Professional Speaking business? I offer a consulting service for selected individuals, working with them one-on-one, helping them to develop their Speaking Businesses in the areas of topic(s) development, presentation skills, and creating a relevant marketing program to secure paying clients. For more information, send your request for “career” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive your Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe”. We welcome you!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
During the past eighteen years as a full-time Professional Speaker, I have learned a lot about what to and, more importantly, what not to do to market Professional Speaking Services. Below are ten SUPER marketing ideas that have worked for me. They all have two things in common. They are all low cost/no cost and they have all produced great results for me.
1. Get a non-profit sponsor. Work out an arrangement with a non-profit organization (Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, etc.) to co-sponsor your event as a fundraiser for them. They are responsible for all marketing, filling the room. Expenses are taken off the top and the balance is split 50/50. For example, let’s say you co-sponsor an event, the non-profit signs up 30 people at $200. Total revenues are $6,000 less expenses of $1,000 or a net of $5,000. Your share is $2,500 and the non-profit has had a successful fundraiser.
2. Introductory breakfast. Target the audience you want to reach (sales managers, human resources professional, finance managers, etc) and invite them to a no charge Preview breakfast. Give a short overview of your talk and follow-up with each to secure paid engagements.
3. Radio promotion for barter. Many local radio stations will trade advertising time for your services. They may not sell it anyway and it’s a way to get some value out of lost airtime. In return, you conduct an engagement for their staff.
4. Trade shows. Almost all local Chambers of Commerce sponsor mini trade shows. They provide a flow of traffic where you can meet qualified decision makers for your services. This never fails to generate business for us.
5. Sell products at every engagement. Develop your own materials, manuals, audio tapes, etc. If you have nothing developed, sell someone else’s related materials. As you speak, your audiences will almost always want more information. For example, if you are speaking to a group of 60 people, and 20 purchase your manual at $30, that’s an additional $600 in revenue.
6. Set up direct, face-to-face meetings with decision makers. Compared to direct mail and telephone it is very effective because it is harder to say “no” to someone face-to-face then to a piece of mail or over the phone. Have a purpose in mind when asking for the meeting that is valuable to that person. Everyone needs to know, “what’s in it for me?”
7. Give pro bono speeches. Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Chambers of Commerce are always looking for speakers for their meetings. As a condition of your no cost service, ask that you be provided with a list of attendees to follow-up with your marketing efforts. This was how I started off, when I knew no one and no one knew me. To this day, I still get business as a result of those speeches.
8. Use the fax machine. Gather fax numbers of decision makers you need to market to. Send them something of value, tips, etc. We send out 2,000 per month (about 100 per day). The payoff has always been about $2 per fax in new business, or $4,000 per month.
9. Create an “In-House” mailing list. Add people to it as you make contacts at business events, people contact you, hear your no cost speeches, or attend your paid engagements. Mail to them 3-4 times per year. These are people who at least have some familiarity with you versus a cold list you can purchase. We derive about $2 in new business per piece mailed.
10. Create and maintain a webpage. I am not a computer geek. Five years ago, I couldn’t turn on a computer. (Small exaggeration-but close to the truth.) Today, 50% of our revenues are coming from the web. It is important to create a useable site and, just as important, to constantly promote it on the web listing it everywhere on search engines, classified ads, directories, etc. It’s all yours to promote, but requires the discipline of your time. I spend about an hour per day promoting my site but the payoff is extraordinary.
Do have an interest in developing or improving your own Professional Speaking business? I offer a consulting service for selected individuals, working with them one-on-one, helping them to develop their Speaking Businesses in the areas of topic(s) development, presentation skills, and creating a relevant marketing program to secure paying clients. For more information, send your request for “career” to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive your Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe”. We welcome you!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
Lucky Sue
LUCKY SUE
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Sue got her raise but it’s to her credit because she did get her promotion because she did get all of her work done on time because they gave her lots to do to help her to show off her “stuff” because she was not late yesterday because she stopped earlier for gas because she was not late coming home because she was working late but got home early because she came in early that morning because she ironed her blouse the night before even though she had plenty of other clothes to wear because she remembered to pick up her clothes from the cleaners on her way home the day before because she was not rushing to get to her softball game and she had time to stop and get air in her leaky tire because she reminded herself last weekend because she had time as she watched the game on Sunday because she liked talking about it on Monday and she would not feel uncomfortable because others missed the game or laugh at them because they didn’t know about it and that whole day she could get her tasks done at work because she felt satisfied from her weekend and she would not have to spend the whole day complaining to her co-workers asking them if she was really being treated unfairly by life because while she likes to please other people she knows she has to manage her life first because their opinions of what she should be doing are not nearly as important or as accurate as her own because she has the tools and techniques to better control and manage her time and life and while they are sometimes uncomfortable to use they help her to get done more of what is important in her life so she can serve others better even though it is so much easier to drift and spend the day responding rather than take the initiative and think, after all, “What would THEY say?” if she tried to achieve new goals that she never reached before because a lot of what Sue really wants is what she is entitled to and can qualify for because, like all of us, she has what it takes to succeed because while others get their lucky breaks in their lives and hit it just at the right time, so Sue gets her share of lucky breaks when she is prepared for them when they arrive because that’s what’s true for her family and always has been and always will be because, like all of us, she can change who she is and not let where she came from keep her from her current fair share of good luck and good fortune because she cannot just accept what life gives to her and ask for no more or believe that it is impolite and selfish to ask for what she desire because Sue already succeeded so many time times like when she went to her boss and asked for a raise and the boss said that, “You do qualify for a raise because you have shown me that you do understand that you have to do more now than what you are already being paid for to qualify for a raise. To ask for what you do deserve and for what you have earned is not to be selfish and impolite” and Sue liked what she heard and looked forward into her future to a time real soon when she would get yet another raise. And it happened. Why?
Sue got her raise but it’s to her credit because…
Don Wetmore is a full-time Professional Speaker having made over 2,000 presentations worldwide, helping people to realize their full potential. He conducts a public Time Management Seminar each month and is available to conduct his tailored presentations from one hour up to three full days for your group, on-site, and for one-on-one coaching. To find out more about how Don can help you, contact him directly at: ctsem@msn.com or call him directly at: (203) 386-8062.
Would you like to receive your Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 & 2004
You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Sue got her raise but it’s to her credit because she did get her promotion because she did get all of her work done on time because they gave her lots to do to help her to show off her “stuff” because she was not late yesterday because she stopped earlier for gas because she was not late coming home because she was working late but got home early because she came in early that morning because she ironed her blouse the night before even though she had plenty of other clothes to wear because she remembered to pick up her clothes from the cleaners on her way home the day before because she was not rushing to get to her softball game and she had time to stop and get air in her leaky tire because she reminded herself last weekend because she had time as she watched the game on Sunday because she liked talking about it on Monday and she would not feel uncomfortable because others missed the game or laugh at them because they didn’t know about it and that whole day she could get her tasks done at work because she felt satisfied from her weekend and she would not have to spend the whole day complaining to her co-workers asking them if she was really being treated unfairly by life because while she likes to please other people she knows she has to manage her life first because their opinions of what she should be doing are not nearly as important or as accurate as her own because she has the tools and techniques to better control and manage her time and life and while they are sometimes uncomfortable to use they help her to get done more of what is important in her life so she can serve others better even though it is so much easier to drift and spend the day responding rather than take the initiative and think, after all, “What would THEY say?” if she tried to achieve new goals that she never reached before because a lot of what Sue really wants is what she is entitled to and can qualify for because, like all of us, she has what it takes to succeed because while others get their lucky breaks in their lives and hit it just at the right time, so Sue gets her share of lucky breaks when she is prepared for them when they arrive because that’s what’s true for her family and always has been and always will be because, like all of us, she can change who she is and not let where she came from keep her from her current fair share of good luck and good fortune because she cannot just accept what life gives to her and ask for no more or believe that it is impolite and selfish to ask for what she desire because Sue already succeeded so many time times like when she went to her boss and asked for a raise and the boss said that, “You do qualify for a raise because you have shown me that you do understand that you have to do more now than what you are already being paid for to qualify for a raise. To ask for what you do deserve and for what you have earned is not to be selfish and impolite” and Sue liked what she heard and looked forward into her future to a time real soon when she would get yet another raise. And it happened. Why?
Sue got her raise but it’s to her credit because…
Don Wetmore is a full-time Professional Speaker having made over 2,000 presentations worldwide, helping people to realize their full potential. He conducts a public Time Management Seminar each month and is available to conduct his tailored presentations from one hour up to three full days for your group, on-site, and for one-on-one coaching. To find out more about how Don can help you, contact him directly at: ctsem@msn.com or call him directly at: (203) 386-8062.
Would you like to receive your Timely Time Management Tips on a regular basis to increase your personal productivity and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your no cost “TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS”. Just go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and select “subscribe” or send email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com. We welcome you aboard!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
127 Jefferson St.
Stratford, CT 06615
(203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National Speakers Association
Copyright 1999 & 2004
You may re-print the above information in its entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on your webpage. For permission, please email your request for “reprint” to: ctsem@msn.com
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