Jim Rohn is happy and healthy!
Strategy 5 Manage time
Chapter 8. How to be a wise time manager?
Vision is the art of seeing what others cannot. – Jonathan Swift
Several years ago during a lecture tour in South Africa,
I came across a short article by Arnold Bennet,
on the subject of time.
I really like it so I wanted to share it with you.
Time is the mysterious raw material for everything.
Having it all is possible;
without it, empty.
The supply of time is a real miracle that happens every day,
a truly amazing undertaking if one considers it.
You wake up in the morning and take a look!
Your wallet has been mysteriously stuffed for 24 hours.
It’s your.
It is the most valuable possession…
No one can take it from you.
And no one gets more
or less than what you get.
In the realm of time,
there is no aristocracy of wealth
and no aristocracy of wisdom.
Genius is also never rewarded with even an extra hour per day.
And there is no punishment either.
No matter how much you squander this extremely valuable resource,
the supply will never abandon you.
Furthermore,
you cannot use futures.
Can’t be in debt!
You can only waste moments that have already passed.
You cannot waste tomorrow;
it is kept for you.
I said this is a miracle, isn’t it?
You have these 24 hours to live each day.
Use it to your liking for health,
well-being,
money,
satisfaction,
and the evolution of an immortal soul.
Using it properly,
using it most effectively is the most pressing
and also the most fascinating real problem.
It all depends on it.
Your happiness
– the reward you all strive to grasp
– depends on it.
If a person can’t arrange for this hourly income
to cover exactly all the expenses he needs,
he’s really messing up his entire life to the extreme.
We will never have any more time.
We have, and we always have,
that much time.
Much of a person’s happiness
or unhappiness depends on their character,
not on their circumstances. – Martha Washington
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Four attitudes to time management
Time is the most precious resource we have.
Thus, how each person manages their time has the most profound
impact on how that person’s life goes.
Everyone forms an attitude towards time
whether we are conscious of it or not.
This attitude will determine the direction in
which a person will make his or her time allocation.
There are four distinct attitudes about time.
Each attitude creates a distinct lifestyle:
If your current situation is holding you back,
find a way out of it
and find a new direction. – Aysa Hazan
**************
Attitude of passive people
Passive people don’t care about time at all.
They live by no rules at all.
They let their lives wander aimlessly,
enjoying the uncertainty and spontaneity
that often accompanies such a life.
If they have a job it is usually temporary
because they are willing
to resist any kind of structure
and any attempt to make the most of their time.
A typical passive person will say,
“I’ve been late all my life.
I can never seem to control my time.
Damn! I just want to be comfortable and go
where I’m going
while I’m healthy and ready.”
What’s wrong with this attitude?
Who am I to judge?
hat is your life.
But if you find yourself attracted to this lifestyle,
consider that a passive attitude will block the way for any change
to bring about real progress.
You cannot be passive to have a better life.
If you let your habits rule you,
cultivate good habits. – Elbert Hubbard
*****************
Management by office hours
Another group of people,
perhaps the majority,
adopt an attitude towards time that lies somewhere
between the indeterminate
and the workaholic.
These people seem to work best with moderate pressure.
It is difficult for them
to control multiple projects at the same time.
They like to be free in their evenings
– to “enjoy flowers” for the rest of their lives.
A man works for a company,
then decides to own the business he owns.
But when the responsibility increased
because he realized that he had to go to work
before everyone else
and had to leave long after the security guard had returned,
he thought,
“I’d better work for someone else.
Let them take all the glory
and the headaches.”
Was he wrong?
Of course not – not if he had only two options:
work all day or work regular hours.
(You’ll see as soon as we discuss a fourth attitude to time
that he has more than just those two options.)
When he tried to run his own company,
he exceeded his commitment to maximum time.
where I can work comfortably.
And so he decided to abandon the challenge,
convinced that the price of success was too high for him.
Not everyone can afford the high price of success.
This is true not only of running an independent business,
but also of many senior executives of large enterprises that I know.
Here’s a story to illustrate
that some people should put limits on what they can pay:
A little girl my mother:
“Why don’t you play with me, mom?
Dad came home from work
and immediately went to his own room.
After dinner,
Dad left the table immediately to do some other work.
I want to play with dad.
Do you not love me at all?”
So the mother,
trying to hold back tears
from her own loneliness and pain, explains:
“Honey, your dad is very busy.
I love you so much and that’s
why I have to work so hard.
I have so much work to do at work
that I have to bring it home to continue working on it.”
The little girl thought for a moment about
what her mother had just said.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she said,
“Oh, if you can’t get everything done at work,
why don’t they move you to a less demanding position?”
Why not, really!
There is a limit to what each person should pay
for financial and career success.
And that limit helps ensure other important values are not sacrificed
for material success.
I know…
I’ve been chasing a few things in my life too
but only to find out that I paid too much.
If only I had known the price before I started,
I would never have paid that high.
When faced with a challenge,
find a way to overcome it,
not a way out. – Aysa Hazan
*******************
Workaholics
The old-fashioned concept of success is one
that forces people to work longer and harder.
For workaholics, work is never enough.
They work 10,
12 hours a day.
Workaholics will do two jobs,
one after the other.
Satisfaction comes only when sleep is suppressed,
enjoyment is denied,
and more tasks are accomplished.
We all know the consequences of this kind of behavior.
While often winning the admiration of outsiders,
the habits of workaholics cause separation in the family,
loss of health,
and ultimately a crisis of values.
The irony is that workaholics aren’t always the ones
who make the most money.
That’s because they often focus too much on the task
instead of focusing on the results.
If I were forced to choose
between these three attitudes towards time
that I have described above,
I would do my best to choose the better one.
But fortunately there is still another attitude
to what I consider ideal time:
The measure of human success lies in the ability
to adapt to the changes of life. – Aysa Hazan
********************
The wise time manager
The fourth and most discerning approach
to time is selected from the three attitudes above.
The wise time manager allocates time to each aspect of his life.
He doesn’t even forget to make time for wandering
by scheduling times when he’s not doing anything.
Just like the person who works regular hours,
he knows how to limit his work hours to have precious time
for other values like family.
And like the workaholic,
he’s never afraid to work longer hours than usual
– but only when necessary.
What makes a smart time manager so smart is their ability
to schedule their own work for less than a dozen hours
and still get a larger amount of work done than a workaholic.
How can he do that?
Simply work smarter,
not always work longer
– by focusing on creating more productivity per hour
instead of using more hours.
Smart time managers find new ways
to multiply their productivity.
In other words, they develop prosperity using leverage.
Leverage allows you to multiply your resources many times over.
For example, you can leverage the principle of money
by borrowing wisely to buy real estate or run a business.
You can use the principle of leverage over time
by multiplying your efforts through recruiting a large sales force
or by transferring less important work to qualified employees.
Great people never complain
why opportunities don’t come their way. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
******************
Master your time
This is the key to understanding time management.
Either you control your day
or let your day control you.
It’s really a matter of deciding to take responsibility.
You see, it’s all too easy to give up control,
give back control,
and lose control of time.
One of the best ways to start taking back control of our time is
to learn a word about effective time management.
“Disciplined,
consistent,
and persistent actions are more of a determining factor
in the creation of success
than any other combination of things.”- Grant Cardone
*************
Do you know that word?
That word is “no.”
Learn to say “no”.
I still find it very difficult to say this word.
It’s often all too easy to say yes to everything
– to be “cute”.
The consequence of saying yes is that we spend many hours trying
to free ourselves from constraints
that we shouldn’t have gotten into in the first place.
“Don’t watch the news,
make the news.
Don’t read the newspaper,
write newspaper articles.
Don’t only read books,
also learn to write them.” -Grant Cardone
*************
It’s one of the biggest waste of time.
I finally learned how to say “no” in a cute way.
How? Here’s what I do. I said,
“No, I don’t think I can.
But if that changes, I’ll call you.”
Now isn’t it better to call someone with the good news
and let them know you can finally do it?
Try it, it works!
A friend of mine,
Ron Reynolds,
likes to say:
“Don’t let your mouth overload the fish
back you.”
Another way to take back control of your day is this:
When you do, do your best;
and when playing, play hard.
Mixing the two will never work.
All you end up doing is lying to yourself both ways.
If you work and play at the same time,
you will lose the joy of great achievement
and the total comfort that is the gift of just having real fun.
I know… I used to say:
“I have to take my family to the beach.
I promised everyone I would go.
What will they think of me if I don’t take them?”
So I took them to the beach and all the while thinking,
“I should have been at work.
How did I end up in the ocean?
I have too much work to do.
How can I shorten this trip and get back to work?”
Result? I ruined a great time
by always thinking about “work”
during my free time.
I also often do the opposite.
I said, “I’ll leave work at three
to ride my motorbike on the way home.”
Guess what I’ll be thinking for the rest of the workday?
That’s right, riding on the way back.
Now, when I give lectures in Spain,
Africa or Australia,
I make it a business trip.
Every day is packed with lectures,
interviews and seminars.
But once the mandatory work is done,
I use the time to play, explore, enjoy.
That is a valuable lesson.
It will be easier for you to succeed
if you first know what you want. – Aysa Hazan
******************
Know yourself
One of the greatest rules of creative time management is this:
Know yourself.
Each person has a unique biological clock
that controls the daily highs
and lows of their productivity.
Find the times when you are most energetic.
If you’re most productive early in the morning,
take advantage of this by scheduling your biggest projects
to order first in the workday.
For example, if your profession involves persuading people,
arrange to schedule appointments from breakfast.
But if the opposite is true for you
and you find it difficult
to even remember your name
between morning and lunchtime,
schedule the most demanding business activities
in the afternoon and evening.
Next, analyze your habits.
For example, if you’re not good at keeping your paperwork up to date,
or if you’ve promised yourself over the years to keep your checkbook
and balance but still can’t do it
– accept it and ask someone to help you.
You cannot change.
Your weakness can’t hurt you if you learn
to transfer responsibility.
This is also part of creative time management.
A few years ago my staff came to the conclusion
that I was a bad courier.
Since I travel frequently for work,
they often ask me to deliver documents
to people in the cities I am going to.
“Sure, little thing,”
I usually answer
as I absently shove papers into my coat pocket.
I remember hearing about these undelivered documents
many times from my laundry people…
After a while,
the staff had to instruct me like a five-year-old child.
Once they said,
“This document has to go to New York.
Are you sure you can deliver it this time?”
I said, “Of course.
You just believe me.
Hey, I’m not an absent-minded person.”
Needless to say,
the document was still in my briefcase
when I got back to work.
So this is also “fucking” out.
Every new employee is told by my staff by heart:
“Do not give the president anything to ask for help.
He’s good at many things
but a poor courier.
Find another way.”
And that’s my weakness.
There’s no shame in accepting
that you’re not good at everything
– as long as you’re smart enough
to not let your flaws stop you from accomplishing your goals.
Really, self-knowledge is a hugely important aspect of time management.
“There’s no shortage of money,
only of people thinking big enough.” – Grant Cardone
***************
Phone
We all learn to take our phones for granted.
Today, the phone has become the main means of communication
and always accompanies us anywhere, anytime.
Yet, very few of us take the time
to analyze how to use our phones to their fullest potential.
The phone is an incredibly effective communication tool
and can also be one of the most annoying time-wasters in our lives.
You see, just because your phone is your special tool,
it is also everyone else’s special tool.
Because you have the ability to reach others in seconds,
others have the ability to reach you immediately.
This fact can wreak havoc on any plan or daily routine.
Therefore, make sure that
the phone is there mainly for your convenience.
You have to control who can reach you and when.
If you have a secretary,
train him or her to filter phone calls effectively.
Use an answering machine so you can answer make
the most effective phone calls possible.
In addition to controlling incoming calls,
there’s a simple way to manage your outgoings well:
Have a schedule.
We all waste time and money on unproductive conversations.
Have you ever heard yourself say,
“Look, there’s something else I want to tell you.
I just can’t remember right away.
Shall
I call you back?”
We’ve all said that at one point or another.
It’s a huge waste of time
and it also shows a lack of professionalism.
Solution?
Before each call write down the important points you want to cover.
It will make each conversation more productive,
shorter and more professional.
It will also help you to remember about each call.
Do you need to remember the conversation
when you already have that information in front of you.
For example, you could say,
“John, how would you do with the four things we discussed?”
And maybe John replied,
“Four things?
We didn’t talk about it,”
you can slowly show John your transcript.
A wise man is one who knows
how to create his own opportunities. – Francis Bacon
*****************
Organize your time effectively
We often do things according to established habits.
However, to make things more effective,
we need to change.
Take the time to analyze your workflow.
Is your profiling method up to date?
What about bookkeeping work?
There are now many effective ways
to increase productivity by electronic means.
These methods help you process information in larger quantities and faster.
You may need to take advantage of some of these capabilities.
One of the magical time-savers is a calculator.
I’m using a desktop at the office and a laptop
when out and about to take advantage of their apps.
Of course, these new electronic devices can also be a waste of time.
Millions of people have bought computers to store phone numbers.
It’s like getting in a car and driving away just
to visit the next door neighbor.
So let’s really analyze carefully
how to use these new electronic tools.
And if your job is more complicated,
ask an expert to help you.
Remember, you don’t have to be good at everything
if you have other people who can overcome your weaknesses.
Behind every failure there is a shadow of distraction,
sloppiness and unfinished business. – Aysa Hazan
*****************
Ask the right question
When managing people,
one of the biggest time-savers is asking questions
– more specifically,
asking the right questions.
In behavioral psychology,
we learn that everything is the result of other things.
And when a problem emerges,
it is often a sign that there are deeper problems lurking
beneath the surface of the problem.
The best way to find out what’s going on is not jumping
to conclusions but asking questions…
If Mary doesn’t make a sale, we can say,
“Okay, we need to explain to Mary about selling.”
Or we could ask her supervisor:
“Why can’t Mary make a sale?
” The supervisor might say,
“She didn’t make enough calls.”
We continue to dig deeper:
“Why isn’t she making enough calls?”
And we’re told:
“Because she didn’t start the day early enough.”
I suppose we can stop here
and try to get Mary to start work earlier.
But instead we could ask more:
“Why didn’t Mary start work earlier?”
Now we have come to the heart of the matter.
Perhaps Mary is having personal problems.
It’s probably not that Mary’s sales skills need to be improved.
The real causes of important problems are often buried in layers.
By becoming adept at asking the right questions,
you can save yourself a lot of time getting
to the root of the problem.
You cannot have a million-dollar dream
with a minimum wage work ethic. ― Stephan C. Hogan
*******************
Four ways of thinking on paper
One of the most magical tools
for successful time management is having the ability
to think on paper.
Building a successful business is like building a house.
You visualize ideas,
put them on paper,
and execute them.
At our company, we have a principle:
Operate according to documents,
not thoughts.
Building a daily schedule also requires thinking on paper.
It all seems to be over
when one wakes up in the morning and says,
“Let’s see, what am I going to do today?”
So it’s too late.
The best that the person can do is use the rest of the day
to start planning for the next day,
next week, next month.
Thinking on paper is a creative process.
There’s a lot more to it than just a “to-do” list.
In fact, there are four important methods
you should use to plan your life.
Successful people are the ones who tell almost everything
that doesn’t serve their goals. – Aysa Hazan
************
Workbook
In my lectures and intensive seminars,
I spend a lot of time promoting the use of the calendar.
I do this because I am convinced
that they are invaluable tools
for the serious practitioner
who aspires to a successful life.
Work schedule is a place to practice,
combine all the good information
and wisdom you come across.
Good ideas can come from almost anywhere.
You can hear a lecture with a lot of special meaning.
Or you read some information that you can use.
You might even come up with a great idea while driving.
The bottom line is:
Don’t let good ideas slip away.
A good idea can change your life
– if you embrace it.
Carry your workbook with you wherever you go.
“Your problem isn’t the problem.
Your reaction to the problem is your problem.”– Grant Cardone
*******************
Project book
Since you are an ambitious
and always busy person,
you will have to work on a lot of projects
and work with a lot of people.
Busy people like you often feel like jugglers
who have to keep all the discs spinning at the same time.
That is not easy.
One of the best ways to stay in control is
to have a project notebook
– a binder with lots of separate sections.
If you work with more than one person,
set aside a separate section of this cover for each person.
In the section of each person,
keep all relevant information about that person.
Take note of each person’s performance,
family history,
goals,
strengths,
needs,
or any other information you deem necessary.
In a management role,
you may also need information
such as sales records
or performance charts.
This way, when you need to evaluate your performance,
you have specific and useful information at hand.
Here, depending on your specific job or profession,
you can also add sections for each agency or department.
You can also categorize them by project
– it’s up to you.
The key is to centralize all the data
so you can just work there wholeheartedly
without having to waste hours searching
through countless forgotten records.
The concept of having a project file also works
for your personal work…
For example, you can separate profile files
for each of your children.
Does keeping information about your child make you feel a little cold?
Then I ask you:
Do you remember your child’s latest report card?
What events does your child ask you to attend?
Do you write on paper?
Do you remember the last meaningful one-on-one conversation
between father and son?
What is your child’s main concern?
You see, children remember everything
between them and their parents.
Unfortunately, we as parents are often busy and uncaring.
Keeping a separate section
for each child can always remind us of important things.
Naturally, your personal finance business will also benefit from this system
as it will give you the ability
to quickly consult all your investment portfolios,
insurance policies and the like me.
Do you really need a workbook
or a project book to make a living?
Of course not!
If all you want is to make a living
then you won’t really need those things.
But if you’re on your way to prosperity and happiness,
these techniques can help you speed up
and progress surprisingly quickly.
If you don’t have a specific goal,
you won’t achieve anything. – Zig Ziglar
********
Calendar
Another way to organize your thoughts on paper is
to use a daily calendar called “Day-Timer”.
Day-Timer is a daily diary of appointments and schedules.
Not only that, it also has room to manage work expenses,
meeting results,
phone discussions and to-do lists.
Your Day-Timer can also be used as a collection of daily
or weekly milestones that you want
to record in your workbook
or project book.
Think of it as the central place
from which you can process all the information of the day,
week, month and even year.
In everything you do,
consider the results. – Solon
****************
Game plan
A game plan can make all the difference in the world regarding
how your match of life plays out.
The term “game plan” is an irony because although we seem
to understand the importance of strategic planning for a football
or volleyball game,
very few of us take the time,
to make a game plan for his life.
Here’s the first and foremost rule of your life’s game plan:
Don’t start your day until you’ve finished it.
Because every day is a priceless gem in your strategy towards life’s prosperity
and happiness,
always plan your day before you begin.
And do it every day.
Yes, I know,
all these notes can be boring.
But remember,
value is the fruit of effort,
not hope.
Once you’ve mastered the art of planning your day,
day by day, you’re ready
to take the next level toward greater success.
The next key is:
Don’t start your week until you’ve finished it
Plan your week before you start it.
Imagine what your life would be like
if you asked yourself on Sunday night,
“What do I want to accomplish this week?”
Yes, I know, say so
It’s a bit of an exaggeration,
but if you’ve learned to plan your day
as part of your overall game plan for the week,
it’ll all fit much easier.
As a result, every day will be much more productive.
Once you’ve mastered planning for a week,
you can plan your life for a month at a time.
So the next key is:
Don’t start your month until you’ve finished it.
By following this rule,
your week
and day become part of a larger design.
You are developing a long-term vision for your life,
because you are now in the process of planning.
And you’ll learn to combine your daily,
weekly,
and monthly goals with your three-month,
six-month,
and one-year goals.
That will require you to adhere to a lot of discipline.
But when this is done, you will be called a “boss.”
It may not be an easy task
but I believe you will enjoy the vision,
taste and companionship of other bosses like you.
“It is the set of the sails,
not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”— Jim Rohn
*******************
How to prepare a game plan?
There are two things you need to understand about creating a game plan.
First, the game plan works like a spreadsheet,
but instead of listing numbers, it lists activities.
Second, you can use game planning techniques
for a single project or for multiple projects running concurrently.
Here’s how to prepare a game plan:
On a piece of graph paper draw a column
along the number of days that the plan will take.
Then on the left side of the paper write the title “activity”.
Under this subject line list all the work
that must be completed within that timeframe.
For example, let’s assume you’re working on starting a campaign
to launch a new product.
For each job’s requirement
(sales conference, promotional support,
packaging, market research),
the deadline decision must be adhered to
and shown on the spreadsheet.
Then calculate the number of days it will take to complete this task
and fix them on the game plan spreadsheet.
The end result is that each task will be presented visually,
clearly before your eyes.
Game planning is not an easy task,
but once successful,
you will have a great sense of satisfaction at
what your efforts have brought.
Keep the game plan where you can see it.
Hang it on your office wall
or in a project notebook.
It will act as a regular reminder of the tasks to do.
The game plan is both exciting and painful.
They agonize over the role of reminding you
to always go with your plan.
They are also painful when you fall behind schedule.
But they are also stimulating
because you see the magic of dreams
and plans turning into reality.
This is a great reward.
Your feeling is the same
as that of the great artist observing the finished picture.
It was the incredible feeling of taking on responsibility.
A “perfect” day, with a beginning and an end,
a purpose and content,
a color and a character,
a feel and a texture
– this perfect day takes its place in the world in many days
and become a valuable memory and treasure.
And when one perfect day turns into another,
life becomes a masterpiece,
a property of experience and spirit.
So as some have said,
“At midnight the winged angels will come
and collect all these samples
and bring them to the place where the mosaic is kept.
And certainly,
from time to time,
one angel will say to another,
“Wait until you see this picture.”
“Remember, to create wealth,
you can’t just score once,
you must be able to repeat it.”– Grant Cardone
