How many times have you said to yourself and others – “If only I had more time”? The reality is that we all have the same amount of time each and every day. It’s how we manage our time that makes the difference to our ultimate success. Time is a resource just like other resources such as money and people. Time however does have some special qualities. We need to be aware of these unique qualities in order to help us stay focused and productive. We cannot create it, store it, borrow from it nor recover lost time.

Our daily time resource is a segment of 86,400 seconds. We each receive this credit and with it comes responsibility. We receive substantial benefits from the effective use of time:

• Increasing productivity in our business and personal lives
• Reducing levels of stress and anxiety
• Gaining control of our destiny

So how do we manage time more effectively? Here are the key elements:

1. Having clear goals
2. Maintaining discipline
3. Using appropriate tools and processes
4. Monitoring your progress

Having clear goals

It has been said that nothing is impossible; there are sometimes only unrealistic timescales. Ultimately everything we can imagine can become a reality in time. Every single physical item we see and use today is the consequence of human thought. What we think creates our reality. We need to have big goals, make them tangible by listing them, being specific and reviewing them often. We also need to ensure that our planning takes account of maintaining a life balance and are in keeping with our personal values. Your business and personal goals need to be aligned with each other to avoid conflict.

Maintaining discipline

What are the ingredients in helping us to maintain discipline? We can be totally committed to ensuring that we do not allow distractions to get in our way. Distractions usually come from a combination of lack of clear direction, vague prioritisation, regular interruptions, and weakening energy levels. We allow these obstacles to create inaction or to change our plans unnecessarily. It is easy to make excuses when times get tough. Tough times require us to keep moving as there is no time for standing still. Don’t allow these distractions to lead you off your path. You can maintain control by working with discipline.

Using appropriate tools and processes

The use of the appropriate tools can help to avoid distractions and improve our personal effectiveness. The best method I have found is to link our goals to daily actions. What we achieve in a day is the building block of our lives. Each goal needs to have specific action steps that progressively move towards the successful completion of the goal. Each action step needs to be as specific as possible, have a deadline date for completion and a relative priority rating. Using the 80/20 rule, if you can accurately assess and consistently complete your top 20% tasks your effectiveness will increase significantly. A daily to do list is an essential tool. You can choose the tool that best suits your preferred method of working. For example, you can use a notepad or an electronic organiser to keep track of your daily activities. The key is to use simple tools that work for you.

Monitoring your progress

Keeping track of your progress is essential. We need to feel that we are accomplishing something worthwhile. Maintaining a checklist of our completed activities, achievements and important successes is a crucial requirement. Make sure you record your achievements so that you can review your progress regularly. You might like to keep a file of your most rewarding and fulfilling moments. You can include positive endorsements from others.

Ultimately, we are all motivated by a combination of reward, recognition, responsibility, advancement and growth. Stay focused and you will become unstoppable in your quest for success and fulfilment.

If you would like further information you can request it free without obligation by phoning 0845 057 3755, send email to [email protected] or visit www.brianjamesgroup.com

Brian James.

Brian James is published author of the breakthrough book “Don’t Work for Your Business – Make Your Business Work for You” with an Amazon.co.uk 5-star rating and credited by the Chamber of Commerce.

Brian is creator of the breakthrough Triple M™ marketing methodology and founder of the Sales & Marketing Academy, an expanding membership programme for ambitious business owners providing ongoing advice, coaching and mentoring support.

Brian has worked with blue-chip and small to medium sized companies across many sectors. Some of the larger organisations he has worked with include the Prudential Group and British Telecom. He currently operates as Chairman of the Brian James Group a business advisory Group for owner managed businesses

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