15 secrets duccessfyl people know about time managment Kevin Kruse-2024 Flashcards

10-2024

1
Q

Richard Branson’s Secret Productivity Tool (29-9-2024)

A

How can you get your brain to quiet down? How can you always remember your great ideas?

Branson singled out one item as being most important. In a May 5, 2006, interview he said: It may sound ridiculous, but my most important is to always carry a little notebook in your back pocket. I think the number one thing that I take with me when I’m traveling is the notebook…I could never have built the Virgin Group into the size it is without those few bits of paper.

“If you have a thought but don’t write it down, by the next morning it may be gone forever.”

Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. When you have an idea, write it down. When you meet someone new, write down everything you know about them. That way you will know how much time they are worth. When you hear something interesting, write it down. Writing it down will make you act upon it. If you don’t write it down you will forget it. THAT is a million dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school!

If you’re serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured, and unique individual, keep a journal. Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation… The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures… The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique… The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you’re a serious student.

The act of taking notes by hand involves active listening, cognitive processing, and finally recalling it to record it. People who take notes with a laptop tend to just robotically record spoken words, without doing the mental work to process it. And don’t forget, if you want to keep a digital, searchable archive of all your notes, you can always scan them

Write the current date on the inside cover so you can quickly locate the notebook in the future if you are trying to find notes from a specific meeting or event. Some people like to use a Sharpie to write the start date on the edge of the pages, so it can be seen without even opening the notebook.

Jot down everything and anything you don’t want to forget. Record random creative ideas you have: new ideas for books you want to write, companies you want to start, products to invent, new marketing tactics, gift ideas for your family, future vacation destinations, restaurant recommendations, a great bottle of wine, names for your baby, whatever! Write everything down, and you’ll never worry or stress out about forgetting something again.

Whenever you encounter great advice or an inspirational quote— whether someone says it or you read it—write it down in the back of the book. Reserve pages in the back for these nuggets of wisdom so they can all stay together and be easily reviewed in the future.

When you have filled your notebook, write the end date on the inside front cover, again to help you locate the right book in the future when you have a whole row of them on your bookshelf.

Put the book up on the shelf next to the previous journals. Here
will be a detailed record of your entire life!

Every New Year’s Day, make it a new tradition to thumb through your old journals from the previous year. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll re-learn from your notes, and it will remind you of all your progress. For any thoughts or ideas that you’ll want to revisit in the current year, just rewrite them in your new or current notebook.

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2
Q

Master Your Email Inbox With 321Zero (29-9-2024)

A

Only process email three times a day, using the 321Zero system. Schedule three times a day to process your email (morning, noon, night), set the timer on your phone for 21 minutes, and try to get to inbox zero in that time. Make a game out of it. 21 minutes is intentionally not enough time, but it will keep you focused, ensure that your responses are short, and that you don’t start clicking links out onto the wonderful world of internet distractions.

How do you create an effective work routine? Simple: by choosing what you want it to be, rather than letting others dictate it for you. Except that most people do exactly the opposite, through one simple (terrible) habit: they check their email first thing in the morning…This means that their focus and energy are going where others are directing it, rather than where they stand to make the greatest impact

Keep emails short—really short. Realize that being brief isn’t rude; it’s a sign of respect for the other person’s time (in addition to your own). There is even a movement that suggests we consider email messages to be similar to text messages. The website five.sentenc.es suggests you limit all your emails to five sentences or fewer and then add a footer message that directs people to the website for an explanation.

Email is a great way for other people to put their priorities into your life; control your inbox.

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3
Q

Meeting Hacks from Google, Apple, and Virgin(29-9-2024)

A

Sit-down meetings were 34 percent longer than stand-up meetings, but they produced no better decisions than stand-up meetings.

One of my favourite tricks is to conduct most of my meetings standing up. I find it to be a much quicker way of getting down to business, making a decision and sealing the deal. When given the opportunity I often like to take things a step further – literally, with a walking meeting

It’s very rare that a meeting on a single topic should need to last more than 5-10 minutes.

Keep your daily huddles to 15 minutes! If they start to run longer, people will be less likely to show up. Force people to be brief, and any “stuck” items that can’t be solved immediately should be taken offline.

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4
Q

One Little Word That Multiplies Success(30-9-2024)

A

“The difference between successful people and very successful people is
that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.”

They say that in the distance, even giant elephants at first look small.
Unfortunately, many small things turn into big things when they actually arrive.
But I share this story as an extreme example of how we mistakenly think we’ll
be less busy in the future than we are in the present.

This is a lesson I even try to teach my kids: every yes is a no to something else.
It’s not that they should say no to everything; it’s that they should think it
through.

Understanding that there is always an
opportunity cost will make you hesitate and really be careful about what you are
agreeing to put on your calendar.

Say no to everything that doesn’t support your immediate goals.

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5
Q

The Powerful Pareto Principle(30-9-2024)

A

80 percent of results will come from just 20 percent of the action.

I accept that I cannot do everything so I work only on things that are vitally important using the 80:20 rule.

She taught me that if you just read the first and last paragraph of each chapter
as well as the first sentence of each paragraph in between, you’ll understand 80
percent of the message of the book. I learned that it might not get you straight
A’s, but it can get you solid B’s.

It’s more important to have a mindset of identifying the few things and
activities that will give you outsized returns. You want to:
*Look for shortcuts.
* Do the most important things exceptionally well, and the rest
just “good enough” or not at all.
* Develop your skills to be exceptional in a few targeted areas;
don’t try to master everything.
* Realize that you can work less, stress less, and increase your
happiness by figuring out the 20 percent of goals and activities that
are most important to you.

Eighty percent of outcomes are generated by twenty percent of
activities.

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6
Q

The “3 Harvard Questions” That Save 8 Hours a Week (30-9-2024)

A

They found that 41 percent of knowledge workers’ time is spent on discretionary activities that weren’t personally satisfying and could also be done by others.

To put this into practice, make a list of all the tasks and meetings you worked
on during the previous week and follow these steps:
1. Ask, “How valuable is this task to me or to the company?
What would happen if I just dropped it completely?”
2. Ask, “Am I the only person who could do this task? Who else
in or outside the company could accomplish this?”
3. Ask, “How can the same outcome be achieved but with a
faster process? How could this task get completed if I only had half the time?”

And so my view is I don’t do anything that someone else can do better, and I don’t do anything that isn’t the highest and best use of my time.

Always try to spend as much time as possible using your unique strengths on your highest leverage activities.

The bottom line is you should try to outsource everything you can unless:
1. You enjoy doing it and it’s part of your rest and recharging process.
2. It’s part of your values to continue doing the task.
3. It costs you more per hour to outsource it than you want to makeyourself.

Focus your time only on things that utilize your unique strengths and passions.

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7
Q

Why Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Themes His Days (30-9-2024)

A

The only way to do this is to be very disciplined and very practiced. The way I found that works for me is I theme my days.

We’re always delivering; we’re always showing where we were last week and where we’re going to be the following week.

Having themes for our days makes it easier to plan ahead, and easier to stay on track. Having an entire day set aside for a theme creates a bigger space in which to accomplish things, and a smaller chance that you’ll “just set it aside” until tomorrow.

Focus Days: “Game days” are to focus on our most important activities,typically revenue-producing activities. These are also the days when we should ideally be using our unique talents; do what you do best.

Buffer Days: These are days to catch up on emails and calls, hold internal meetings, delegate tasks, catch up on paperwork, and complete any training or educational activities that are related to work.

Free Days: These are days without any kind of work. These are days for vacation, fun, or perhaps charity. No work-related emails, calls, or thinking should be done on these days; it’s a time to rejuvenate.

Batch your work with recurring themes for different days of the week.

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8
Q

Don’t Touch! (Until You’re Ready)(30-9-2024)

A

Highly successful people take immediate action on almost every item they encounter. They know that to be efficient, they want to expend the least possible amount of time and mental energy processing things. In short, they practice a “touch it once” mentality.

Whenever I have a small task that needs to be completed (that takes less than five minutes), I should complete it now, rather than putting it off. This ensures that I do not have a long list of tasks that I have to complete later at the end of the day.

A messy environment can be mentally taxing, increase the time it takes to find stuff, and eventually demand scheduled time to “clean the house.” A touch-itonce mentality can go a long way to keeping your environment tidy all the tim.

If a task can be completed in less than five minutes, do it immediately.

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9
Q

Change Your Morning, Change Your Life(30-9-2024)

A

Imagine if you could have a solid hour of daily “me time” that could drive higher levels of happiness, productivity, and creativity throughout the day.
It is far too easy for us to wake up, feel the pressure of our never-ending todo list, and immediately begin to react. React to overnight email messages, react to social media, and react to the first item on our calendar
Highly successful people design an empowering and energizing morning routine and stick with it.

I wake up fully rested, spend 30 minutes in meditation and then go to my workout area. While working out physically, I take advantage of the rich audio programs available so that I fill that 45 minutes with physical exertion combined with mental input and expansion. I never check the news or look at my iPhone first thing in the morning, no matter how important it may seem to know the latest news…I carefully protect that first hour of the day, making sure that all input is positive, clean, pure, creative and inspirational. Many of my most creative ideas have come from this protected time of the day, often when I am in a full sweat. By 9:00 AM I am invigorated, motivated and ready to face anything the day may bring.

Obviously, successful people don’t all follow the exact same routine, but it is amazing how you can easily identify consistent themes.
Most wake up early—6 a.m. or earlier.
They hydrate by drinking a lot of water.
They eat a healthy breakfast, although each has a different definition of healthy (e.g., fruit and oatmeal, green smoothie,
protein, slow carb).
They exercise.
Many meditate, journal, or read.

Energy is everything. We have a certain amount of willpower allotted to us every day, and we burn through it quickly if our energy is low. I like to do most of my creative work in the morning

The premise of The Miracle Morning is to wake up and start each day with the discipline of dedicating time to personal development, so that you can become the person you need to be to create the most extraordinary life you can imagine, and do so faster than you may currently believe is possible. While most people focus on “doing” more to achieve more, The Miracle Morning is about focusing on “becoming” more so that you can start doing less, to achieve more. Through Elrod’s research and own experiences, he developed a system he calls Life S.A.V.E.R.S.
S is for Silence (quiet, gratitude, meditation, or prayer)
A is for Affirmations (purpose, goals, priorities)
V is for Visualization (of goals or ideal life)
E is for Exercise
R is for Reading (a self-improvement book)
S is for Scribing (journaling)
Elrod makes a compelling case that no matter what level of success you already have, using your first minutes of each morning to invest in yourself will take you to an even higher level

Invest the first 60 minutes of each day in rituals that strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.

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10
Q

Energy Is Everything (30-9-2024)

A

What if the ultimate time management secret isn’t about time at all? You can’t “manage” time—no matter what you do, you will have the same 24 hours tomorrow that you had today. When people talk about “time management,” what they really want is to get more stuff done with less stress. And the real secret behind this is that you need to maximize your energy.

you can personally understand that our physical and mental energy varies—and that it has a direct effect on our productivity.

Don’t sacrifice your sleep. Sooner or later, it will catch up with you. You won’t perform at your best, and you will get sick.

It is important to schedule time for yourself, to rest, or to refocus.

research shows that humans naturally move from full focus and energy to physiological fatigue every 90 minutes. Our body sends us signals to rest and renew, but we override them with coffee, energy drinks, and sugar or just by tapping our own reserves until they’re depleted. Schwartz suggests that we need to purposely take short breaks every 90 minutes throughout the day to drink water, walk, or to eat healthy snacks. His mantra is, “Pulse and pause.

In the examples above, we see recommendations to sprint for 25 minutes, 52 minutes, or 90 minutes, all followed by breaks. The important point isn’t the exact length of the sprint or the break, it’s to figure out what “pulse and pause” cycle works best for you. Our cognitive capacity declines throughout the day; you must build in frequent mental breaks to recharge and maintain productivity.

Set a timer for everything you do. When you have a deadline you are more productive. I use the Pomodoro technique…

The biggest way to increase your overall energy levels is of course to take care of your health. You already know this, but keys to productivity include: * Getting enough sleep * Minimizing alcohol * Minimizing caffeine, especially late in the day * Eating more whole foods and fewer processed foods * Maintaining a healthy weight * Drinking a lot of water * Exercising daily (a 20-minute power walk counts!) Productivity is about energy and focus, not time

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11
Q

The E-3C System: Putting It All Together (30-9-2024)

A

into a simple system that I call E-3C. The E stands for Energy, and the three C’s are Capture, Calendar, and Concentrate.

Energy The first step—the most important part of my E-3C system—is “E” for Energy. You can’t make more time, but you can increase your productivity. Increasing your energy and focus is the most important secret to achieving 10x productivity in the same amount of time. Highly successful people get enough sleep. Highly successful people eat energizing foods and exercise consistently. Highly successful people maintain morning rituals—like meditating, journaling, hydrating, practicing yoga—that establish a foundation of energy, clarity, and alertness for the entire day. Highly successful people pulse and pause throughout the day to maintain peak performance.

Capture The first “C” in my E-3C system stands for Capture. You must “capture” everything and anything into a notebook instead of trying to keep things in your head. In a best-case scenario, trying to remember to-dos, to-calls, and to-buys leads to a higher cognitive load and unnecessary stress—worse, it can lead to incomplete tasks. Highly successful people keep a notebook with them at all times and write down everything they want to remember. In addition to capturing to-do items, they also record notes from calls and meetings, new ideas, lessons learned, favorite quotes, and other things that might need to be referenced in the future.Additionally, this practice improves your effectiveness, as you no longer forget important things to do, can hold other people accountable, and can learn from your accumulated written experiences

Calendar The second “C” in my E-3C system stands for Calendar. What is implied with this step is don’t use a to-do list! If you want “to do” something, immediately schedule it on your calendar. Highly successful people have clearly identified values which lead to top priorities and their Most Important Task (MIT). You must time block MIT time on your calendar. Time for other activities that support your top values (e.g., health, relationships, giving back) should also get blocked on your calendar on a recurring basis.Highly successful people protect their calendar, knowing and feeling the reality that nothing is more important than time. They say no to anything and everyone who does not align with their priorities and are especially wary of “distant elephants.” They do something only if they aren’t able to drop it, delegate it, or redesign it. They spend time on the 20 percent of things that contribute 80 percent of the value—and they drop the rest.

Concentrate The third “C” in my 3C system stands for Concentrate. Highly successful people proactively work from their calendar; they don’t react to stimuli like incoming email, social media messages, or “got a minute” meetings. Highly successful people don’t multitask; they concentrate on one task at a time. Highly successful people concentrate on their MIT and other priorities during times of peak energy, typically in the morning. Highly successful people pulse and pause to maintain concentration and productivity throughout the day. Most take 5-minute breaks every 30 to 60 minutes.

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12
Q

20 More Time & Productivity Hacks(30-9-2024)

A

The 15 secrets shared above are the principles that are most likely to get you massive gains in productivity. Below are even more tips and tricks you can use to save time.

  1. Always cook more than one meal at a time.
  2. Off-load your memory with your camera phone.
  3. Mute your phone and shut off all notifications.
  4. Drink a healthy protein shake for breakfast.
  5. Never watch live TV.6. Don’t watch TV at all!
    According to Nielsen, the average American spends 158 hours each
    month watching television! That’s 1,896 hours per year. Damn. That
    would be enough time to write an awesome book or start a company. You
    want a six-pack? Exercise instead of watch TV. Eliminate television and
    you gain nearly two thousand hours a year. Imagine what YOU could do
  6. Use your drive time wisely.
  7. Never call people without setting an appointment ahead of time (unless it’s social, of course).
  8. Avoid busy times out in the real world if at all possible.
  9. Use dual monitors.
  10. Have a stop doing list.
  11. Remind people of the “end time.”
  12. Hang out with productive people.
  13. Tell people around you to leave you alone.
  14. Buy birthday cards by the dozen.
  15. Pay bills electronically
  16. Never answer a call from an unknown number.
  17. Get a business coach, mentor, or mastermind group.
  18. Release your content through multiple channels.
  19. Know that done is better than perfect.
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13
Q

Time Secrets of 7 Billionaires(30-9-2024)

A

I try to reserve the morning for doing “real work.” I find I can focus more in the morning
Do one thing at once. Stop multitasking!

Making time for yourself is essential to maintaining mental fitness and it goes without saying that mental fitness is inextricably linked to your success.For me, it’s a daily workout during my lunch hour that keeps me sane. On most days, by 1:00 p.m. I have already put in about seven hours of work.

I’ll just say that actually being disciplined about adopting these habits is, in my experience, a huge differentiator of successful people. I often meet people who seem smarter than me yet are less capable because they don’t have the self-discipline and/or self-confidence to introspect on their ability to do what they think they’re going to do and find ways to iteratively improve. Amazingly, I think it’s as simple as that. It’s kind of a sore spot for me because I can’t understand why more people don’t take it seriously

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14
Q

Time Secrets of 13 Olympic Athletes(30-9-2024)

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Grabbing a power nap to facilitate recovery instead of wasting an hour online. Focus on those things that bring you further to your goal each and every day. Every moment counts!

focus is absolutely essential to achieving anything worthwhile. At the highest levels of achievement whether it be athletic, academic, or business.

One of the most important parts to managing your time well is having an agenda, meaning you have a focus each day and a goal each week. When you are an athlete and constantly training and competing, rest is incredibly important so that you are able to be at your very best physically and mentally. It is important to also schedule time for yourself, to rest, or to refocus. Also, when you are in a competitive sport you have to be able to adapt and overcome the obstacles you face. At the end of the day it’s how well you accomplish the process as a whole, not the long term goal, and how adaptable you are to change because processes evolves and is never perfect. The key to discipline is striving for perfection but understanding perfect isn’t attainable. To strive for it means you’re willing to learn and overcome challenges; therefore creating solutions. It’s a day-by-day process and if you walk in the light and focus on each step, you can see the imprint your footstep makes.KATIE UHLAENDER

When it comes to training, I guess I have just always prioritized it so it was easy to make time for. It has also allowed me to put other things off because training is more important at the time.

Find someone whose work you trust and admire and who has already done specifically what you want to do. Ask them for help and then filter their advice for your own situation. It’s not about saving an hour or there. It’s about saving you potentially years to get to goal. I had some great water polo coaches throughout my career. Each had strengths and weaknesses. My realization though, was that if I had a specific challenge, then I needed a specific answer.
It all seems pretty obvious but being specific about the challenge you face and then finding the specific person best in a position to help you accelerated my learning enormously. It would be nearly impossible to quantify how many hours this saved me over my career as an athlete, student and now in business.

Start every day listing off your five MITs (Most Important Things) and get those done first.

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15
Q

Time Secrets of 29 Straight-A Students(1-10-2024)

A

do one thing, and one thing only until it is finished, then move on.
“What can I do now so I won’t have to do it on my most busy day,because there might be days in which there are six hours to do homework after school, and some days when there might only be one or two.

I make sure that every night I dedicate at least one hour to myself. Whether that is just watching a television show or going to the gym, it is a key factor in decompressing each day.

Give yourself play rewards. Time management is mostly about staying focused–when we’re playing a game we like, we’re not tempted to be distracted. Knowing that we have a reward coming up, like video games, a show, or social time, is not only motivating, but it gives us a clear light at the end of the tunnel that keeps us from the malaise of feeling like we’re trapped in work.

When it comes to reducing distractions, I don’t listen to music or watch television while I’m doing my homework. I find that this helps me push through my homework at a much quicker pace.
—but I don’t give myself more than a ten minute break, because it will feel like you have a lot more homework than you do if you take multiple breaks.

Set realistic small goals. I call them daily quotas, a term that got some attention on Quora. By daily quota I mean a small goal that seems insignificant, but when repeated day after day gets daunting tasks done. For example, 20 words in a foreign language a day (using a flashcard system, for instance) means 3000 words after 5 months. That’s almost complete fluency.

Setting incremental reminders of upcoming due dates and when different parts of your project or assignment should be done helps to keep you on track and minimize procrastinating.
When studying, depending on the subject, I break up my time with one 15-to30-minute break for every 90 minutes to two hours of studying. During my breaks, I leave my study area and walk around, grab a snack and usually just check social media for five minutes. Doing something fun that takes your mind off studying helps you stay refreshed and refocus when your break is over

Combine multiple tasks together. Sometimes, there literally aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything. Find an opportunity to combine several things at once - maybe you do homework or study while on the bus, or you listen to an audiobook for class while cleaning your room. You have to do all four things eventually, but this way you can maximize time that you might otherwise have spent being idle (such as a bus ride). That way, you cross two things off the list at once!

Second, there is an extraordinary amount of idle time in our lives. Instead of letting that time pass underutilized, it is best to maximize productivity by taking advantage of it. This includes ANY waiting time. For example, waiting for the bus, in the airport, in between classes, etc. Use that time to complete short tasks that would otherwise accumulate and become a larger burden, such as responding to emails or studying. Another option would be to use that time to become productive in short bursts on a larger project. This will allow the project to be completed sooner, with less perceived pain and stress. In addition, short bursts are more effective than slogging at something for hours. Third, perform tasks that require a lot of cognitive energy during times of the day that you are most productive. This time will vary for each person, but use that time toward creative tasks, and tasks that require problem-solving. Perform tasks that don’t require a lot of mental energy during times of diminished energy. These tasks include things like cleaning, organizing, responding to emails (things that can be done on autopilot).

Learn how you work, what time you work best, and where you work best; whether you work best right after school or at midnight, do what you need to do to do the best work

Take notes by hand marking the important points. Then at night type the notes into your computer. This is good review and it makes sure you have a backup of your notes. Make a one page study sheet of the items you think are the most important in the class. In other words guess what is going to be on the test - hint if it was in the book and the teacher talked about it in class there is a good chance it will be on the test. Carry your one page study sheet around with you everywhere you go and check it when you have free time. IT’s easier to learn a little at a time then it is to try to cram the night before. I never got less than an A in a class I made a one page study sheet.

Know when to put in all your effort and know when to ease back.
If you aren’t sure what to work on first, just pick something and get started. Once you get tired of one assignment, either finish it out or move to something else. A lot of time is wasted deciding where to start or avoiding an assignment you don’t like.
A key part of staying focused is keeping your standards high.

Time Management: If it’s important, then you’ll find time for it. School is important to me so I make time to have all school related things in order before anything else.

I am a procrastinator. I always have been, and I always will be. It’s so easy to say, I can do it later, and then forget to do it. So rather than making later the next day or in a few hours I use the timer function on my phone. If the time is 11:13 and I need to study but want to put it off, I give myself 17 minutes. Although it doesn’t seem like much time, this routine satisfies my procrastinator personality.

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16
Q

Time Secrets of 239 Entrepreneurs(1-10-2024)

A

The best time management tip I’ve implored is to stop obsessing over time

end your day with a task list for tomorrow. When creating your list, try to make your task items as concrete as possible.

the first thing I recommend doing each day is to write down which hours you will dedicate to which tasks.As you cross off every item, you’ll feel empowered that you planned something and made it happen—no matter how small—which will spur you onto the next point.

Start your day with a good habit that many don’t do, like making the bed. This gets your day off to a productive start.

Write down the three things you are most passionate about and keep it somewhere you can see constantly. Keep those three things before you and focus on working toward them; as a result, this will help you keep focused and not get sucked into doing things which will not help you thrive.

never eat alone—you get huge leverage from a strong network,
Get up 15-minutes earlier than everyone else in your house and get into the office 15-minutes before everyone else. You can solve any problem in your life if you devote 15-minutes of focused thinking to it first thing in the morning every day.

Every Sunday, I take 30 minutes to identify what my core goals are for the coming week, and have that on my desk at all times. Believe it or not, the most effective thing I’ve found, which I’ve practiced for the past eight years, is to have a small paper notepad on my desk at all times. I’ve practiced the same ritual—the first thing I do in the morning is write down the list of actions I have to do, carrying over anything from previous days. I’ll cross off and add tasks during the day, as well as record notes. Despite all the digital “to-do” tools, nothing I’ve found beats having a piece of paper and seeing things get crossed off.

In life, there is only one thing—action. What are you currently doing at this moment and how is it helping to improve your life? You have the same amount of time in a day as everyone else on the planet. How you break up that day will ultimately determine the legacy you build. The beautiful thing about this is when you recognize that you are 100% in control of your actions, then you can do whatever the hell you want. If you really want to be better at time management, then start acting on it; everything else will fall in line.

If I’m feeling stuck and I don’t want to start a project, I set my phone for 30 minutes and tell myself that I only have to work for that amount of time. Once the time is up, I usually just spend a few minutes finishing the project. Often times I surprise myself by how much I can get done with just 30 minutes of focused work.I believe that finding ways to exercise or move throughout the day is one of the best things we can do for our productivity.

My first and biggest advice to you is to radically improve your diet if you want to to enjoy massive productivity and creativity in your daily life.

avoid self-blame, which wastes time and energy, and recognize that some days are just not going to be as productive as other days,

I simply invest one hour a month to research and test new productivity tools that can automate mundane tasks.If you can find just one or two small solutions each month, you’ll soon find that you actually have a lot more time to manage.

One of my favorite quotes from my days in corporate that I truly believe leads to success is “Plan the work then work the plan”.We also use a system where we develop a plan for the next day and prioritize five tasks that need to be done by each person, some are individual while some may be group task. We then put all other tasks on another sheet and do them when their priority is tops or after finishing the top 5 tasks for the day.

I leave perfection for others. Anyone that tells you to get it right the first time isn’t doing enough. Speed is the new big! Remove the brake, accelerate and get your ideas out ahead of everyone else.I leave perfection to the perfectionist; I, instead, have elected to produce.

To stay at my most productive, I need to move my body. Without movement, our bodies hold onto stress which can muck up the creative process!
Don’t ever confuse being busy with being productive, and don’t ever confuse being productive with being intentional about how you are spending your time (i.e. spending time with your kids without checking your phone).

I also read something that enriches my spirit or my personal development every single day.
Always look to take three actions each day that impact your business, you personally (can be extended to family), and someone else. Impact means make a difference that without your input it would not have happened.
I highly recommend keeping a journal, because a life worth living is a life worth recording.

  1. Use a calendar. This may seem a ridiculously obvious suggestion. The truth is most people attempt to schedule tasks and appointments in their mind. This results in missed appointments, stress, confusion, and overscheduling. Not using a calendar is a bit like trying to use a credit card for your time. 2. Under spend time. Make sure that all of your appointments are not back to back. Give yourself breathing room of 15 or 30 minutes; sometimes even an hour. If you find yourself unable to leave these gaps in your schedule, then push things off. Procrastinate as much as possible the things that are not necessary in the moment. Doing this will leave you the room to handle the unexpected. Ultimately, being at peace with the Truth of Time is a matter of you being truthful with yourself. While you are likely capable of doing anything you put your mind to doing, you are not capable of doing it all at once.

Before you go to bed at night, define the three most important tasks for the next day. These don’t have to be your only tasks— just the three that are non-negotiable. Define your most productive time of day, and knock out those tasks during that time if possible. When you are working on the tasks, remove all possible distractions in order to focus intently on the work. If necessary, break the tasks down to smaller chunks, and set a timer to work for 30 minutes to an hour. Allow yourself a break, and then set the timer again. Repeat until you’ve completed these primary tasks for your day.

My best tip is to determine what time of day you are most productive and kick butt during that time. I have found that I am most productive from 6:00 a.m. to noon. I’m up, fresh, creative, and that is the time I make crazy things happen. I do more in those hours than people probably do all week. Harness your productivity time and focus on that to make the best use of your time.

No Night Screens—other than my Kindle, I try to institute a stern rule in my household, that screens should be off by 9 PM. No games, no TV, no laptops, no work…everyone either has to sit there and talk to each other or curl up with a good book and start decompressing their day. Amazing how easy it is to get to bed at a reasonable hour when your start relaxing early enough at night. It also gives you a deadline to finish the day’s tasks, for those of us not being clocked for our too-many hours spent on work.

Find your Passion, Create a Plan to Achieve it, Make it Your Purpose Everyday.

17
Q

Time Secrets of 239 Entrepreneurs(2-10-2024)

A

Time is a concept. You have as much of it as you need for the things you decide are important enough to spend your time on. Take complete action. Once you decide to take action, fully commit to that action and don’t second guess yourself during the process.

I focus on staying productive by maximizing my output on one particular type of content in long stretches of time. This reduces transition time between various activities

My best advice is to schedule time in your day for exercising and thinking, ideally at the same time. Running, or walking, is perfect for this. Listen to podcasts or audiobooks whilst jogging and make sure you’ve got Evernote so you can stop and take notes when ideas and inspiration strike.

When it comes to content, be a producer, not a consumer.you’ll be amazed at how much time you free up. Not to mention all the negativity and fear-mongering you miss out on.

I always start with the most important thing on my priority list. If you didn’t spend your week working on the most important thing, it was a week wasted.

start with those things you least want to do, but will make the most difference

I recently learned the best way for me to remain productive (and sane)to give myself an hour of alone time every morning. It’s the best gift I can give myself, my work, and my family.

Define your priorities and take consistent action on them. Too many people have 17 “priorities” (which means they really have none) that they erratically take action on, with the end result that they feel like they’re doing a lot but getting nowhere. Better to define the things that truly matter and commit to taking action on them regularly and consistently than to be stuck in the binge-crash-regret-recommit cycle.

Step 1. Find a new idea. That’s all. Step 2.Once you’ve latched on to something new, build a system to allow someone (or something) else to do it. The second… and LAST time… that you will do that process will be when you are making it into a system that either a staff member, virtual assistant, or computer can do from then on.

Only check email once, twice a day maximum. You need slow time to think, reflect and come up with new ideas. The switching costs of going back and forth between email and other tasks can affect focus in very negative ways. Focus on one thing at a time. Studies show that multi-tasking is actually counter productive. 2) Only do what only YOU can do. Everything else? Delegate! It’s the only way you’ll truly be able to grow your business. 3) Automate and come up with systems as much as you can. Always think: Is there a way to automate what I’m doing right now? 4) Have a Digital Detox, tech free day. It will help you be more productive in every possible way. You need time to recharge.

Identify the stubborn task on your To Do list—the one you keep procrastinating about. Now, identify the BELIEFS that are blocking you from moving forward. For example, let’s say your task is “write new About page” you might identify blocking beliefs like “they’ll think I’m boring” or “I don’t know what to say”. Then, imagine you cannot believe those thoughts. It’s like your brain is now wired differently and it wouldn’t even occur to you to think those thoughts. What would be your next action step, if you were free from those thoughts? If your next action seems complex, break it down into 10 or 30 minute chunks and notice what it’s like to move ahead without the stressful thoughts in the way

My productivity philosophy is simple: Do what matters. People are incredibly gifted at staying busy all hours of the day doing the trivial, doing the things that keep them away from the things they know truly matter. The problem? What matters is often what scares us. It’s those ideas that push us beyond our comfort zones that are so important, ideas most of us avoid at all costs. But our businesses change, our lives change, when we stop avoiding the discomfort of progress and begin to do what matters.

I always start with the “why” for the project I’m working on. I have to have a solid, deeply felt reason for why this project is important to me and to the world. Once I have that, all of the other time management stuff I do— getting up at 4am, turning off email, avoiding social media, planning my day, etc —becomes much, much easier.

This is probably coming at a different angle than most, but energy management is my focus on how I approach time management and productivity. My mental clarity is my most valuable asset to increase my productivity, I do this by being mindful of the foods that I eat, the thoughts I think, the hours I sleep, and how I spend time outside of the work space. I consciously choose to surround myself by other positive and productive people, I refuse to allow drama in my life (or people that create it). I watch very little television, but when I do, it is positive and inspiring content. I am also conscious of what I read and listen to. Most people are oblivious to how critically important their health and emotional wellness is to their productivity and efficiency. Your body is a machine. Fuel it properly (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) and you will naturally be more efficient.

Start your day with the three “E”s: exercise, education and enlightenment. Exercising, for five minutes or 50 minutes, will jumpstart your day. Next, read or listen to something in your area of expertise. Then create space in your mind through meditation, gratitude, prayer, or whatever will help you focus and give purpose to your day. This routine will help you stay abundant in times that feel scarce, and creative in times that feel constrained.

So, the one tip I can give, is a promise I made to myself at that time. I promised to never do another task that I didn’t enjoy, and that someone else could do. When you put those two filters on your to-do list, and you’re honest and disciplined about it, you’ll realize that almost every actual task can be done by someone else, and for cheaper than what your time and energy are worth. And this isn’t just reserved for “$20/hour tasks”. I find that the more valuable tasks, the “triple-digit-per-hour” things, often give you the biggest ROI when you hire a real pro to handle them. Doing this frees your time and energy to work on the REALLY truly important things in your business, and of course, your life

This means that no one person can be involved in more than four projects So one key to being productive is to focus. We then practice committed action to hit timelines and goals of the project and I check on the progress of those projects with a 15 minute call each day where we share progress, challenges, areas we need help, or areas we’re available to give help.

“Routine sets you free”including the 15 minute daily huddle with your team (and spouse!) that will save everyone collectively over an hour each day and allow you to avoid minor train wrecks (that grow into bigger problems) and take advantage of immediate opportunities. “If you want to move faster, pulse faster”

Never sacrifice longterm effectiveness on the altar of short-term efficiency. Do something every day that will reap rewards down the road.

You can’t manage time—meaning minutes are 60 seconds long and hours are 60 minutes long. That’s not going to change. But you can manage choices. When you’re clear on your choices—priorities and steps to achieve those priorities, then you become highly productive and satisfied with how you spend your time. Top three things/schedule blocking—every day I begin by looking at the top three things I want to accomplish that day, in priority order.
Head Start—at least three times a week, think about your next day, think about what you will do first, and what’s your starting point for that activity/task. Write that starting point down. The following morning, instead of wasting time on how to begin, you can just dive in. You start the day with a little momentum.

Get your blood pumping for at least a minute or two every day. Quick workouts give a huge boost to energy and feed the brain with the oxygen you need to take over the world.

The first question I ask is, “What is the highest value of your time?”
That’s when the coaching starts. To know what the highest value of your time is, one must first know their dominant focus or the one thing they want to accomplish in the business or life. I then ask if they can do three things a day, five a week, 60 a month towards a dominant focus in their business or life. What you will find is if you know your dominant focus and the highest value of your time and then build a system to bring that to action—it can and will happen.

18
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Time Secrets of 239 Entrepreneurs(2-10-2024)

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As a person who’s fast-paced and enjoys her job, I find it essential to schedule time to recuperate and relax because it makes the whole cycle of work and play so much more productive. I start my days with exercise, a good healthy breakfast, and I walk my three rescue dogs to help me wake up, clear my mind, and prepare for the long day ahead. I schedule my week on Sundays and create a plan for the week ahead based in deadlines, personal interests, and while also leaving room for changes, and things that might come up unexpectedly. I always get out of the way the things I don’t enjoy doing before I jump head long into the things I find more joyful. I break up my day by heading outdoors for a few moments to take in some fresh air—even if raining or cold

Follow where your energy takes you and put one foot in front of the other. Before you know it you’ll be looking at the view from the top of the mountain. It’s less about how big the steps are along the way and more about continuing to take steps in the right direction. To know the right direction you must continue to look up toward the longterm vison and not always be heads down looking at the short term steps. Others have made the quest before you, so be not afraid, but respect what it will take and be humble along the way

do your most important and revenue-generating items as soon as you can. My best practice is to write for 20 minutes using the Evernote app on my iPad as soon as I get up when energy and ideas are fresh

First, I write down three things I am grateful for every morning and I also write down three things that will make the day great. Plus two or three affirmations.Third, I write down “three wins” every day before I go to bed…no matter how good or how bad any day is, there are always three wins in every day.

I equate productivity with visioning. I always live by the motto “If you can see it, you can achieve it!”. I start each day with a prayer before starting my work. I pray for focus, strength, and vision. The vision helps me see my goals in real life form. It makes my goals tangible. I work hard to turn my visions into specific action steps. These steps turn into tasks and To-Do Lists. These lists help me stay productive each day. I always have something new and exciting to work towards.

First, I text myself a daily list of tasks I must complete before my work day is done and then as I complete them I delete them from my list. Second, if I don’t have time to fit something in I’ll either reschedule it for the next day or if I can I’ll outsource it.

I designed my ideal day and weigh out commitments against it. For example, my prime writing time is in the mornings, so I avoid making appointments in the morning, since they would create an “unideal” day for me. I also have a theme for the day rather than doing multiple things each day. For instance, today the theme may be client work, and the theme tomorrow may be writing content for my own site. This keeps me focused and helps me get more done each day.

Get up early, and read as much as you can every day. I read three to four hours every day, and have for years. I attribute that to my becoming a multimillionaire. If you fail to learn new things, you will become “roadkill” in the path of your competitors.

The most important Time Management strategy I have discovered is investing 1% of your day in scheduling the next day’s activities. That is only 14 minutes a day. Surely investing 14 minutes before bed is a very beneficial habit. Scheduling the next day, just before going to bed, has a couple of time saving benefits.1. Your next day’s activities will be prioritized, knowing what needs to be accomplished. 2. Your mind is relaxed, and you are much less apt to toss and turn trying to go to sleep, thinking about all the stuff you need to do. 3. Your subconscious mind is working while you sleep on the best methods to achieve completion of your tasks. 4. It’s been said that investing 14 minutes in scheduling, creates an extra 56 minutes of productivity in your day. Extra productivity, extra and better sleep, peace of mind, and focused attention are all available in investing 1% of your day in prioritizing the next day’s revenue and goal accomplishing activities.

I set five overarching goals per quarter for myself and my team. I write these down on a notecard and keep it by my computer or workstation at all times. Whenever I find myself wondering what to do next, or if the thing I’m working on is the right thing…I look over my five goals and priorities, and if it’s not contributing to these priorities then it doesn’t need to happen. This helps me eliminate a lot of the “cool but not important” things that might come up in the course of the day or week

I break my day into four parts: Be, Do, Learn, Play. BE. We spend so much time being busy, and very little time just being. I start every day getting into a state of flow, moving my body through yoga or exercise, journaling or reflecting on what I’m grateful for, and doing a meditation
DO. These are the tasks that must be done to move me forward towards my five big goals for the year. I plan my year in a 5x5, I set five major goals and create five milestones for each, giving me 25 main things to focus on for the year. Usually there are three to five major things I need to do each day to stay on top of deadlines for those milestones. Keeping my eye on the bigger picture in this way allows me to stay super productive and laser focused. I only spend time on what matters most. LEARN. With the major tasks out of the way, I love diving into learning new things. It’s our responsibility as leaders to continually learn and expand our knowledge. I keep on top of my industry, but I also pick topics to study that take me out of my work and introduce me to something new I’ve also taken Thai cooking classes, French lessons, and meditation teacher training. Even when we’re grown up, we should never stop learning and trying something new might introduce you to a part of yourself you never knew before. And every day we have to PLAY. Many of us spend a lot of time at a desk and working. I think staying connected to your inner adventurer and free spirit can help lower your stress levels, increase productivity, and prevent burnout.

My days start with two hours of self care (journaling, meditation and exercise) followed by time-blocked sections which are focused on my main objectives for the week and month.

Create a theme for each day of the week so you can sort and focus on your priorities each day. You wear a lot of hats as an entrepreneur —breaking up your week will help you find time to make progress to grow and improve each key part of your business.

I set deadlines throughout the day and set a definitive end time to each day. I work better on a deadline, so I set them throughout the day I must finish all work by 6:00pm.those self-imposed deadlines keep me moving quickly. My goal is to get the most done, do it as well as I can, but be content with it being 95% right, moving to the next thing, and spending my best time with my family, not giving them my leftovers.

Defer—the most interesting, you have to realize that there are better times and worse times for you to do everything and be able to deal with something at the right team mean you’ll do it the most efficiently

Treat the 168 hours we have each week as you would carefully earned dollars. Decide in advance how you will invest, save, and spend those hours. My biggest productivity tip is that I work in uninterrupted, focused blocks of time. Not grabbing 10 minutes here and there but dedicating three to four hours to one important task in my office where there is no phone, no email or text messages, and no opportunity for someone to pop in to see me.

But I carefully protect that first hour of the day, making sure that all input is positive, clean, pure, creative, and inspirational. Many of my most creative ideas have come from this protected time of the day, often when I am in a full sweat. By 9:00 AM I am invigorated, motivated, and ready to face anything the day may bring.

If anyone can do it, so can you. It might take you longer and it might come at greater personal sacrifice but it’s true. If another human can do it, so can you. “If you think you can or if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

You will find that you have seemingly more down time than usual. You will want to fill the time with “stuff”, but avoid this. Take the time for peaceful thought and reflection. Cloistering for 90 to 120 minute blocks per day will reinvigorate you in a way that very few things can…couple it with exercise like a brisk walk and you will be fully charged and ready to go. Morning and night are great for this. Relationships go to the next level during long walks. Best thing my wife and I have ever done in 26 years of marriage.

I believe that I can get any task completed (even hated ones) in 25 minutes.hit start on a tomato, and then dive into whatever task I find myself procrastinating on. After 25 minutes, I end up so absorbed I do another 25, and eventually things wind up finished. :)
I’m a big believer in starting your day off right— so I do two things: 1. I read in the morning because that feels good to me 2. I open up my calender when I’m done reading, look at what I committed to getting accomplished that week (I commit to three big things a week), and figure out what I absolutely need to do THAT day. I put it on the calendar and nothing else gets done until I do that.

At its core, the secret to time management and productivity is to remove thinking from the process as much as possible. Psychologists have repeatedly stated the normal state of the mind is chaos and the brain is lazy, so without direction it will naturally guide itself to the easiest course of action
As such, I have created very clear five year goals, three year goals, one year goals, and then broken those down into months, weeks and days. So I stay present to the larger vision but focus only on the smaller tasks at hand. To maintain focus, I plan my week every Sunday with the larger goals in mind and I relentlessly chunk my time into smaller blocks where I focus on only one project and one task in that project at a time. I also track almost every hour of my day and then compare the tracked time to the planned time at the end of the week.

19
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Time Secrets of 239 Entrepreneurs(4-10-2024)

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We all have the POWER to choose our daily habits and to focus on the PROCESS (action steps) rather than on results we can’t control. The key: Each day identify three activity-driven goals (a personal goal, a business goal, a service goal) that, if accomplished, will make the day victorious, regardless of any other obstacles that come your way. Remember, you are focusing on activities which you can control, and not results that are ultimately out of your control.

Productivity tip: Make intense exercise a daily habit. The more fit I feel, the clearer my head is, the better decisions I make, and the more success I seem to attract. The discipline of exercise has helped me balance life It’s empowered me to believe I’m capable of doing things I’ve never done before. It keeps me from getting sick. It keeps me happy! It bonds me to other like-minded professionals

My Tip: Learn the art of working with an Assistant - your productivity and lifestyle balance will soar.

two like-sized objects cannot occupy the exact same space at the exact same time. The same holds true for priorities. You cannot complete two tasks, activities, exercises, etc. at any one given time. A choice must be made that reflects what is most important at this exact moment and reflects the best investment of your time, energy and focus.when multiple priorities appear to be equally important for completion. In the end, only one activity can be performed and it should always be that which provides the best return on your emotional and physical investment. When you are unclear as to how you should allocate your time, simply say to yourself, “Something’s gotta give” and then make a proactive choice about which endeavor you must pursue.

The early morning is the perfect time to get mentally focused. I like to start off the morning with exercise. It gives me a mental energy that allows me to stay even keel throughout the day. Then I’ll spend a half hour planning out my day, setting goals and focusing my efforts on strategic tasks. I’ll AVOID checking emails even though I’ll have many in my inbox If you don’t have a plan and a mental strength when you start your day you can easily get caught up in things that take your attention away

My friends consider me one of the most organized people they know, but I consider organization one of my greatest opportunities for growth. That’s because – like Socrates said of wisdom – the more organized you get, the more you can do, and the more you can do, the more organized you need to get. It is a virtuous cycle. Elimination is one of the key principles in organization. It is far easier to organize a few things than to organize a lot of things

learned about Next Actions from David Allen’s bestselling book, “Getting Things Done,”When you have a big project on your mind, you don’t think about the WHOLE thing. You think about the next specific, visible activity that will move that project toward completion.

Productivity is key to success - the difference between winners and losers is the time devoted to taking action. As an entrepreneur, taking action can seem so overwhelming as there are always a million and one things that need to be done. The best recommendation I have for any entrepreneur is build a team, sell people on the vision of what you are trying to build - get them involved and learn how to effectively delegate. If you want to go quick, go alone - but if you want to go far, go together. Building an effective team that understands their role is better than any app I can recommend.

The second thing I did (and re-visit often) is make a list of the people I surround myself with (clients, friends, other) and place a Plus (+) sign beside the ones adding positivity and value and a Negative (-) sign beside the ones that are bringing negativity and perhaps not bringing value (professionally and perhaps personally) and I adjust accordingly so that I’m spending my time with the people who are bringing positivity and value and therefore to do list items that add value overall

Work when you feel inspired. Stop working when you feel your productivity lagging. Otherwise you’ll waste a lot of time trying to work when in fact you’re too tired to be productive (such a huge time sink), or you’ll miss opportunities to produce your best results by doing something else at a time when you are having great ideas about your work. Surround yourself with productive people. Try to remember that sending any response to an email (even just a couple words) is better than no response. Try to remember this: done is usually better than perfect. Few things need to be perfect, so you can get a lot more done at the expense of perfection.

Do NOT accomplish all of your tasks. In fact if you are accomplishing all of your tasks it’s a pretty good indicator that you are NOT productive. Why? Because you want to start by writing down everything that you can think of that you might want to do on your task list. Get it all out of your head and onto a list. On that list you are going to have some lower priority items. Some items that might seem good at the time you wrote them down but are not super-high priority. It’s important to focus on the most important tasks and prioritize these tasks before you get around to the lower priority items on your list. Actively procrastinating these lower priority tasks is crucial to being productive.

Understanding that will power is limited and it depletes overtime. Cut yourself off from all distractions and do your best work in the morning.

One of the best things that has worked for me is to recognize the importance of separating PLANNING from EXECUTION. The act of planning out what you’re going to do is a SEPARATE action from actually doing it. One of the most effective ways to WASTE your time is to attempt to be productive while planning it out on the fly. Or to just “jump in” without planning it first. So, I take regular sessions for myself simply to plan. During that time, I am being the EXECUTIVE of my own business, not the technician. I figure out what I’m going to do, how I’m going to do it, and (very importantly) what my deadline is. If there are any decisions to be made, I make them. And I do all this before I start working on it. Then, when I go into “work mode”, I just buckle down and execute

Ambition starts in the morning. From the moment your feet hit the ground you begin to make decisions for your your day will play out. What you choose to spend your first waking moments doing will determine your success for the day. If you want to be more productive, create a morning routine that allows you to focus on what will make your day a success.

Stick to using your time for what you’re awesome at! When you do, you’re happier…when you’re happier, you produce more with the limited 24 hours we all have…

The two tips I use to achieve high level productivity is time-blocking and batching. I block out an hour to 3 hours to completely devote to a single task. That is the one singular task I work on during that time blocked session. The other thing I do is batch similar tasks into one day. By batching similar items I can reach a flow state much easier and switching from task to task is much more efficient.

Your schedule is a list of priorities. Block off the hours you sleep, the half hours you eat, the “musts” like go to work or take kids to sports. Whatever is left is yours. We start with family. Time each day with each other and our kids. Then we schedule time for self. Then our business. If there is time left for other stuff, we prioritize the activity and fill it in. Then stick to it and do it again next week. e built our business while working full time and raising kids. Because we set priorities. You schedule will make or break your dreams. If it’s REALLY important to you, you will find a way to put it on that schedule. If it’s not, you will find an excuse and it won’t make the cut. After that, leverage every dime you have to outsource and buy other people’s time. That is the key. Organize your 168 hours, then BUY hours from others to grow.

Energy management can sometimes be more powerful than time management. Morning rituals are certainly a huge factor in creating successful habits. Productivity can be enhanced even further when you empower yourself with a team and move beyond “I can do everything myself.”

Ask others that are successful and busier than you how they manage their tasks

Wake up and do the task you least want to do. It’s often the task you least want to do that’s the most important. I ask myself one simple question every morning, “what task that I accomplish today will make the biggest impact on my business and life.” If I accomplish that one task, my day has been successful.

Every day do something to promote and grow your business, even if you’re sick, traveling, or just overwhelmed with the “stuff” of life. You do this
fast B+ is always better than a slow A-.

According to Nielsen, the average American spends 158 hours each month watching television(!!). That’s 1,896 hours per year. Damn. That would be enough time to write an awesome book or start a company. You want a six-pack? Exercise instead of watch TV. Eliminate television and you gain nearly two thousand hours a year. Imagine what YOU could do?!

Here’s what works great for me…First, I figure out what my definite chief aim in life is for the moment - this is normally in the form a project (limited in time) that I am super passionate about. Then, I figure out the MAIN priority to make this project a reality and a success. I do my best to JUST focus on this ONE MAIN priority at any given time, until it’s complete…and then move onto the next priority on the list.

Wishful thinking is NOT a strategy. You must have a plan in place for how and when you’re work day will start. AND how and when your work day will stop. At my predetermined stop time I give my wife my laptop and she locks it away from me. WHY? If you’re someone who is self-employed you must give yourself guardrails to enable long-term, sustainable success.

Between being a full time entrepreneur and a full time mom, I have moved on from the silly idea of “balance” and instead focus on ways to harmonize my world by being intentional. If I’m with my baby, I’m with my baby. If I’m working, I’m working.

I keep a not to do list of things that are a waste of time. It is of equal importance to my daily list of three things to focus on before taking on anything else. I find that it is important to be hyper-focused on leveraged activities that will move important things forward. My ‘not to do list’ is a reminder of how easy it is to get distracted . Another critical part of my ritual is 15 minutes of meditation before I open my emails or go to work. It centers me and allows me to stay focused on a bigger picture of what is important.

One of the core reasons for lack of productivity and time management is a lack of caring about oneself.started is prioritizing time for yourself. You don’t have to meditate or have a morning ritual – the idea is to carve out time to do something you love, sit and think for 10 minutes, and make that time non-negotiable. Because if you don’t, no one else will, either

Even as a founder, owner, or salaried worker, use a time clocking software and make sure every minute counts for something. Give each minute a name and make sure you are spending it wisely in the categories you planned on instead of your day spending you.

Believe in yourself and stay focused. When you have a good mindset and believe in yourself, you can make anything happen. There will be times when you have self doubt, but you must put that aside and persist and keep the focus and drive. If you stay focused and thoughtful (and organized), you can make anything happen!

Before I write the first word of a book, I know when it will publish. There is a power to setting deadlines, whether you’re talking about tomorrow’s to-do list or the biggest goal you’ve ever had. If you put it on the calendar, you can work backward to find the daily steps. And then you do them, one by one, spurred by your deadline Personal or professional - deadline setting works!

Active Actions vs Passive Actions. I think we fill our to do list with things that don’t align with our goal too often! An active action is one that pushes you outside of your comfort zone—and something that will give you results that push you toward your goal. That is what should be filling out to do list! (And first you need to know your ONE goal to make progress on!)

I’m a firm believer than you need to ask questions, and be very clear from the start as to what the expectation is of your boss or the leader of the project you are working on. Why spin your wheels doing something you think will be good, or spend extra time researching something, when it is not the direction the project manager was looking for. Save time by asking the right questions in the beginning, and this will allow you to challenge the current mindset if necessary, but ultimately leave that initial meeting on the same page and clear on what you need to do the first time, rather than the second time around. I am also a firm believer that prioritization is key.

You multiply your time by giving yourself the emotional permission to invest time into things today that create more time tomorrow.

My highest productivity tip is to “get it done in the moment.” If a task comes in that takes me less than 5 minutes, I immediately knock it out. So by getting things done immediately, in the moment, I don’t have to worry about it later and let that anxiety build. (2). Live by your to-do list. Write everything down, big and small. Divide your tasks by day and get the most crucial tasks done first thing in the morning to build momentum, reduce stress and make sure you hit your deadlines. Any task you didn’t accomplish on the day should be transferred to tomorrow’s list and if nothing else, you’ll get it done out of sheer annoyance from writing the same task each day. (3). Get into an end-of-day routine. The last thing I do for the day is completely clean and organize my desk. I write tomorrow’s to-do list to brain dump everything that’s on my mind so I can be present with my family (and not let mind chatter get in the way of my free time). By leaving my desk organized at the end of the day, I can come in the next morning and feel fully energized to take on the day

Whatever you’re doing, always finish it and never leave it lingering. If you start a task, finish it so you can cross it off your list and it doesn’t sit around and start to accumulate on your list of “things to do.” The feeling of accomplishment you get from completing the task is a great motivator to tackle the next challenge and closing those open loops feels incredible.

First, Implement Intentional Action, which means to get your mindset right first, then take action. In other words, intentionally get yourself feeling good and then take action in your business. When you are feeling good, the action you take is more effective and seems to happen effortlessly. Second, implement a 50-minute work session at the beginning of every work day.Only work on tasks that put money directly into your pocket during this time session .

Only work on tasks that put money directly into your pocket during this time session ..I reserve 5-8 PM for my husband and children, and I never check email after 9pm.

All the tools, todo lists or apps are no use if one cannot stay emotionally solid.

So to get more productive, all you need to do is to get to know yourself, accept yourself and accommodate your own personality traits, no matter how quirky they might be.

With so much fighting for our attention it’s not always easy to see the forest from the trees. Most people keep lists and lists of trees in the form of to-do lists while keeping their high impact activities which require multiple steps and multiple time periods to complete in their head. I keep a Current Goals and Projects list on a white board. The only things on this list are activities that start with “big” verbs like develop, coordinate, research, create, plan. Anything that starts with a “little” verbs like call, email, buy birthday card etc. are on a separate list. That’s because when you mix big verbs and little verbs on the same list, it forces your subconscious to choose between “develop strategic plan” and “call Fred.” Given the choice, the higher pay-off but more involved activity will lose out over the more manageable quick hit tasks every time.

Once you have determined why you are building your business (your life goals), the rest is just discipline and work. Invest the first part of your day working on your number one priority that will help build your business. Do this without interruptions—no email or txt, and before the rest of the world is awake. If your most creative time is later in the day, then you can do this practice then, but you must be relentless in keeping this time sacred and interruption free.

20
Q

110 Best Time Management Quotes (4-10-2024)

A

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present

Don’t wait. The time will never be just right

A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life

A wise person does at once what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.

Live each day as if it be your last.

All great achievements require time

All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that. –

Be mindful of how you approach time. Watching the clock is not the same as watching the sun rise.

Better three hours too soon than one minute too late.

Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress

Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save

If it weren’t for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn’t get done.

If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got

In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking

It’s better to do the right thing slowly than the wrong thing quickly.

no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. –

Lost time is never found again.

Managing your time without setting priorities is like shooting randomly and calling whatever you hit the target

Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time

Money, I can only gain or lose. But time I can only lose. So, I must spend it carefully

Never let yesterday use up today

Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it

The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: “I did not have time.”

The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.

The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.

Time lost is never found again

To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.

Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it

You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction