Stop Wasting Your Time and Start Doing What Matters Most

In this book you will be able to learn and see how much emphasis and repetition we place on the art of time management. Yes, I repeat, the ART OF TIME MANAGEMENT, and the reason I call it an art, is because once you embrace it, and cease to be its prisoner, time management becomes like what a brush of an artist is to a white canvas.

You begin to realize that not only do you have the same amount of time as presidents, rock stars, famous artists, and so on, you have the same amount of time that great leaders have had, like Gandhi or Mother Theresa, two of my greatest role models.

Once I started my committed coaching with Jeff (co-author of this book), I realized I had been a prisoner, not of time itself but the lack of organizing it. Revelation really took place and what seemed like stress in the outside world was nothing more than stressful thoughts collapsing in on each other, with different perspectives and without knowing when to end or when to begin.

In a sense having a time management coach has been one of the best decisions that I, as a leader, have made and that I suggest all leaders approach, just as an athlete would, with proper supplementation and an exercise routine.

If we want to accomplish something as a leader, we need as much support as possible, and TIME, the gift we have as a day bestowed upon us by the divine, is such a precious asset that it just makes sense to use it wisely, manage it accordingly and use it for what it truly is. Time, for a leader, is a tool at his service; the leader is not at the service of time.

We are not the slaves of time; we are neither the prisoners nor the victims of a passing day, hour or minute. We are but creators of possibilities, and time is given to use as a guideline to increase, achieve and even create more of our success, and to share with the world.

The leader, thus, never hosts the belief in his mind of “I have no time”, and with this belief dropped, all possibilities emerge, all skills increase, and ease and elegance flow in a day that still can accomplish what a Lance Armstrong would, that still can dream what a Dali would, and that still can contribute and impact the world like a Mother Theresa would.

Keeping flexibility, and adjusting oneself through the time we use wisely, is also a skill for leaders to model and embrace.

So when you as a leader make the decision to use the skills to manage your time, you are also contributing to a higher good with this, as what you are doing is modeling this essential skill to all: all students, all co-workers, all employees, and everyone around you.

So, if you ever find someone who says, “I have no time”, “I am always in a rush”, “I feel overwhelmed” or “I am trapped and feel limited with my time”, LET THEM KNOW THE GOOD NEWS:

There are keys to liberate from this imprisonment. Time Management will do this for all; and watch as all those trapped as prisoners of time, begin to experience a sense of greater freedom, a liberation of mind, and a transcendence of time.

From that time on, we have ALL had the same amount of time. Each and every one of us is given 24 hours a day to do with as we please. So the question is, "How will you be using your time?"

As a leader, it is your job to set the example. We must be certain that others do not see us trying to figure out what we should be doing next. As the leader, we should know in advance because our performance affects the results of others.

One of the feelings that affects our performance the most and keeps us from accomplishing what we want to accomplish is "stress". More often than not, stress makes us feel overwhelmed, like there is never enough time to get things completed. If we could only add a few hours to our days, we know we could get more accomplished.

To that I say, "RUBBISH!”

The REASON Time Management is such a hot topic, and by the way it has been for more time than I can remember, is because unless we recognize that it is an issue, we never address it. Think back to the days of high school. Did any of your teachers ever talk about Time Management? Was there ever a class offered on developing better Time Management? Or, what about college? Were you offered the opportunity to take a Time Management class? The answer to any of the aforementioned questions is very likely a resounding NO!

Well, why not?

That is a question for which I wish I had the answer, but I don't. I tried to calculate the amount of time I have wasted over the many years of my working life and realized I was just wasting more time trying to figure it out. The reason being that it is in the past, and I can never get that time back again. I must look forward, and in looking forward, I have to learn how to make the best use of my time now.

So, why is it so important you ask?

The use of our time is personal, and it is important for us to use our time in a most efficient manner. Are we talking about our personal time or our working time? For the purposes of this book, we will be looking at our working time, but you will find that the principles we discuss will work for your personal time, as well.

Leaders often look at time from a very high level, or you might say they see the whole clock, and their responsibility is to determine how each working minute will benefit the company. That is why Time Management is important.