Time Mgt

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion."

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special. I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life.

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good China and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party going friends.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would've done had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing - I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath truly is. . .a gift.

A Thousand Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and what began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned on the old am band radio that was once my Grandfather's and tried to see if it would pick anything I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whoever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles".

I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital." He continued, "let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime."

"Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part. It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the kitchen. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. 73 Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!" You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the yard that morning, and then I was going to clean the garage. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

Right Now!

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, and then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we believe that we'll be more content when they are.

After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we're able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.

If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way.

So, treasure every moment that you have, and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, (special enough to spend your time with), and remember that time waits for no one.

What is time management?

Time management is an endless series of decisions that gradually change the shape of your life.

Inappropriate decisions produce frustration, low self-esteem and increased stress. They can result in the following symptoms of poor time management:

Take a time inventory

How do you spend your time? An easy way to find out is to use the Time Inventory Chart. At the end of each day write down the time spent on each of your activities. The total amount of time for all activities should equal the total number of hours you were awake.

Time Inventory Chart

Keep this time inventory for seven days. At the end of seven days, note the total amount of time spent in each of the categories.

Set goals for yourself

First, using your time inventory, compare your current use of time to your achievement of goals. Imagine yourself as very old and aware that your days are numbered. What had you hoped to accomplish in your life? What makes you most proud? What is your biggest regret? Put down anything that comes to mind. Don't think about it or analyze it, if something occurs to you, write it down. Use this list for your long range goals.

Second, make a list of one year goals, those that stand a reasonable chance of being accomplished within the next twelve months.

Finally, put down your short range goals for the coming month, including work priorities, personal growth, recreational activities, etc.

You have created three lists of goals: long, medium and short range. Prioritize each list by deciding the top, middle, and low priority items:

Top priority: those items ranked most essential to you.

Middle priority: those items that could be put off for awhile, but are still important to you.

Low priority: those items that could be put off indefinitely with no harm done.

Once you have prioritized your lists, choose four top priority items from each list. You will have twelve top priority items representing your current goals.

Time Management Goal Planner

Lifetime Goals (long range)

One year goals (medium range)

Pick two top priority goals from each category. Enter them here. These are the goals you will begin to work on now.

These six top priority goals should occupy your time for one month. Next month make a new list. Some goals will remain top priority, others will drop off. The goals will always be accompanied by a list of specific, easy to accomplish steps. Set aside a certain time period each day to work on your top priority goals. Emphasize results rather than activity. Try to accomplish one step toward your goals each day, no matter how small.

Use "to do" lists

If you find it hard to keep focused on top priority items, you will need a daily ``to do'' list. Use the following Daily Planner. The ``to do'' list includes everything you would like to accomplish in one day. Each item is rated top, middle, or low priority. If you find yourself doing a low priority item with some of the top priority items unfinished, you can be almost certain that you are wasting your time.

Work your way down from the top items. Only when they are completed should you work on the middle priority tasks. Only when everything else is done should you work on the low priority items. You will find that it is often acceptable to ignore the low priority items.

It can be easy to let top priority goals slip to the back of your mind and say, ``Not today. I'll get to it later.'' One solution to this tendency is to make signs describing your six top priority goals and post them conspicuously around your house, office, or car. You will be reminded of your priorities often.

Make time for yourself

Study each of the following rules for making time and try to implement them in your own life:

Learn to say "No.'' Keep away from commitments that force you to spend time on low priority items. Be prepared to say, ``I can't do this now.''

Banish low priority items unless you have completed all higher priority items for the day. The definition of low priority items is ``they can wait.''

Build time into your schedule for interruptions, unforeseen problems, unscheduled events, etc. You can avoid rushing by making reasonable time estimates for activities, then adding on a little extra time for the inevitable crises.

Set aside several periods each day for quiet time. Arrange to be interrupted only in an emergency. Focus on deep relaxation using any of the techniques you have found useful.

Keep a list of short, five minute tasks to do whenever you are forced to wait or are ``between things.''

Learn to do two things at once: organize an important letter in your mind while driving to work, or plan dinner while vacuuming.

Delegate low priority tasks.

Get up 30 minutes or an hour earlier.

Reduce television viewing: TV is a huge time waster. If you watch, make an agreement with yourself to write a one sentence summary of each commercial.

Block off your escape routes, when you have a top priority item to do. These escape routes include:

schedule daydreaming for a later time
stop socializing
put away the books and the newspaper
put away tiny, unimportant tasks
don't run out for ice cream or other sudden indulgences
forget errands or sudden bursts of house cleaning

Cut off non-productive activities as soon as possible, e.g., socializing on the phone when top priority items are begging to be done.

Throw away all the mail you possibly can. Scan it once and toss it or file it.

Stop perfectionism. Just get it done. Everyone makes mistakes.

Make a decision not to procrastinate

Every minute of your life you are making decisions. Even if you decide not to decide, it is a decision. If you let yourself daydream for five minutes, that is a decision. The important choices in life are usually composed of one or two early, ``original'' decisions, and hundreds of little decisions thereafter. For example, you might have decided early in life never to suffer embarrassment. That decision could be supported by choices to procrastinate or relinquish any task in which you might fail or look foolish.

Many people have great difficulty in making any decision. This can be because they were blamed and criticized for choices they made as children. They decided very early to leave the decision making to others. The problem is that other people don't know exactly what you want or need, and they usually aren't worrying much about it. Even though the early decision not to decide made sense at the time, it becomes a liability as you develop into a helpless adult. Tracing back to the point of that initial decision can be the first step in remaking it. Awareness can help you recognize that poor decision at work in your life every day, and you can begin to discard it.

Here is a list of earlier decisions that may lie behind your current choice to procrastinate:

Here are some specific ways to overcome procrastination. Know what you want to do, and realize that you will pay later for not acting now.

Recognize the unpleasantness. Any correct decision is often a little more difficult than an incorrect one, or making no decision at all. Face the prospect of how unpleasant the right decision may be. Examine the greater unpleasantness of putting it off or doing it the easy way. Look squarely at the cost and risks of delay. Use this information to create enthusiasm for getting something done in a time frame that will result in less overall unpleasantness.

Examine the real payoffs for not deciding or taking the easy way. For example, you avoid being anxious if you procrastinate. You won't call attention to yourself or have to face the possibility of failure.

Examine the advantages of avoiding whatever changes might follow from making a decision. You might have to face up to the difficult task of revising your self concept upward. You might have to give up your depression, or the secondary gain of attention that you get from being chronically unhappy.

Exaggerate your resistant behaviors. Exaggerate and intensify whatever you are doing that is putting off the decision to begin a task. If you are staring at yourself in the bathroom mirror in the morning instead of getting to work, draw it out. Really study all your pores. Go over each quadrant of your face minutely. Keep it up until you are really bored, and getting to work seems much more exciting.

Take responsibility for each delay. You are the one wasting your own precious time. Make a list of each procrastination or escape activity and note how long it took.

Decide everything now. Include in the decision when you will set aside all escapes to begin the task.

Prime yourself with lead in tasks. Let yourself into the activity gradually with a small but related task. If you have to mow the lawn, decide to go as far as filling the gas tank on the mower, then wheeling it out to the edge of the lawn.

Finish things, Avoid beginning a new task until you have completed every segment of your current task. The satisfaction of finishing a task is one of the greatest rewards in decision making.

Solutions to time wasters

Time Waster	Possible Causes	Solutions
*Lack of planning*	Failure to see the benefit of planning	Recognize that planning may take time but it saves time and effort in the long run.
*Lack of planning*	Action oriented	Emphasize results, not activity.
*Lack of planning*	Success without it	Recognize that success is often in spite of, not because of, methods.
Lack of priorities	Lack of goals and objectives	Write down goals and objectives. Discuss priorities with co-workers and family members.
*Over-commitment*	Broad interests	Learn to say no.
*Over-commitment*	Confusion in priorities	Re-assesses your goals and priorities
*Over-commitment*	Failure to set priorities	Develop a personal philosophy regarding time. Relate priorities to a schedule of events
*Management by crisis*	Lack of planning	Apply the same solutions as for lack of planning.
*Management by crisis*	Unrealistic time estimates	Allow more time. Allow for interruptions.
*Management by crisis*	Problem oriented	Be opportunity oriented
*Management by crisis*	Reluctance of others to break bad news	Encourage fast transmission of information as essential for timely corrective action
*Telephone*	Lack of self-discipline	Screen and group calls. Be brief.
*Telephone*	Desire to be informed and involved	Stay uninvolved with all but essentials. Manage by exception.
*Meetings*	Fear of responsibility for decisions.	Make decisions without meetings.
*Meetings*	Indecision	Make decisions even when some facts are missing.
*Meetings*	Over-communication	Discourage unnecessary meetings. Convene only those needed.
*Meetings*	Poor leadership	Use agendas. Stick to the subject. Prepare concise minutes as soon as possible.
*Meetings*	Indecision	Lack of confidence in the facts. Improve fact finding and validating procedures.
*Meetings*	Insistence on all the facts; paralysis by analysis	Accept risks as inevitable. Decide without all facts.
*Meetings*	Fear of consequences of a mistake	Delegate the right to be wrong. Use mistakes as a learning process.
*Meetings*	Lack of a rational decision making process.	Get facts, set goals, investigate alternatives and negative consequences, make the decision, then implement it.
*Lack of delegation*	Fear of subordinates' inadequacy.	Train. Allow mistakes. Replace if necessary.
*Lack of delegation*	Fear of subordinates' competence	Delegate fully. Give credit. Insure corporate growth to maintain challenge.
*Lack of delegation*	Work overload on subordinates	Balance the workload. Reorder priorities.
Haste	Impatience with detail	Take time to get it right. Save the time of doing it over.
Haste	Responding to the urgent	Distinguish between the urgent and the important.
Haste	Lack of planning ahead	Take time to plan. It repays itself many times over.
Haste	Attempting too much in too little time.	Attempt less, delegate much more.
Paperwork & reading	Knowledge explosion	Read selectively. Learn speed reading.
Paperwork & reading	"Computeritis"	Manage computer data by exception.
Paperwork & reading	Failure to screen	Delegate reading to subordinates. Ask for summaries.
Routine & trivia	Lack of priorities	Set and concentrate on priority goals. Delegate non-essentials.
Routine & trivia	Over-surveillance of subordinates	Delegate; then give subordinates their right to do it their way. Look to results, not details or methods.
Routine & trivia	Refusal to delegate; feeling of greater security dealing with operating detail	Recognize that without delegation, it is impossible to grow. Forget perfectionism.
Visitors	Enjoyment in socializing	Do it elsewhere. Meet visitors outside work setting. Suggest lunch, if necessary or hold stand up conferences.
Visitors	Inability to say "no."	Screen. Say no. Be unavailable. Modify the open door policy.

Now that you have read about these time wasters, answer the following questions in your journal:

Some ways to save time on the job

How to get yourself oriented to manage your time

To get yourself ready to manage your time better answer the following questions in your journal:

A. What is my time worth? How much do I get paid per hour? If I could save one hour a day, what would this amount to in the course of one year?

B. What is my job? What results are expected of me? Am I meeting a predetermined, definable purpose, or am I just drifting?

C. What have I been doing? At the end of a day, am I able to account for my time, or do I say to myself, ``Where did the day go? I don't feel I have accomplished anything.''

D. Have I been doing the right things? Am I involved in work activities that rightfully fall under the responsibility of my subordinates? What are the five most important tasks I have to do?

E. How am I spending/investing my time? What results do I see for the time I spend on each activity? What would happen if some of these things were not done?

F. Am I goal oriented? Am I working toward quantified objectives? Have I established performance standards for myself? For my people?

G. Have I done any planning? When I arrive on the job in the morning, do I know what it is I want to accomplish during that particular day? Have I established priorities? Have I determined a hierarchy of importance?

H. Have I tried to manage, schedule, control my work and time? Is the job running me or am I running the job? Am I suffering from ``brief caseitis,'' i.e., bringing more and more of my work home?

I. Do I delegate all possible tasks? Am I able to hand over more tasks to my co-workers or staff at work and to my spouse or children at home?

J. Does the time I spend on the job affect my lifestyle? Am I enjoying life and having fun, or am I so stressed from the pressures of poor time management on the job that the tension carries over into my everyday life?

Steps to making a time budget

The use of a time budget can help to organize daily and weekly activities for a more effective use of time. Complete Steps 1 through 5 in order to make maximum use of your time.

Step 1: List in your journal the things you do during one week's time according to the following schedule:

Daily activities.
Those done at definite, stated intervals.
Those that you must do, but which come at unpredictable times and require unpredictable amounts of time.
Those you would like to do if you had the time.
Allow time for planning and thinking.
Allow time for emergencies, the unexpected.

Step 2: Determine the time you now spend on each job or duty, the average time under normal circumstances.

Spot duplications of effort.
Determine those activities that could be delegated to a subordinate.
Determine those activities that could be done in less time.

Step 3: Prepare a time table based on the above factors for each day of the week. Try to fix a time of day to do each job. Allow time for special and creative work. Take into consideration when budgeting activities those periods in the day in which you are at a high for energy level. Budget activities requiring less energy when you are at a low energy level. Plan your work so that you complete similar activities in the same block of time. This eliminates excess time in ``setting up'' and orienting yourself to each new task.

Step 4: Use the budget, revising it when necessary. Use the sample Time Budget for a Typical Week at the end of this section to create your own time budget forms.

Step 5: If you are still unable to manage your time wisely, review the material in this section, return to Step 1 and begin again.

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