Life’s Greatest Lessons Chapter 15 SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DON’T FIND TIME—THEY MAKE TIME

On your paper, record one thing that you have difficulty finding time to do…  “Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master you life and make the most of it.”  Alan Lakein

One of the Essential Skills of Life  Skills that can help you turn your potential into reality: 1. Motivation 2. Goal-setting 3. Hard work 4. Self-discipline and… 5. Effective use of time  Right here, right now! Right here, right now!

 Words of wisdom from Benjamin Franklin:  Time is opportunity. In order to live fully, we have to learn to make the most of it.  If you love life, you’ll treasure your time— you’ll use it wisely!

The way we spend our time is the way we measure our QOL…  View time as a resource—it’s always there, but like any other resource, it can be put to good use or it can be wasted.  One big difference with this resource--we can’t:  Save it up  Store it up  Stockpile it  Hoard it  Turn it on/off  Replace it  We’re forced to spend it, and once we spend it, we can’t retrieve it We’re forced to spend it, and once we spend it, we can’t retrieve it

Winners & Losers: What They Do with Time Losers:Winners: They kill time.They use time. They waste time.They spend time wisely. They lose time.They value time. They let time slip away.They organize their time. They take time for granted.They treasure time. They squander time.They schedule time. They can’t find time.They make time. The key is balance! Everyone gets 24 hours a day—what we do with it defines our lives.

We Have All the Time We Need  In a recent poll, almost 80% of the people in the U.S. feel that time moves too fast for them and they can’t do all the things they want to do.  What’s wrong? People’s thinking about time. 2 errors: 1. Time isn’t moving any faster now than it did when the clock was first made—there are still 60 minutes in each hour. 2. People can’t do all of the things that they want to do, because they want to do too much.  Suggestion: we need to cut back on our drive for status/power/need to “have it all”—simplify our lives by spending more time relaxing and doing enjoyable things—things that are truly important.

We need to manage our time!  Using time effectively is a skill that can be acquired.  The better we become at this skill, the more efficient we become.  Then we begin to realize that there really is plenty of time.  “We can always make time for things that are important.”

4 Keys to Mastering Your Time/Life: 1. Plan your day 2. Make appointments with yourself 3. Use the little-bit-at-a-time approach 4. Know your most productive time

1. Plan your day  A successful life begins with a string of successful days. So why not make the most of each one?  Make a day plan/”to do” list  Set aside 10 minutes each day (night before or 1 st thing in the morning) to:  Write down all of the things you want to accomplish  Number them in order of importance  Keep your list visible throughout the day  Check off each goal as you complete it = accomplishment!

2. Make appointments with yourself  If you have something that needs to be done, but you’re likely to put it off until the last minute, make an appointment with yourself!  Before you do anything else, make the decision that it’s going to get done. Then decide when you’re going to do it, and commit yourself.  This technique:  Helps you get more done  Develops self-discipline  Aids in goal-setting  Helps overcome procrastination  Teaches you to use your time effectively

3. Use the little-bit-at-a-time approach  One of the most effective ways to complete major tasks to do a little at a time  Works best when you:  Block out specific times  Use the same time period each day—consistency makes it a habit!  You get used to doing it. And each day part of the task gets accomplished!  Success is the result of hard work done little by little, day by day!

4. Know your most productive time  We all have our own “body clock” = certain time during the day when we feel the most productive.  Record your most productive time  This is when you should schedule yourself to do your most important work = maximizing your time

A Final Word--Procrastination  Record the last time you procrastinated…what were the results?  Procrastinating is not always bad—everyone does it to some extent.  However, most people feel both inefficient and guilty when they procrastinate.  If you follow the suggestions, you won’t be concerned about the P word  You won’t have time to feel guilty because you’re too busy getting things done!  When you realize that time is your life, you figure out ways to make the most of it!  Stop procrastinating! Stop procrastinating!