October 4,1997
Bob Dorney
It is hard to believe that it has been ten years since I first arrived
in Japan and held my first series of seminars. As I reviewed those notes
and recalled my concerns about how I would be received. I must honestly
say that over the years my appreciation of you has grown and that I value
the relationship we have been able to develop.
When I first arrived, I studied your culture, your heritage and your fundamental
beliefs. I marveled at your management skills, your devotion to work, and
your ability and willingness to sacrifice for the good of the whole, and
I must say I was pleased and pleasantly surprised at how many of my Time
Management concepts were being used here.
At that time when I was an admitted workaholic...we shared our thoughts and learned a great deal from each other. Today, I will review some of the thoughts and ideas on time management that have developed since we first met.
Among the first things I emphasized was that we all need balance in our
lives and the way we live ..lives on in our children. I had a successful
and satisfying marriage. My youngest son was a professional football player;
my daughter was starting in the candle business with her husband; and my
oldest son, while clarifying his own values, had embarked on a new career
as a teacher.
At that time-I was president of Day-Timers, a very successful mail order company. I was on the board of our trade association, as well as numerous boards of my church. I was a group manager for Beatrice Foods- a company with the longest strings of sales and profit growth of any on Wall Street- with sales over 300 billion dollars- more than the total national output of more than a dozen countries in the world.
Over the years we have shared a lot- we have grown older- and times have changed. I was happy then, and I am happy now, even though my life is entirely different.
In the time we have known each other, many of you have shared your religious beliefs with me. I have learned to accept and believe that we all share many thoughts and beliefs. I believe we have a lot to learn from each other.
Since my first trip here, Beatrice Foods was bought out by a Wall Street group and became a privately owned company; Companies were sold and lives were uprooted. I saw much dissatisfaction and change and there was very little I could do about it. My wife was diagnosed with cancer. She was given 3 months to 3 years to live. She lived six years and, happily, we were able to make the best of that time.
I share these experiences with you to show how uncertain life is... how things can change and how little control we have over certain things in our lives. The only certainties in life’s journey are that we are born and we will die.
But we do have many options in this journey called life. We can plan... and if we build our lives on a solid foundation...can weather most any storm. We do have choices and while we cannot control everything, we can control enough to lead a happy and satisfying life.
Today I’m retired and no longer go to work. I don’t know if I’m still a workaholic; there are few things I must do, yet I wake up most days at six o’clock, full of energy, with a long list of things I like to do- should do- and a much shorter list of Must Do’s. I could not possibly find time to squeeze in a job. I cannot imagine how I used to work 13 to 15 hours a day... and yet my life is very full. Perhaps I am now a Playaholic... but I‘m still doing the things I want to do.
I remarried at 71 and am learning to love again. My new wife has four children and I have three... we each have six grand-children. She has four sisters and I have two brothers and three sisters. And my mother is still alive, healthy and active at 90. Our lives are full- and therefore require a lot of planning.
Life is good. It’s a great experience and a great adventure. But, we do need plans or we will never know if we are successful or be able to appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities we have been given.
Some of you will recall how we described the foundations of life as a three-legged stool- with one leg representing work, another family, and the third, your religious and basic beliefs.
You may also recall how we sawed away each of those legs in a mythical story about our friend Wachi.
He was sitting firmly on the stool of life but then a series of things happened. First, he lost his job, and with it went the first leg of the stool. Then he came home to his family that he had neglected during the course of his job and found that the second leg of the stool was gone as well. Finally, he turned to his God and his beliefs; but throughout his life he thought he didn’t need faith and when he lost his faith the third leg of the stool was gone. He had nothing.
I retell that story now to show the balance I had been able to achieve in my life at the time, and also to show how that balance- my basic beliefs- carried me through when two of the legs of that stool...work, and part of my family were taken from me.
My hobbies replaced my work. I bought a printing press and do work for
charities, and help with my daughter’s business. I have a wood working
shop I can organize and take pride in. I have time to travel, exercise
and work in my yard and home. I’m no longer important... few people depend
on me. My work was a great satisfaction, but it is gone. If I wanted it
back, if I wanted to live that life again, I know I could find another
job. But that phase of my life is over; I did it, and I’m proud and satisfied
with what I have accomplished. I don’t need new worlds to conquer.
My late wife was the rock of our family. She raised our children while I earned the money to build our home, fund the kid’s education, and prepare for our retirement. She has gone to better place, but I still have the children of that I love, and I have a new wife and a new love.
My religious and basic beliefs helped me through those changes, and are now more important than ever. I look back on my life and realize I would change very little. Yes, I’d like to be on the Board of Day-Timers and be asked for my advice, but our beliefs are too different and it simply would not work.
I wish I could have shared my old age with my late wife, but I know she is in a better place. And I am happy and in love again with Hazel, as we both share our past, present and future.
There is never enough time; Each of us has the same 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, 8736 hours in a year.
We are all too busy to think about life... to think about what we believe... to think about what we want out of life.
Time is the one commodity you can’t store; you have to use it minute by minute, hour by hour as each day progresses. You can’t give it away. It is only for you to use and you can’t buy more of it.
None of us know how much time we have on this planet. No one can forecast how life will affect the time you have. Few things in this world are certain, so it’s easy to say “Why plan for today- or tomorrow, or next year or even five years from now?”
Each of us has tremendous talent... talent that is a gift from our Creator... talent we were born with... and talent that we can develop. How we use our time to make the best of our talents will determine our future, our happiness, our wealth, and our satisfaction with life.
No one would attempt to build a house, or a car without a blueprint... without some idea of what we want out of the finished product.
No one would plan a trip to distant, unknown city without a road map. And yet most of us go through life without a plan. We don’t know what we want out of life. We don’t know our values or even what we like and don’t like to do. Without a plan we don’t know where we want to go- and when we get there we don’t know if that is where we actually wanted to end up.
As a result, many people take the easy route and life passes them by. It’s not easy to plan- to set goals and accomplish them. It’s much easier to complain and envy those who are successful... those who have accomplished their goal, and seem to have all good things happen to them.
But I submit that it is even more difficult... when you lose a job or a loved one, have a fire destroy your home or business, or have your health fail you... to have no foundation of core beliefs that will withstand the changes that life inevitably brings. When things go wrong in your life... and they will for most of us... it is far easier to change the plan than it is to continue without any plan at all. We don’t have to make it all up as we go along.
We will attempt to develop a plan that fits you... and you alone. Each of us is different... we each have different talents... different things make us happy and content.
I know members of the Time-Society have spent many hours discovering their values- and realize we need to know what we believe before it is possible to develop a life plan.
The ten step plan I have developed is not easy…and requires a lot of soul-searching…but who ever said life was easy? I can assure you that the rewards of knowing yourself... what you believe, what you want out of life are great.
The first five steps in this plan help you discover yourself... each of us is different... we have different values, different goals in life. These steps are designed to help you put on paper what you really believe and what you want to believe.
The last five steps help you develop or find the tools you need to live your beliefs and achieve your goals.
I suggest you make this ten step program a ten week goal. Set aside a minimum of an hour each day for ten weeks to study, think about, and implement each step.
We find time to do the work of others...we find time for work, for television, for all sorts of things... surely we can find the time to take hold of our lives and develop a plan for the rest of our lives’ journey on this earth.
I suggest you purchase a loose-leaf binder with lined pages to do the exercises I have outlined in the ten steps that follow. Remember you are in control… you can add or change anything you write. This is your life to live... discover how you want to live it... take control... enjoy. Life can be good, but only if you make it good.
First read over the ten steps. As you read each step... stop, and think about how you will develop your thoughts. The harder it is for you to come up with your beliefs, the greater your need is to find them.
You may want to devote a week to each step, however if you need more time to search your mind and soul for your innermost beliefs - take the time. Some steps may take less time…but set a goal to have a life plan in ten weeks. The first step finding your values and basic beliefs will usually take longer…but it is the foundation of your life. If you don’t know what you believe, you don’t have the basis to make decisions and others will make your life and time theirs.
My good friend Charles Hobbs called this step “Finding Your Unifying Principles”. He suggested that you write a paragraph on what you believe about yourself, your religion, your family, your work and your life.
At one of my seminars, which was held at Lancaster Seminary - a school for those going into the ministry of my church - one of the students chose to write all her basic beliefs in an essay she titled “Love...My Basic Beliefs”.
It was about three pages long. Several years later, when she was ready to graduate, she told me she had rewritten her Values Statement four times and that it was now condensed into two paragraphs. All her beliefs about herself, her God, and her life were covered. And she can now use that Statement to help her reach any decision she may face in the course of her life!
She told me that she can recite her Value Statement from memory, but still reads it each morning during her Bible study time, and that praying for guidance to follow the beliefs contained in the Statement enables her to complete each day to her satisfaction.
If you can find one word, or group of words, or develop your own basic beliefs, I suggest you write your own Values Statement.
Most people, however, find it difficult to discover or even think about what they believe. To help find words to discover values, beliefs, needs, and wants, Gregg Steppens, another friend of mine, developed the following words to start the thought process. I don’t know how they translate into Japanese, but am confident the Time Society will add words and examples that are more easily understood.
To help you get the meaning or start your thought process, I have written a short sentence that can apply to each word. I caution you that not all are my thoughts, and I know they will not be yours. But I do hope they can help you develop your own values for the words you select.
As you read through the list you may think about other words that describe your values. Add them to the list. Remember, these words have been selected to help you describe your feelings, your values, your beliefs, and your needs. They can, and most likely will be, different than the description you’d find in a dictionary.
I suggest you read the following paragraphs and check those that describe your beliefs. Later, you will want to change the wording to more closely reflect your feelings. But at this time all we want to do is select words that relate to your beliefs.
Check the square block in front of each word that identifies your feelings or beliefs. Remember, you will rewrite the meaning of the word to fit your beliefs later.
Now count how many blocks you have checked. I believe the ideal number is about ten, but the actual number is not too important if you feel you have covered all your values. If you have less than ten, don’t worry, but double-check to see if any more words apply to you. Or try to think of additional words that describe you and your beliefs, needs or wants.
If you have checked more than ten words, go over those you have selected, find the ones you feel are most important, and circle them. If you still have more than ten words, see if you can combine several words into one statement. Several words have similar meaning and can be combined into one statement. As an example, “ambition,” and “power,” could become one statement.
I have tried to make each word into a positive statement, but if you must be negative to describe the real you, please modify the statement or add words that describe you and your innermost feelings. In the examples that follow, you will note a few have dates after the Statement. That specifies the date it was written. Others have a revised date to show the original Statement was modified. Others have a cancelled date to show either the goal was deemed unattainable or that you no longer wanted to achieve it.
□ ＿Religion ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I believe God created man in His image, and that we need to look for the God in each person we contact. We have all sinned because we have not carried out the work for which we were created and put ourselves before others. 11/12/91
□＿Family ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I believe all values can only be achieved through a happy and rewarding family life. I could have achieved nothing without the support and love of my wife. While I pursued business interest, she raised three beautiful children, all of whom remain married to their first spouses. Our life continues through our children, and I hope any pray that each of them make the world a better place. 11/13/91 (rev. 1/12/96)
□＿Achievement( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I take great pleasure in getting things done. I tend to tackle more that I can accomplish. I must always have many challenges in order to be happy. I am a competitor and need to overachieve.
□ ＿Equality( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I agonize over those who are less fortunate. I bleed for people who are in want or need. I believe all people are equal and it is unfair for some to have more than others. I firmly believe in the redistribution of wealth. I despise those who feel they are better than others.
□＿Personal Honor( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
My word is my bond. I dislike being insulted by anyone, nor can I tolerate anyone who questions my honesty or motives. It is difficult for me to understand people who do not respect themselves or others.
□＿Self Respect( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I like myself and what I stand for. My appearance and how others perceive me is of importance to me. I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished in life. I am proud of my heritage, nationality, and family.
□＿Ambition( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I am a self-starter and want to be considered important. Job promotions and recognition are very important to my self esteem. I like to set lofty goals for myself and others, and take pride in being recognized by others.
□＿Support( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I am a team player at work and at home. I like to support others in the goals they set for our work group. I also like to have others support me in the things I want to do. I must work with others because I lack the self confidence to do it alone.
□＿Work( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I believe in hard work and loyalty to my company and those with whom I work I believe in teamwork and recognize the importance of every member of our work team. The policies and values of the company I work for must match mine. I place great trust in people and in proper training. I do not trust or like the bureaucratic style of management.
□ ＿Comfortable Life( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I like the good things in life, and enjoy quality in everything - food, clothes, home, car, etc. I tend to want the best, and even when I can’t afford it tend to select the highest-priced products.
□ ＿Power( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I enjoy being at the top, being important, having control over others. I enjoy having people wait for my decisions, and expect everyone to do what I want when I want it. I want people to be dependent on me and respect what I can do for them.
□ ＿Pleasant Surroundings( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I appreciate beauty and order and like to be in a place that gives me inner peace. I appreciate the beauty of a picture or work of art. I enjoy the beauty of a garden. I cannot function in a place I do not consider to be beautiful and in harmony with my tastes and likes.
□ ＿Exciting Life( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I am adventurous and like to take risks. I like excitement, new things, travel - anything different. I cannot stand dullness and routine. I look forward to change and the challenges of discovering new and exciting things. I am not content with what I have, and enjoy change.
□ ＿Honesty( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I believe our goals should be honest and honorable. We need to be honest with ourselves. It is unfair to have a hidden agenda in order to take advantage of others. I believe I have an obligation to those who have contributed and worked to create success for me and my company. Every employee or friend is entitled to know how I think about every situation, project, or decision. It is unfair and dishonest to shift blame or responsibility to those who cannot defend their position.
□ ＿Pleasure( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I enjoy the pleasures of life. I do not take life seriously; I enjoy a good laugh even when it is at my expense. Others may enjoy work and be serious. I only want to enjoy life, live for today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.
□ ＿Obedience( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I like laws and regulations. I obey all the rules and expect others to do the same. I am disturbed by those who feel that the rules do not apply to them, or who take pleasure in finding ways to avoid the rules of society and family. I like to know what is expected of me and of others.
□＿Friendship( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I need friends and enjoy being around people. I don’t like working alone or being alone because I am a team player and need to be with those who enjoy the company and camaraderie of others.
□ ＿Love( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
To me, to love and be loved is the most important thing in life. I want to give and want others to appreciate the deep feelings I have for them. I would rather give than receive and take great pleasure in the love I have and can share with others.
□ ＿Respect( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I respect my associates and friends, and demand they return that respect. I am proud of my family and the company I work for. I want others to know that I am important and when in a position of authority expect to be obeyed. I enjoy being the boss and being recognized as the leader.
□ ＿Self( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I think we need to believe in ourselves and have self confidence to do what we believe. We need to believe we can make a difference. Our bodies and minds need to be nourished with good food and good thoughts.
□ ＿Recognition( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I have a large ego and must have the respect of others. I want others to recognize my talents, see me as an important person, and appreciate and respect what I can contribute.
□ ＿Freedom( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I must have the freedom to do things my way. I enjoy working with others and am willing to give them freedom to develop their own ideas. However, I find it difficult to accept and do things I don’t agree with.
□ ＿Personal Growth( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I like myself and need to grow in all ways; my education, my religion, my relationship with others. I need to grow in wisdom in the recognition of my importance to my employer, friends, and family.
□ ＿Beauty( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I appreciate and enjoy the beauty of nature, the beauty of things, and the beauty of people. I appreciate quality art and want to grow in my appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us.
□ ＿Challenges( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I like challenges in my life. I enjoy difficult tasks, and take great pleasure in researching ways to get difficult things done. I like to develop plans and see them through to a successful conclusion.
□ ＿Wisdom( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I respect knowledge and the ability to find successful solutions to difficult problems. I feel the need to know what is needed to achieve success. I yearn to find the wisdom to do the right thing at the right time. I am impatient and do not always make the wisest choices. I need the wisdom to acquire this patience - both for myself and for others.
□ ＿Inner Harmony( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I dislike conflict and must believe in what I am doing. Each day should be examined to evaluate what has been accomplished and how it fits my long-term plans and goals. I agonize over situations in which people may not have been treated fairly by me and others.
□ ＿Management( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I believe a good manager is like a chemist and will blend people together to make the group stronger than the members would be as individuals.
□ ＿Success( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I like to set and meet my goals and be successful in all the things I set out to do. To fail is unthinkable. I am willing to do most anything to avoid failure and to achieve success in life.
□ ＿Intelligence( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I respect intelligence and learning and look for it in all those with whom I come in contact. I strive to broaden my own knowledge by reading and talking with others. I value formal education and enjoy working with people who are well educated.
□ ＿Independence( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I value my independence and directions. After the plan has been approved, I need the freedom to make decisions of my own.
□ ＿Organization( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ) R
I must have organization in my life. I believe everything should have place and should be in that place when it is needed. I enjoy organizing and working with people who are organized.
Your next step is to select the most important heading from those listed above and enter a Number 1 on the line after the box you have checked. If there are headings you want to combine with your Number 1 choice, enter the 1 in those boxes as well.
Now, I would like you to rewrite your Number 1 value in your own words. Within the next two weeks I would like you to do the same with your remaining values. After you have done this, reread them everyday. Later, we’ll show you how to build your life and organize your time around these values.
What is bothering you today? What problems keep you awake at night? In this step we will search our minds for our known and hidden concerns about our work, our family and ourselves. Just writing your concerns down on paper will allow you to concentrate on one thing at a time and will help you find solutions.
We all waste time and energy when we worry, and worrying does little, if anything, to solve a problem.The first step in solving any problem is to identify it. The same is true for your concerns. You need to clear them from your mind so that you can concentrate on solutions instead of only the problem or concern itself.
Your mind is a powerful tool. It doesn’t make sense to waste time worrying. That time and energy is better spent thinking of solutions.
Here is a true story: Albert Einstein was working late one night with his assistant. Einstein invited this young man home for dinner. The assistant, knowing how upset Einstein’s housekeeper got when he was late for dinner and that unexpected guests made her even more so, suggested that Einstein call ahead to tell her. The assistant asked Einstein for his home phone number and was astonished when the great genius told him he didn’t know it and would have to look it up. The young man couldn’t understand how a man who had just filled several blackboards with equations could not remember his own phone number. Einstein, seeing his assistant’s surprise, said, ‘Never try to remember what you can look up. Save all your brain power to solve problems.’
Documenting your concerns frees your mind to concentrate on solutions. And once your problems and concerns are clearly documented and identified you can go on to choose which ones you want to work on. Here are a few examples of what concerns could look like.
□＿ My Weight and Health
I have gained 30 pounds since college. My blood pressure has gone from 120/60 to 150/95. My doctor says that I must develop an exercise program or my health will suffer in the years to come.
□＿ Our Children’s Education
Sour son will begin college in six years; our daughter will follow in three. To date we have saved nothing to pay for this.
□＿ Job Security
I must be free to do things my way. My company has lost leadership. We don’t seem to have a plan and I have not been included in the planning process. I am concerned about recent layoffs. Is this an indication of what is coming? Should I fear for my job and should I make a change before it is too late?
Take 10 minutes to document the concerns in your life. Don’t try to prioritize them at this time. Just try to write as many as come to mind. Place a square before each concern and follow it with a line as we have done in these examples.
After you have listed all your concerns put a check next to all those you feel can be solved. Your next step is to prioritize by selecting the most urgent and important concerns. Label the most important Number 1 and then descend through your list with corresponding numbers.
This is an ever changing step. The concerns you have today may not be concerns next week or next month.
Whenever a new concern or problem arises add it to your list. If it has a higher priority than those already listed identify it with a letter. As an example, if a new, urgent problem arises that is more important than any other on your list, label it 1A.
After your list is complete, take those you have chosen as most important and write all your solutions to these problems on a clean sheet of paper. Again, use the square followed by a line to select and prioritize which solutions will be most effective.
Review your list on a weekly basis. Look for new concerns you can solve and start a worksheet with possible solutions.
1. After you list the concerns or problems, you no longer need to worry or think about them until you have time to solve the problem.
2. As you plan your week remember to schedule time to work on your most urgent concerns and problems. Work on it - don’t worry about it. Worry is self-defeating; it takes the mind away from action. Your mind needs to be clear for important decisions.
The next step in learning about yourself is to list your likes and dislikes. It seems like an easy task, but most of us don’t really know what we like to do, much less what we don’t like to do.
Simply listing these things can clear the mind for action.
In my opinion the only reason to save time is so you can spend more of it doing what you like to do, and less of it doing what you don’t like or want to. It sounds simple; but if you don’t know what you want to do with your time, why try to save it?
On the next sheet, write a few of your likes and dislikes. Again, use a square and a line to select and prioritize.
Here are a few examples of what this list could look like:
□＿ I like to solve difficult work-related problems.
My self esteem and confidence allow me to look forward to meeting these types of challenges 1/2/91
□＿ I like to exercise.
I feel good after a workout, but don’t seem able to find the time for good exercise program 1/12/91
Here are few examples of what this part of the list could look like.
□ I hate to wait in line for anything.
I become irritated and lose my patience far too easily. 1/21/91
□ I dislike bookkeeping.
Balancing my checkbook and paying bills are tasks that I tend to put off too easily. 1/12/91
After you have completed your list it is time to prioritize. From there, go on to work out solutions...if your like or dislike can be changed or better understood.
Early in my career I discovered the secret of success in business. Find out what’s working...what’s making a profit. And then find out what isn’t working, and what’s not making a profit. Then do more of what’s working and less of what’s not working. It took me many years to apply this same principle to my life. Happiness is simply doing what you like to do.
We, of course, have many things we don’t like to do - but must. Many of us will not admit to ourselves the things we dislike doing - and we complain and put off this work until it must be done. It may be a good idea to do those things first - then reward yourself by doing those things you enjoy doing.
This will be a changing list. After listing the things you don’t like to do, spend time analyzing why you don’t like to do them. Then find ways to make it enjoyable.
An example:
□＿ I don’t like to exercise.
I know for my health and well-being I should develop an exercise program, but other things are more important. I get tired easily and don’t get satisfaction from the time invested.
We all have many things on our “I Don’t Like to Do” list that can’t be delegated - that we must do ourselves. Spend time finding solutions.
In this example the “don’t like to do” could become a “like to do” by finding out why you don’t like to do it. Teaming up with someone could change a lonely time into a fun time. Setting easy goals ? use the treadmill 5 minutes a day for a week, then increasing time could build up your heart to the point when the exercise is easy. Watching TV or using a walkman could make the time enjoyable instead of boring and keep your mind away from the things you know must be done.
If you don’t like to wait in line - always carry a book or reading material to pass the time. Or you might take up knitting or do crossword puzzles. You could spend the time thinking about this life plan or use the idle time to think about solutions to a difficult problem.
Some of the things we don’t like to do are on the list because we don’t have the knowledge, skills or education to do them. Read a book...take a course...find a mentor...learn how to do the task well and you might enjoy it. And even if you don’t enjoy it you will be able to do it faster and have more time for your “like to do” projects.
Remember, your life goal is to spend more time doing what you like to do and less time doing what you don’t want to do.
Now that you have documented your values, your concerns, the things you like to do and the things you don’t like to do, it’s time to do a little day-dreaming about what you would like your life to be like:
| 1 year into the future | 5 years into the future |
| 2 years into the future | 10 years into the future |
| 3 years into the future | 15 years in the future |
Now that we know what we want to achieve and what we need to do to achieve that vision of our future life, it’s time to identify goals.
Much has been said and written about goals; They must be measurable; they must be attainable etc...
Many people have asked what their goals should be. No one can determine your goals for you; no one else can do the work of writing them down and working to achieve them.
Many time people fail to achieve their goals because their vision for the future is not based on a solid foundation. You have examined your inner self in the previous steps - now its time to write your goals in line with that examination.
Goals can be long term or short term- but each should have a time span for achievement. Use a square followed by a number and prioritize your goals. Circle the number when you have made a supplemental page with details for accomplishing the specific goal. Place a checkmark in the square when you take action to achieve the goal. Fill in the square when the goal is either completed or cancelled.
Examples; Here are a few illustrations of typical goals.
□ To repay my wife for all she sacrificed for my success, recognition and
achievements.
Throughout our marriage, my needs and goals held the highest priority. I will strive to make every day we have together a happy one and will look for ways to make my wife happy; to repay her for the support she provided and the sacrifices she made. (Lifetime)
□ To share with others what I have learned and accomplished.
I will devote time and effort to make my children successful in whatever they try to do. I made work my mistress at the expense of my family and now want to provide all the help and support I can. (Lifetime)
□ I will find inner harmony through prayer and by spending time thinking
about the real values in life.
I will work to help my local church and others in my community. I will schedule time to develop my spiritual self with positive, healthful thoughts about life, people and the planet. (Lifetime)
□ I will develop and stick to an exercise and diet program that works for
me.
My goal is to enjoy life and therefore it is important that I look after my health with a regimen of good food and lots of exercise. (In place by 1/30/98. Completed by 12/30/99.)
□ I will review and organize my investments.
In order to achieve maximum return for my family’s future security and to develop a trust for the education of future generations I will ascertain the best way to handle my investments. I will search for ways to make the best of what I have earned both for my family and my local community. (Complete review by 7/1/98)
□ I will learn to speak the Japanese language by 1995.
□ I will become head of my department by 1999 and will earn a minimum of
$60.000 annually.
You have completed the roadmap or blueprint for the life you want based on your values and basic beliefs, your concerns, your likes and dislikes, and your visions for the future. You have set goals that are in harmony with all your personal research and self-examination. We suggest you review these pages once a week, preferably when you are planning your weekly activities, and again at the end of the week to see if you are following your plan.
You will note in some of the examples shown above that some goals are ‘lifetime” goals; others have a completion date. We suggest that as you think of a goal that you write it down and give it a number. Circle the number if you want to prepare an Action Sheet for that particular goal. On that sheet you will list the steps necessary to accomplish the goals, the information you will need, a time-table, ideas, delegation; in short, everything that is related to the achievement of that goal.
Write a weekly Diary Record of your progress, your successes, your failures and what you are learning.
Build success on success, and don’t fail to learn from something that isn’t working.
Success is not easy; If it were everyone would be successful. Remember the major difference between successful people and also-rans is that those who are successful have a plan and have taken the time to figure out what they want out of life.
If you have no plan, you will not even know if you have succeeded. No one would play a game of basketball, football, baseball, or any other sport without keeping a score. Does it make sense to play the game of life without keeping score, without some plan so that we can mark our progress?
Don’t be discouraged by obstacles or roadblocks to your progress. You have goals to reach and you CAN reach them.
Dr. Robert Schuller has a creed for positive thinkers. He uses the image
of a mountain as the obstacle in the way of us achieving our goals.
Say to the mountain-move
But if it won’t move
Look for a way around your mountain
If you can’t find a way around it
Look for a way over your mountain
If you can’t find a way over it
Look for a way through your mountain
If you can’t find a way through it
Then harvest the gold that is buried
At the foot of every mountain.
Following are my rules for achieving goals. I can truthfully say that when I follow these rules I always completed or exceeded the goals that I set.
Yes, I have cancelled a few after deciding I didn’t want to do it, or found that the goal was not worth the effort or the expense.
Remember, your goals should be your goals and yours alone; they are for you to set, alter or cancel.
1. Visualize what you want or what you want to become.
If you want to be president, the club golf champ, or an excellent teacher, imagine yourself in the role.
Imagining the goal is the first step to achieving it.
2. Determine that you goal is achievable.
If your height is 5’8”, playing in the NBA may be a tall order. Yet stutterers have become great orators, and there are excellent bowlers who are blind.
3. Commit your plan to paper.
Plan the steps you must take to reach your goals and write them down! The discipline of putting your plan in tangible form will keep you on track.
4. Break the project into measurable steps.
The biggest, toughest jobs become manageable when broken down into a series of smaller jobs. You can see your progress, and that recharges your batteries.
5. Record daily what you did to achieve your goal.
You should move closer to your goal every day. Writing down what you do will help ensure that your activities address your goal.
6. Measure your progress against your time-table.
Set a date for reaching intermediate goals. The internal pressure will keep you focused.
7. Adjust your plan if it is not working.
Don’t stay locked into an unworkable plan. Planning is more important than the plan itself, because it forces you to look at the big picture.
8. Include others in your plan.
No man or woman is an island. Letting others know your plans can elicit needed help, sound warnings, or reveal flaws and obstacles.
9. Reward yourself and others as you achieve intermediate goals.
You and those that help you deserve recognition. An afternoon off, a small celebration, or even a cup of coffee can set you or your team up for the assault on your next step.
10. Be humble
Recognize that your achievements need the support of your Creator. They can only be achieved with his help and the help of others.
Most everyone use some type of appointment book. If you’re busy, you need more than an appointment book- you need an effective way to schedule your day. I spent most of my life developing a product called DAY-TIMERS. The original format was designed by Morris Perkins, a lawyer who needed to document how he spent his time so that he could more effectively bill his clients. Over the years, this basic concept was used to design a whole series of Diaries that combined all the thing a busy professional or business executive needed to manage their schedules. All these formats were designed for appointment-driven people... people who had six or more appointments a day.
I still believe this is the best format for the appointment- driven person because it combines on one or two pages “Appointments” and/or “Schedules,” “To Do Lists” and a “Diary Record” of what was accomplished. For the appointment-driven person, most “To Do’s” will be related to specific appointments, and will therefore be recorded in the Diary.
For those who are not appointment-driven, most any appointment book will do: a simple, blocked calendar may be all that is necessary.
Others may want to schedule their time in 15 minute increments. You do not have to have appointments to allocate time. Block your time for specific thing you want to do.
If you are not appointment-driven you may want to keep “To Do’s” and diary records separate from your appointments.
There are many appointment books, diaries, and organizers available... Choose one that fits your lifestyle. More important than the one you choose is that you commit all obligations, things to do and diary records to paper or put them on your computer.
Don’t waste brain power trying to remember... Get it on paper as soon as possible.
If You Use a Computer
Many office suites have scheduling programs built in... and many of these
are very good tools. Certainly, the computer can condense, sort and organize
information more effectively than you can on paper, If you choose to use
a computer I suggest you print out your appointments and “to do’s” on paper
and carry this printout with you. Also carry with you paper to record new
information that you can transfer to your computer later and then print
a new list. Combining paper and the computer can provide a very efficient
time management system.
A Few Tips on Appointments and Schedules
1. Before you schedule an appointment or meeting, ask yourself these five questions:
A. Must I make the appointment?
B. Will the appointment help me with any long term goals and is it in harmony with my values?
C. Can someone else take the appointment?
D. How much time should I allow for the appointment?
E. Could I handle this as effectively over the phone or by letter, fax, or E-mail?
After you have determined that the appointment is necessary, it should be scheduled. Don’t forget to set a time limit and let everyone concerned know the time you have allocated.
To help you schedule:
1. Make a list of all information on paper what you want to accomplish from the appointment.
2. Make an appointment with yourself to do your own work, or to do the things you want to do. Honor these commitments just as you would any other appointments in your schedule.
3. Try not to schedule until necessary. Don’t schedule weeks or months in advance unless it’s necessary. Often you can arrange an appointment after you have a better idea of your schedule. At a later date you may discover you don’t actually need the appointment.
4. Try to have a set time for your various activities; such as when you will make phone calls or return them, exercise, pay bills, open mail, answer mail, think, plan, etc.
5. When away from the office, schedule an extra day so that you can work uninterrupted before returning to your office.
6. Remember your time is valuable; Don’t waste it. Have a value per-hour
for your time and always consider if you can delegate certain appointments
to someone else.
7. Meetings can consume all of your time. Always ask yourself these questions before scheduling a meeting:
A. Is it important that I attend? Must I attend every scheduled meeting
or can I attend only when necessary?
B. Can I read the minutes and send a memo with the necessary information
or decision?
C. Could I have someone attend the meeting for me and give that person
the authority to represent me?
D. Could I remain in my office working and still be available by conference
call or by visiting when I’m needed?
8. Always prepare an agenda for the meeting.
A. Set a starting and ending time.
B. Know what you want to get accomplished in the meeting.
C. Have all the information related to the meeting available.
D. Keep notes.
E. Send a memo to the other parties telling them what you want to accomplish
in the meeting.
Tell them what you want them to bring to the meeting.
F. Arrange for someone to monitor your phone and visitors during the meeting.
G. Mail a summary of the meeting to all who attend or who need the information.
H. Get permission to tape record details that are too time consuming to
write.
I. Analyze each meeting. Was it worthwhile?
How could I have made the meeting more effective?
J. Thank everyone for their help, for the information they provided, and
tell them to expect a follow-up.
How Much Is My Time Worth?
The answer to this question is necessary if you want to make the best use
of the time available to you.I have taken excerpts from an article I wrote
for the “Harvard Business Review” some ten years ago, but which I believe
are still relevant today.
The Management consultant Dr. Alec Mackenzie has documented that very few executive really know how to spend their time. Most know what they ought to be doing: they may even allocate certain blocks of time to specific management tasks. But that is not the same as getting on with them.
I would like to submit a corollary; Most people don’t know what their time is worth. It’s simple enough to take your annual salary, add 40% or so for perks and benefits, and then divide that by 2000 or some other number to come up with an hourly rate. Table one indicates the value- or at least the price- of executive time. We have used it for years, but it may be simplistic. This approach may encourage some executives to get on with managing the enterprise. On the other hand, it may contribute to executive stress?“Am I really worth $200 an hour when I’m reading a trade magazine?”
The answer is “probably not.’ But that bit of self-awareness may force you not to waste time on articles that have no value, or you may learn to delegate and have someone summarize the articles for you.
Table 1
| Annual Salary | Weekly Salary | Benefits(40% of salary) | Total/Week | Value/Hour | Value/Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ 50,000 | $ 966.54 | $384.62 | $1346.16 | $33.65 | 0.56 |
| 60,000 | 1153.85 | 461.54 | 1615.39 | 40.38 | 0.67 |
| 75,000 | 1442.31 | 576.93 | 2019.24 | 50.48 | 0.84 |
| 100,000 | 1923.80 | 769.23 | 2692.31 | 67.31 | 2.80 |
The average value of executive time provides a rough approximation, but overlooks the fact that the value varies according to the task to which it is applied.
Where Should I Spend My Time?
Now that you know the value of your time, the questions are: where should you spend it; how should you schedule it; and is what you are doing worth your time, or could someone else do it better and/or more cost-effectively.
Balance Is Essential.
The issue most often omitted in time-management discussions is balance. The reason may be that balance is too difficult to define. Striving for it over the years has, however, provided unexpected rewards for me.
I used to set Saturdays aside for product development; the part of my job
I enjoyed most. So I enjoyed working Saturdays until my son started playing
football at a university that was three hours away.To see him play, I had
to leave Friday afternoon. That ended Saturdays devoted to product development.I
had to rearrange my entire weekly schedule to include product development.
And that forced me to analyze where and how I was spending my time.
That analysis eventually caused me to put a value on every activity in
which I was involved.The realization emerged that some of my activities
justified a valuation several times that of others. Product development,
for instance, justified five times my hourly-rate; whereas other activities
couldn’t justify half of it.
It was unlikely that I could spend all my time in product development. On the other hand, I obviously had to limit the time I spent on lesser activities. The answer lay in allocating time to the various activities, so that when I multiplied the hours devoted to each activity by the hourly rate assigned to it, the total would be one that I considered to be in good balance.
Most readers will recognize this as yet another application of Pareto’s 80-20 principle. But, instead of applying it to taxation of the ‘vital few’ who pay 80% of the taxes, I seek to apply it to the significant functions that produce 80% more of the return ? while still giving the ‘trivial many’ the time they are worth.
A Different Analysis
This led me to create a slightly different job matrix. Its purpose was
to help me analyze the various activities that I or most executives engaged
in - - either by necessity, choice, by default, or by just being dragooned
into it. Table 2 lists a few activities that I found myself involved in.
Readers may insert the values they deem appropriate, without being influenced
by the values I placed on them.
The list included planning for growth attending meetings, product development, reviewing performance of senior staff, negotiating acquisitions initiating a search for my successor as president, and analyzing capital expenditures. The list also includes such things as going through the mail and filing.
As I looked over the list, I tried to break it down into three categories: 1) things that only I could do, or could do better than anyone else; 2) things I could do as well as others; and 3) things others could do better than I. In the first category, I placed only those activities that have a direct bearing on the future of the company. At the top of that category, I placed the selection and training of my successor. And I assigned it a value factor of 10.
The only other activity that belonged at that level of importance was product development, because it also represented an investment in the future of the company. Some might question how deeply the president of a company should be involved in product development; and rightly so. The criterion I apply is: Can anyone else do it as well?
Having settled that question with my usual modesty, I acknowledge that in the future I should find and train a good engineer to direct product development. That would relieve me of that responsibility. But would it take me out of the activity altogether?
The Lure of Familiarity
It is a management truism that people spend most of their time in the activity they were most involved in before they assumed their new position, or the activity for which they were originally trained. An engineer president tends to hang around the engineering department. A president from advertising tends to revise plans, rewrite copy and fret over layouts.
Which is exactly where he or she should spend the least amount of time. My reasoning is that being an expert in the field should enable him or her to judge the work of that department with dispatch and precision.
I dwell on this because it illustrates a key point. When an engineer president review engineering, his or her expertise warrants assigning the highest value to that time. The instant he sits down at a CAD terminal, the value drops to the rate paid to those engaged in computer assisted design.
Diminishing Returns
Building on that example illustrates another point: the hourly value of an activity varies inversely to the amount of time spent on it. The reason is that as an activity takes over an executive’s time it tends to become an end in itself ? an activity without results. This applies even to the most important responsibility of a president: planning. Plans should be blueprints for action; not a way to fill a bookshelf with impressive binders of no practical value.
Biggest Jobs Go Undone
Many time management consultants will tell you something like this: Define as important those things that if left undone risk the fortunes of the company. That criterion places planning at the upper end of this hierarchy of values. But the criterion for CEO involvement is not only importance. The overriding criterion is: Can someone do the job better? Today, even forward planning and strategic planning have become delegated functions. Value factors must therefore satisfy both criteria. And the latter should determine the extent of CEO involvement. A president must accept the fact that he or she is not the best person for every job.
That leaves balancing as the most difficult step in self-management. Do
I have to attend all those meetings? Must I read every report? Should every
important customer have access to my ear? How can a person control the
demands made upon him or her; the interruptions, the upward delegation,
the unwanted invitations?
*An example may illustrate the idea of limited involvement. My name is known to many of our customers because it appears in most of our company literature. Therefore, I receive a large number of phone calls from customers with suggestions, or even complaints. A certain amount of that time, I can assign a value of 8 and is certainly productive. At some point, however, its value plummets.
I have developed a way to satisfy the customer and save my time. The technique is less important than the purpose, which is to assign the responsibility. When a customer calls me, I learn quickly what’s on his mind and then say, ”I want someone else to hear this, too.” I then dial up a conference call, stay on for a few more seconds, and then explain that Ms. So-and-so knows far more about this than I do and will take care of it.
*Excerpted from an article I wrote for the Harvard business Review while I was president of Day-Timers.
Is This The Best Use Of My Time?
I have talked to many people who are determined to do only the things they have identified as having the greatest impact on the future of the company. To that end, they keep detailed records of their daily activities; some of them dictate that record to a secretary or executive assistant. It’s a laborious, boring and time-consuming task. But they feel it must be done.
I would go a step further. Everyone needs someone of unquestioned loyalty and discretion to monitor his or her activities against the template of differential values. I see two advantages to this tactic. First, it would relieve the person of the admittedly bothersome task of logging time. Second, it would provide an external review of how well his or her objectives are reflected in terms of time devoted to them.
I think it is relevant that the question regarding the CEO’s involvement in product development was raised in the course of preparing this article. Whether the degree of my involvement will change as a result is doubtful. That I spend time on product development send s a clear signal to the rest of the executive staff. They are aware of the value placed on that activity.
Some Additional Benefits
I believe that increasing executive productivity is critical to the health of companies and the American economy. The draconian cuts in some companies suggest that many agree with me. But cuts alone will not make people more efficient. Bad habits are too ingrained, particularly the habit of doing the wrong thing.
But someone who recognizes that the value of time fluctuates according to the activity and its duration will probably stop doing “wrong things or at least spend less time on them.”
While most companies have stated priorities, objectives, and goals, it’s a common complaint that they are not addressed as consistently as they might be. They become articles of faith ? often stated but not vigorously pursued.
Placing higher values on activities that serve stated priorities and promise to achieve stated goals provides a means of measuring executive performance. An executive who consistently asks himself: ‘Did I earn my salary today?’ and has developed a quantitative method of answering that question should have the necessary motivation to make sure it is answered affirmatively.
We will look at TO DO lists for two different types of people: the Appointment
Driven and the Task Driven.
Let’s begin with the Appointment Driven person. I believe the Day-Timer
type format is still the best because it allows the user to enter TO DO’s
on the daily page to tie-in with the actual appointment.Tickler reminders
can also be entered in the advance when necessary.
For the non-Appointment Driven person it is often better to list TO DO’s
and results on separate pages.TO DO’s for these people are usually not
as time-critical.
I suggest keeping your TO DO lists in a small loose leaf binder. Your list will be different than mine and will depend on your job, lifestyle and personal preference. More about the lists you should keep later.
If you use a computer: Many office suite programs have good TO DO programs and you can adapt those ideas into them. However, I urge you to print out your TO DO’s and carry paper with you to review and record TO DO’s when they occur or come to mind.
Since retirement I keep my TO DO list in five separate files.
● TO DO sometime (Home, pool, yard, shore)
● TO DO sometime (Memory Bank, Wax Works, shop)
● TO DO sometime (Personal, investments, travel)
● TO DO Important
● TO DO Urgent
● SHOPPING
Sometimes I make weekly lists of TO DO’s, but usually I just review my
lists weekly and then decide what I want TO DO. This is easy for me because
in retirement I don’t have too many ‘urgents.’However, I do have several
hundred things I want to do. Whenever an item becomes urgent, I circle
it...sometimes I list it on my appointment schedule.
As I’ve said before, the first five steps in your Life Planning process outlined what you believe in and what you want your life to be like. You now should have a much clearer idea of the direction you want to go.
I have learned to clear my mind. I don’t want to waste my brain power thinking
about things TO DO .So, we want every idea, every thought, every thing
we may want to do on paper. My lists are long; so it becomes necessary
to keep them in separate files. At one time I had ten different lists,
but since I’m not as active have cut it down to the few I mentioned earlier.
Identify your lists to be certain that each TO DO will fit only one list. You should not have to think about which list it belongs on. As an example, you may want to keep a separate list of the different responsibilities you have at work; Advertising, Product Development, Planning etc.... you may also want to have a list for social work and activities, like you r church or a club to which you belong. The same holds true with lists for travel and recreation.
Organize your lists to fit your lifestyle, and you can have as many different lists as you need. You may want an urgent list for each ‘TO DO sometime’. You may want two or three shopping lists ? grocery, department store, drug store, etc....
You’ll be amazed at how quickly you add things to your lists.
Again the goal is to get all of this stuff out of our minds and on paper so that we can look, analyze, and decide and act on the items that have the most effect on our Life Goals and Values.
Allen Lake and Charles Hobbs developed the prioritizing system in which they assigned a letter (A,B,C) to each item on their lists.
A- Urgent and important. The future of my company and/or life depends on getting this done. Often, the “A” may not be that important to you personally, but is necessary in order to keep your job.
B- Important but not urgent. These are important to achieving my Life Goals but need not be done immediately. Using the example of “A”; if the leak in the roof is minor and does not need immediate attention, it could be labeled “B”. If left unattended the “B” could become an “A”.
C- These are usually things you would like to do but are not urgent or important. For example, cleaning a closet, taking a trip, etc. We all have many of these and they are what keep us awake at night and clutter our minds. We need to schedule some of these, to keep our minds clear and ready for action on more important matters.
I have found that it is difficult to keep track of the “C’s” in a Day-Timer format. I often had a month of Daily pages that contained dozens of “C’s”. The advantage is that as you write them on a future date, you eventually get tired and drop some of them.
The disadvantage is that you begin listing only “A’s” and “B’s” and miss all the fun.
You want to list everything you must or want to do. You want to review your goals and add TO DO items that will help you achieve your goals. You want to clean your mind of everything you must or want TO DO.
After it is all on paper (or on your computer), take the time to pick and choose what is in harmony with your Values. It will help you achieve your Visions and Goals.
Chris Hegarty, in his book titled ‘Putting It Together and Putting It to Work’ states that:
“Only the ‘organized’ can loaf - others take time off but will take their anxieties with them wherever they go. It is only when you have it put together and put to work that you can take time off and genuinely ‘savor’ it.”
I was fortunate to have many people who were willing to do my work. Not all are that fortunate. When you get to the point in your career where you have help, it is extremely important to know how to energize people so that they can enjoy the things you have asked them to do.
Before you can evaluate others, you must be able to evaluate yourself. Take a few minutes to read over your values, visions and goals. This is where you want to go. Now we need to see how we’ll get there.
In evaluating yourself, begin by listing what you can do extremely well; your best skills; the ones that got you where you are.
Next, list those skills where you are adequate ? what you can do, but which many others can do just as well.
Now ? and this takes courage ? list those things you do poorly. These will usually be things you don’t like to do.
Share the list with those you can trust, and ask them if the list accurately represents you. It would be great if you could trust your boss and get his or her input.
Next, you’ll want to do the same for those who report to you. You may want to have them do the list themselves and then compare your evaluation with theirs. You may want to share your self-evaluation with them to show that you are willing to undergo the same sort of self-examination.
The final step is to review all the lists to spot strengths and weaknesses. Whenever you have an opportunity, add the skills where your group is weak. Remember, you don’t want ‘yes’ people, but you do want people you can trust to be honest with you. You’ll want people who will challenge your ideas and you must learn to hear their side. Always take time to explain your position when there is a difference of opinion.
Just sharing basic beliefs, visions, and goals can often bring about an understanding of how to work together.
Up to now we’ve organized our lives, we know ourselves and know the skills of our team. You have documented your schedule and TO DO’s and are convinced you will never be able to put it all together.
One of the first lessons I learned was the value of people. It later became a plaque in my office. It became an important Value and I believe it is responsible for all, or at least most, of my success.
It reads as follows:
“A good manager is like a chemist and will blend together people to make the team stronger than the individuals.”
Every week review your appointments and TO DO lists to see what you can delegate to others. Next, look for items where others can do part of the work, and delegate that.
Now, look for those that you have no one qualified to do . Is there someone on your team whom you can train? If not, start looking to add such a person to your team. Or you may be able to have a consultant to help.
Make Time To Help
Remember when you delegate that you are still responsible. You must take all the responsibility and blame if something isn’t done right.
So you must be available to help whenever necessary. Some bosses delegate, then evaluate. If they’re not satisfied they will simply terminate the person in question or move that person to a lesser position. I believe this is an absolute waste of talent. It takes time to learn, to get all the facts needed to do a good job. It’s the bosses responsibility to teach, monitor, control and take responsibility. But you must also trust ? and give credit for a job well done!
Executive Assistant
Fortunate is the person who has a good secretary. I have been one of the fortunate people, and always referred to my secretary as my ‘Executive Assistant.’
In today’s world, many executives type their own correspondence, enter it into their PC’s, and don’t find time for their most important task ? planning for the future.
Typing pools seem to be taking over the work of the old fashioned secretary who could take a rough draft or even an idea, polish it, and form it into a finished product that accurately reflected the executive’s wishes. It takes time to learn, to know the people who are on the team and how to communicate with them.
A good executive assistant should learn to accept and take responsibility for as much of our routine decisions as possible. You need to give them the authority and stand by decisions they make that might be different than your own. Discussion will allow you to mesh your thinking processes; at the very least, both people will know how the other will react to a given situation.
Your executive assistant must be able to answer your phone with authority when you need to have uninterrupted time. You should also provide your assistant uninterrupted time so that he or she can be free to deal with their work.
If you have no one to delegate work to-
Ask any retired executive what they miss most: if they are truthful, the answer will be “all the people who did my work and helped me think and plan for the future.”
There are many people who are the doers. Their lives are controlled by work others give them to do - and they are without help.
When I retired, my late wife and I became more of a team than when I went to work each day. We soon learned to share the work ? delegate to each other the things we did not like to do or couldn’t do. We also began to sort out those things we could hire people, or ask friends or family to help.
After she went to a better world and I was alone here on earth...I had less needs. Life was less complicated, but I soon learned the need for others. I had to learn new skills ? how to cook ? clean house? care for my clothes ? find entertainment, etc. We are dependent on others for many needs.
I also discovered that I had the time TO DO many things that I did not have time to do when others were in my life. So previously delegated tasks often became my new hobbies and enjoyment.
When I met and married a new love, life changed again and needs and delegation changed. She has different interests, different needs and different skills.
I point out these personal experiences to help you search your own life to find sources of help. You don’t delegate to your spouse, friends or family, but help and delegation have the same results. But isn’t help as good or better than delegation.
You Must Also Accept Delegation
It is important to remember that you can delegate to others that which
you can’t do well or don’t like to do...but you must also remember that
others have the same needs as you. To be respected and loved you must be
always willing to help others and accept delegation. We often receive our
greatest satisfaction when we help others achieve their goals.
One Last Thought About Delegation
One of my religious beliefs is that God created man to do His work. Be humble whenever you delegate ? appreciate the work done for you ? than thank your God for this help.
Most Time Management consultants agree that you can’t save time unless you first know how you have spent it in the past and how you want to spend it in the future. The only reason to save time is so that you can spend less time on those things you don’t like to do; then you can move on to doing the things you would prefer.
In our previous exercises we have learned about our Basic Values, our likes and dislikes, our future visions and goals. Only by keeping a diary record of what we have done can we determine if we have lived our life plans. We can also analyze those notes to see what has made us happy, and what has prevented us from enjoying life to the fullest.
The Day-Timer style format, which was designed for the appointment-driven person, provides space to detail the results of appointments, the items discussed, decisions reached, and notes for the future on the daily page. This works fine for those who have that kind of lifestyle.
After I retired and developed a new lifestyle I no longer needed or really
could use that type of format. My diary record of the day became more of
a journal ? places visited, information about people I met and things I
wanted to remember. I found many days when I really did not need or even
want to make a journal entry of my day. A simple notebook worked fine and
I would use as many or as few pages as I needed.
I soon learned, however, that some of the same problems I had with my Day Timers lifestyle format became apparent: namely the ability to find specific items of information when I needed or wanted to retrieve them.
I needed some type of uniform format where I could index information for retrieval. As I tried to keep notes, I soon discovered that I was falling into the same bad habits that developed when there was not a specific place to record the daily events of life.
As I tried various systems to separate and keep information together, the problems of where to keep it, and the habit of writing notes on scrap paper to record later, simply did not work.
Finally, I decided that I could divide my life record into two categories. The first I would call a journal record of my day: impressions, feelings ? really a life journal of events which would not need to be referred to later to retrieve information.
The second type of information I would simply classify as notes and things I needed to remember. Quotations on a new car, the color of paints used when redecorating, the flowers and bulbs planted, and all kinds of information that may be needed at some future date.
I thought of recording this data on a computer and I believe future generations ? those who have grown up using computers ? will do so. But I can’t type, and don’t enjoy sitting at a computer. I find it far easier to write my notes, and I don’t seem to need to be as perfect with my notes when they are hand-written. I can also do it whenever and wherever I want.
After trying different formats, I fell into the trap of trying to be too organized for my new lifestyle. I believe my history of product development, initially prevented me from keeping it simple and easy to use.
I finally selected a loose leaf binder with lines pages that would allow me to use as much space as needed for each day. Some days required no entry at all, others required several pages. I printed a form with numbered lines and simply note the date , underline it, then write. At the end of the entry I skip a line, write in the new date, underline it, and begin my notes for the new day. I number each page and use an ‘A’ for the front and ‘B’ for the reverse side.
If there is information I want to retrieve at a later date; I underline the key idea or phrase, and circle the line number. Later I’ll enter these items in my computer and sort for quick reference. I print out this information and keep it in the front of my journal pages.
| Subject | Item | page |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping | Hydrangea, blue | 01A-7 |
| Shopping | Sapphire | 01A-15 |
| Investments | Education Trust | 01A-20 |
| Restaurants | Bill’s Lobster House | 01A-28 |
Many Time Management experts recommend the use of a Time Log to determine where we spend our time. Most of us would be hard pressed to estimate within 50% how we spent our time yesterday.
You can’t save time if you don’t know where you spend it. If you don’t know where you spend it, you probably didn’t spend it doing the important things that bring you success or pleasure.
Most of us don’t want to be so regimented that we need a time-table to record our every activity. But if we want to be good stewards of our time, we must occasionally spend time to see if we are on target.
When I was president of DayTimers I scheduled about 75% of my time each day with appointments, meeting, time to read and write reports, answer telephones, read mail, etc.... I saved the other 25% for the unexpected problems that usually came up.
The planned schedule put discipline in my life and helped me accomplish more things.
Since retiring I no longer have such a rigid schedule. After my first wife died, I was alone and didn’t have to consider anyone. However, when I remarried I soon discovered the need for a more rigid plan to make everyone, including myself, happy. This also helped me accomplish more of the things I wanted to do.
As I’ve said many times before, the only reason to save time is to spend more time doing what you like to do and less time on what you don’t like.
The first step to keeping a Time Log is to determine categories for your activities. It sounds simple, but most of us find this type of self-analysis difficult. Section your life into activities. These will be different for each person. But just identifying them will be a great discipline. Don’t worry if you miss an activity; you can add it as your day progresses.
It has been proved that a half-hour of planning can save up to four hours of execution. Just having a plan will help provide the discipline to keep you on target. If you are interrupted you can at least measure the importance of the interruption in your planned activities.
I developed a sample form to plan activities and reserve time for them. You could use one color pen to log your planned use of time and another color to show your actual use. Or you could log your plan on the left side of the column and the actual time on the right side. This all sounds like a lot of work...and most people will only plan and track time to get an idea of how time is spent and to decide if there is a better use of time.
By setting time aside for various activities you will get into the habit of honoring your planned use of time. When you track how you honor your planned use, you become disciplined not to let less important or pleasurable activities consume your time.
You, of course, can develop your own time form or find some kind of time form at a stationery store. I have found that by blocking time for various activities it is much easier to say “No” when I have allocated time for the activities that I want or must do.
After you have listed your activities, give each a value. The first column after the activity is a ‘I’ which is to measure the relative importance of the activity to your Values, or to your success. Enter a number from 1 to 10 as we discussed earlier. The next column, ‘P’ is there to give the activity a pleasure rating on the 1 to 10 scale.
Your next step is to determine how much time you want to allocate to each activity. Here you will want to use a pencil with an eraser because I guarantee your total time for all activities will far exceed the time you have available. And you will have to cut back the time you spend on some items.
You may want to plan your day by entering the activity and time you plan to devote to each activity. Or you may simply want to record the time you spend on each activity until you get a feel for how much time you will need.
This all sounds like a bit of work, and it is. You will also discover that
you can’t always follow your plan. But stop and think for a minute: without
a plan you will have no control; with a plan you can decide if you want
to allow changes to your schedule and activities.
If you try it you will soon learn to quickly allocate, and keeping a Time Log becomes almost automatic. It is certainly worth the time and effort.
You may decide to keep a Time Log for only a few days in a month. That’s OK. The important thing is to learn how to allocate time and to develop the skills to follow your plan.
Some of you may be able to set up time Log schedule for a week, and try to follow it by doing certain things on specific days and times. I like to plan my week on Monday morning ? I am retired and have far more control than those who are in positions where things can change by the hour.
As you master time allocation you will want to start giving each activity a pleasure rating. Remember our goal is life is to get all the important things done so we will have more time to do the things we want to do.
If you use this form faithfully and spend time analyzing your day to learn how you can make your plan work, you will find your pleasure rating will change. Your goal in life should be to have all your important activities be high pleasure activities. Spend time to discover how to manage your time. Your days will be much happier and more productive.