The Number One Key to Great Time Management
Robyn Pearce
(640 words)
Quite a few years back Barbara and Andy made a list of all the big and little goals they could think of. At the time Barbara had been on a course about goal-setting, so as they wrote things down she encouraged Andy to be very specific and to play ‘how big can I dream’, rather than limiting his list to what he believed was realistic. He wanted his own horticultural business for he loved living and working on the land but didn’t want a large farm. She yearned to live within sight of the sea. At the time they couldn’t see how either dream was possible.
As well as specifics about the business, they detailed the size of house, number of bedrooms, the kind of garden, how close to the nearest city, and many other large and small goals such as holiday destinations and the kind of schools they wanted for their kids. Barbara put the list carefully away in a ‘safe’ place. The big dreams (especially the land ownership and the house by the sea) didn’t go away but they completely forgot about the list and the specifics they’d outlined.
At a course with me in 2006, Barbara shared how ten years later, the day they took over an established bulb exporting business on four hectares, she found the list. They got goose-bumps as they realised that almost every detail on that piece of paper had come true – and the new home overlooked a delightful harbour.
If you’re on a large block of land you might belong to a Monitor Group, or work with a farm advisor, or belong to one of the coaching programmes available. If so, you’ve probably been advised to write down your goals. But – have you done it? Or have you done it just for your business, and forgotten the rest of your life?
If you’re part of our vigorous lifestyle and small holding sector you probably fall through the cracks of the rural sector and don’t have access to advisors who nag you to do such things. If you haven’t yet written your goals down (and it’s the writing down that’s the critical bit), take the weight off your brain – here’s an easy way.
You need:
· About ½ to ¾ hour
· Quiet thinking time in a relaxing place
· Possibly background music
· One or more of the following - a piece of paper, large sheet of cardboard, A4 exercise book or notebook – some people write down first and then either draw or cut pictures from magazines to create a visual of their dreams in a scrap book or on a sheet of card.
What to write:
· Use these headings as a framework – Mind, Body & Wellbeing; Relationships, Family & Home; Career, Business & Workplace; Prosperity, Money & Time; People, Community & Contribution. (It’s easier to think if you give yourself some structure.)
· Look for a mix of longer-term as well shorter goals of up to one year.
· Don’t get bogged down in ‘that’s ridiculous’ or ‘I’ll never achieve that’ analysis. This is a no-limitations exercise – trust your intuition and dream big, as Barbara and Andy did.
You might be wondering, ‘why is she talking about goals when this is a column on time management’? From one of Stephen Covey’s books comes: ‘It’s easier to say ‘no’ when a stronger ‘yes’ beckons’. I interpret that as meaning that it’s easier to say ‘no’ to distractions, to time-stealers, to all the myriad fascinating by-ways of life, when we’ve got clarity about what really matters – to us, not anyone else. And the most powerful time management tool we have is the ability to say ‘No’ – not in a career- or relationship-limiting way, but in order to stay focused on what really matters. So, let’s be sure we know what that is.
Robyn Pearce CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) is the Time Queen. She mastered her own time challenges and now helps people around the world overcome theirs. She can show you how to transform your time challenges into high productivity and the life balance you desire.
Download her free report “How to Master Time In Only 90 Seconds”, a simple yet powerful diagnostic tool to help you identify your key areas for action. You’ll find it at http://www.gettingagrip.com/products/e-books/index.asp And while you’re there, enrol for your free Top Time Tips – practical advice every two weeks
© All Rights Reserved to Robyn Pearce, GettingAGrip.com, PO Box 29 586, Fendalton, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand Ph. + 64 3 351 2140
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