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It’s really about managing yourself and your priorities. The best we can do is manage what we DO with the time we have. There are three critical variables:

1. Knowing how long the things you do take you
2. Knowing how much of your time you have already committed so that you don’t commit more than you have
3. Being aware of how your use of time matches up with your priorities.

Simply become more aware of these three factors, without judgment and without pressure to move faster. This in itself helps us to make the best use of time. Usually people are surprised, when they simply observe these variables, at how unaware of time they have been. As the awareness grows more accurate, improvements in efficiency and focus are automatic. Then time can actually be perceived as a friend and not as the enemy.

24-HOUR PRIORITIES

Are you ‘stuck’, unable to DEFINE areas of obvious concern or, simply need a reminder?

SHEET A Invites you to consider how you spend their time. The outcome is an awareness of areas of wasted effort or inappropriate time use, As a rule-of-thumb guide, the areas of ‘most time spent’ will provide clues to Priority areas

SHEET B Invites you to prioritise AREAS of issue, arising from Sheet A

SHEET C Invites you to define ACTION arising from the results of Sheet B

SHEET A HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?

No matter who you are, you have 24 hours in every day. That is 1440 minutes. No more and no less. You cannot beg, buy, borrow or steal more. When they have gone, that is it!

Please consider how you spend your time. Think of a typical day (Or a week of seven days) and state how many hours and minutes you think you spend on each of the activities listed. (Add more if you need to) Remember, the total MUST be 24 Hours.

 

Hours Minutes

Sleep

Morning Personal Needs*

Work**

Leisure***

Evening Personal Needs*

TOTAL 24 00

____________________________________________

 

AA: Now think just about work. Again, estimate the hours and minutes for each activity

Hours Minutes

Travel to work

Preparing for work

Tea, coffee and lunch breaks

Looking for things

Doing things right first time

Doing things poorly

Correcting things done poorly

Work related conversations

Meetings

Giving or Receiving Instructions

Getting ready to end work

Travel home

Your total Hours & Minutes Must be same as at ** above

 

GO TO NEXT SHEET

 

AB: Now do the same for Leisure

Hours Minutes

Watching Television

Reading

Hobbies

Exercise

Creativity

Thinking

Socialising at home

Socialising out

Spiritual/Faith

Meditation

Personal Development

Health Improvement

Conversation

Family Quality Time

TOTAL Must be same as *** above

 

AC: Now do the same for Personal Needs

Hours Minutes

Washing/Bathing

Hair/Make-up

Clothing Preparation

Dressing/Undressing

Sex

Other

Food Prepare/Eat

TOTAL Must be same as * above

 

ACTION TIME:

Circle the two items that take the longest time in each of charts AA, AB and AC

Circle the two items that take the shortest time in each of these charts

Could the longest times be reduced? Why or why not?

Are the shortest times adequate? Why or why not?

Now go to the next sheet.

SHEET B CONSIDER YOUR PRIORITIES

First, answer these questions

Using the answers on the previous two sheets to kick-start your thoughts …..

	What needs less attention?
	What needs more attention?
	How would you like to spend more time?
	Where would you like to spend less time?
	What is missing in WORK that should be there?
	What is missing in LEISURE that should be there?
	Would your work colleagues agree?
	Would your family agree?
	What is most important to you right now?
	If you could do ANYTHING with no limits – what would it be?

You cannot do everything at once. So, using your answers to the above questions, write the three that are most important to you. Put the most important first, then the next and then the third in order.

1^st Priority______________________________________

2^nd Priority______________________________________

3^rd Priority______________________________________

Copy these out on post-it notes or postcards and stick them in your car, wallet, private locker, desk drawer and any place where you will see them often.

Now go to the next sheet

SHEET C DEFINE YOUR ACTIONS

If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got!

To change something, you must take action!

The outcomes of the action are more important than the action itself!

Considering each of your priorities from the last sheet, think of two actions that you could take in the next seven days to improve matters. Then three that you should take and, finally, one that you WILL take.

PRIORITY ACTIONS

Could SHOULD WILL!!

1^st

2^nd

3^rd

Congratulations! Now you know what you could do, what you should do and, above all, what you WILL do. Keep this promise to you. Deliver.

Repeat this exercise as often as you wish.

PRIORITY LIST

What is most important to you at this time in your life?

Where would you like to spend more of your time?

If you could do anything you wanted without restrictions, what would it be?

Are there areas that need your attention, like your health, a relationship, work, or financial concerns?

Is there a secret dream or desire that keeps getting put on the back burner that you’d like to devote ore time to? If so, what is it?

What needs less attention? More attention?

Take Action! Create an Absolute Must List

Once you have had a chance to define what is important, you are ready to create a new list – and Absolute Must list. Your Absolute Must list is a new list of priorities that will inspire you to use your gift of time differently. This list will become the governing document that will guide you to make wise choices about how you live your life.

My Absolute Must List

1 _____________________________________________________________________

2 _____________________________________________________________________

3 _____________________________________________________________________

4 _____________________________________________________________________

5 _____________________________________________________________________

6 _____________________________________________________________________

7 _____________________________________________________________________

 

Does this list excite you? Will it inspire you to shift your focus and give more of your attention to these areas? Now that you have completed the list, copy it onto several 3" x 5" index cards and keep these cards in view. Put one in your appointment book, one on your bathroom mirror, one on the dashboard of your car. Keep one by the phone so that you are not tempted to agree to something that is not a priority. Let your Absolute Must list remind you of what is important – what you really want. When you know what you want, your focus becomes crystal clear – you are able to honour your priorities in any situation.

 

TAKE ACTION!

List your current priorities

How you spend your time reveals your true priorities. You can begin to see what you call important by how many hours you devote to that activity. Below, list the top seven things that take up most of your time. Using the total hours from your time chart, list your current priorities, beginning with the item that gets the most time and ending with the item that gets the least.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

As you review the list, ask yourself the following questions.

Write the answers in your journal.

1. Am I living a balanced life?
2. What’s missing from this list?
3. If this week were my last week on earth, would I be happy with how I’m spending my time?
4. Are my priorities what I thought they would be?
5. Are these the priorities that I most want?
6. How much of my time is spent caring for others?
7. Am I involved in too many activities?