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One more great
excuse –
if you haven't at
least had this thought, I'm going to be really surprised. Don't worry,
you're in good company. A full 80% of the group I asked about the most
common reasons they don't do what they know they could for themselves
said...
Reason #1: I don't have time for this!
First things
first. Take your right hand and reach it over your left
shoulder. Give yourself a pat on the back for taking the time to
read this article. I'll do my best to make it worth your
while.
Think about the
many people in your life. If you're like me, some of the people
around you accomplish more than others. One
friend (let's call her Karen) works full time, wears a size 6 (she eats well and exercises), and coaches the kids' soccer team. Another barely manages to get to work and back. She says she'd like to exercise, learn to cook, or go back to school. But she never quite finds the time.
Karen gets a lot more done. Why? Well,
there's one thing we can rule out for sure — and that's time. Sure it may look like she has more time than everybody
else, but could she really? Of course not! Her day has the
same 24 hours as everyone else's.
What's her
secret?
My best guess is
that Karen's making better use of the time she has than her less
productive counterparts.
Three secrets
for getting more done:
1. Get
focused. Ask anyone who gets a lot done and they'll tell you
they know what they want. Simply being clear about what you want
to accomplish is the first step toward getting results. This
also means looking for conflicting desires. Let's say you say
you want a promotion at work, while at the same time you don't want to
put in the extra hours that would come with the new position. Any time you both want and don't want the same thing, your focus and
your goals are compromised. One way or another, you'll stall.
2. Plan
ahead. High-accomplishers plan ahead. They get organized and
group similar activities. The time investment up front
pays off in the long run. For example, let's say it's Saturday
morning and you have errands. You visit the ATM and do
your grocery shopping. Then you head back home. As you
start the laundry, you notice a pile of dry-cleanables. Oops. The dry cleaner is right next to the
grocery store. That's a second trip to the same place. No
wonder it takes all day Saturday to finish your chores!
3.
Prioritize. It's incredibly easy to spend time on seemingly
urgent low-priority activities instead of tackling higher-priority
activities first. Of course your cat appreciates a clean litter
box. Everyone likes a clean kitchen. But why not draft
your new business plan first? If you spend the whole evening on
little stuff, you'll never find time for what's important. Once
you've completed your goals for the night, reward yourself with a few
minutes actually playing with Fluffy!
Bonus Hint:
Occasional unplanned events cause even the most
well-organized person to re-prioritize. When that happens,
remember to reschedule important tasks and communicate with other
people who may be affected by your changes. But if this happens a
lot, something's wrong. Ward off future "emergencies" with better planning.
Discover even
more time-expanding tips in Word Cures!
How it sounds
"I'm too busy.
It'll have to wait. I don't have time for this!"
Bottom line
You get to say
what's important in your life. Learn to say "yes" to high
priority or important tasks and say "no" to things that don't forward
your goals or could be done by someone else. At the end of the
day, you'll have gotten the most important things done.
"I don't
have time for this" is
just one of the 21 reasons you'll learn to avoid when you read and
apply the strategies you'll find in Word Cures: How to Keep
Stupid Excuses from Sabotaging Your Health. Learn more here:
www.WordCures.com.
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