Eliminate These Six Time Suckers and Take Control of Your Day

If you are already a high achiever who still hasknow you'll want to accept, like those from your
time to do everything you need and want to do,spouse and children. That way, you don't need to
then stop reading right now and send me YOURkeep checking the caller ID every time it rings.Ask
time management tips. If not, you can effortlesslyyour employees, coworkers and family to send
and automatically add several hours of productivehigh priority messages with 911 or some other
time to your week with the following strategies.1.special code at the beginning of the subject line,
Limit Television. There's a reason the TV carriesto make sure you read those first when you do
such disparaging nicknames as the "idiot box" andscan your new mail. Keep in mind that probably
"boob tube." For many people, the television90% of so-called emergencies can be handled by
wastes incredible amounts of precious time. I'msomeone else. Whether you own the place or
not saying all TV is evil; it's simply a matter ofjust reside high enough up the food chain to
priorities. Many people who say they have no timewarrant urgent calls for help, letting your staff
to exercise always find time to watch Thelearn how to make good decisions will save
Sopranos, American Idol, and CSI. If you're goingeveryone time in the long run. When you leave a
to watch something, get a DVR, if you don'tphone message for someone else, leave a good
already have one. At least you can record yourcallback time to avoid the dreaded,
must-see TV and fast foward through thetime-consuming telephone tag. Example voice mail:
commercials when you watch it later. I can't stay"Good afternoon, this is Joe Block, from Block &
up late enough to watch Jay Leno, but since weBlock, returning your phone call. I can be reached
got the DVR a couple of years ago, I watch hisat 401-555-1772 between the hours of 2:00 to
monologue every morning while eating breakfast.3:00 this afternoon, or tomorrow morning
I have never seen nor have any desire to watchbetween 10:00 and noon. I look forward to your
most of today's popular TV shows. Occasionally, Icall." If possible, change your voice mail greeting
get around to the list of episodes of Mythbusterseach day to indicate the best times to reach you.
on our DVR, usually on a morning when theExample greeting: "Hello, this is Joe Block with
previous night's Leno was a rerun.There areBlock & Block. I'm sorry I missed your call. Today
almost always more important things to do in theis Friday, June 5th, and I will be in the office
evening than watch TV, like building my businessbetween 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, as well as
or reading to my toddler. If you run your ownfrom 3:00 to 5:00 this afternoon. If you'd like to
business, think of it in terms of your hourly rate.leave a message, please do so after the tone."5.
How much would a customer or client pay you,Put the Brakes on Waiting. You can both minimize
or how much could you earn in other ways,waiting and make the most of time that you
during the hour you spend watching that rerun ofmust spend waiting. While waiting on the
Law & Order? Of course, you can't put a price ontelephone on hold, check and respond to email.
family time, and you can't give full attention toWhile driving to work or waiting in traffic, listen to
your spouse or offspring with one eye on theeducational or motivational audiobooks. Use this
tube. If you have the space and funds to furnishtime to learn a foreign language or perhaps pick
a room with a television, DVD player and/or DVR,up new business strategies from one of the
and a treadmill, you can actually make good usemany tycoons who have written books.When
of your TV time. Add more exercise equipmentscheduling medical appointments, try to get the
for even better results. You can make time forearliest available appointment. Some of the
your favorite programs while staying in shape.2.best medical providers get way behind as the
Banish Mindless Internet Surfing & Computerday progresses because they spend whatever
Games. The Internet is a wonderful, miraculoustime is necessary to answer all of their patients'
piece of work, but can also quickly pull you into aquestions and attend to their needs. The later
nearly infinite galaxy of interesting butyour appointment time, the longer you will wait.
not-terribly-useful information. You can easily loseAvoid Monday and Friday medical appointments
track of time while clicking one intriguing link afterfor routine visits. Sick people line up to be seen
another. Many folks set timers for their children tobefore the weekend, or call first thing Monday
limit their computer time, but think nothing ofafter feeling progressively worse all weekend.
losing valuable sleep time staring dazedly at theAvoiding Mondays and Fridays means avoiding the
screen. Computer games also can quickly suckmost crowded waiting rooms full of
the life blood out of your work and family time. Ifsick people and their germs.Since some amount
you're not careful, you'll lose track of time - timeof waiting is inevitable, always take along a
that could be spent in more productivenewspaper, magazine or book to pass the time.
endeavors.3. Turn Away From Office Gossip.Some medical offices rely on donations of old
Resist the temptation to spend 15 minutes heremagazines from employees to fill their racks. If a
and there in idle chit-chat with coworkers. Don't1999 issue of Field & Stream doesn't interest you,
get me wrong - some degree of relationshipyou'll be glad you brought along today's
building at work is important, even critical to yournewspaper. Alternately, you can use the free
professional happiness and success. But you canservice to download fresh content directly to
easily turn 15 minutes here and 15 minutes thereyour PDA before any appointment. It's a great
into a major disruption. The next thing you'll beway to carry around enough reading material for
discussing is that you don't have nearly enougha long wait without needing a heavy backpack.6.
time to do all of your work, and you don't knowDon't Finish It Just Because You Started It. If the
where the day has gone!4. Disconnect Frombook doesn't live up to its ratings, or you bought
Constant Monitoring of Email & Phone Calls. Justinto the hype of a very bad movie, you have
because you can be constantly available doesn'talready wasted money. Don't waste your time as
mean that you must be. If you have a secretarywell. I have abandoned books after only a few
or assistant, this person can screen your calls,chapters and walked out of the theater during
visitors and emails. Set aside time on yourterrible flicks. Studying reviews may save you
calendar to return calls and answer emails. Manyboth the dollars and the hours sometimes, but not
unannounced outside visitors will be salespeople.always.Please note that I am not heaping criticism
They often provide a valuable service byupon those who watch hours of TV, spend a lot
introducing you to new or less expensiveof time in conversation with coworkers, check
products and services, but out of considerationtheir Blackberries every 10 minutes, surf the
for your time, they should make an appointment,Internet, play video games or read boring books. I
if you have any interest in their wares. If youmerely offer an outline for raising your
have no interest whatsoever, don't waste theirachievement level by breaking away from
time or yours. When you're in a time crunch, closecommon time traps. The rest is up to you.Beth
your email program so that you are not temptedMcIntire is a marketing guru, technical writer and
to keep checking it. You can program your cellcomputer geek.
phone with a distinctive ring for calls that you