| If you are already a high achiever who still has | | | | know 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 YOUR | | | | keep checking the caller ID every time it rings.Ask |
| time management tips. If not, you can effortlessly | | | | your employees, coworkers and family to send |
| and automatically add several hours of productive | | | | high 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 carries | | | | to make sure you read those first when you do |
| such disparaging nicknames as the "idiot box" and | | | | scan your new mail. Keep in mind that probably |
| "boob tube." For many people, the television | | | | 90% of so-called emergencies can be handled by |
| wastes incredible amounts of precious time. I'm | | | | someone else. Whether you own the place or |
| not saying all TV is evil; it's simply a matter of | | | | just reside high enough up the food chain to |
| priorities. Many people who say they have no time | | | | warrant urgent calls for help, letting your staff |
| to exercise always find time to watch The | | | | learn how to make good decisions will save |
| Sopranos, American Idol, and CSI. If you're going | | | | everyone time in the long run. When you leave a |
| to watch something, get a DVR, if you don't | | | | phone message for someone else, leave a good |
| already have one. At least you can record your | | | | callback time to avoid the dreaded, |
| must-see TV and fast foward through the | | | | time-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 we | | | | Block, returning your phone call. I can be reached |
| got the DVR a couple of years ago, I watch his | | | | at 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 watch | | | | between 10:00 and noon. I look forward to your |
| most of today's popular TV shows. Occasionally, I | | | | call." If possible, change your voice mail greeting |
| get around to the list of episodes of Mythbusters | | | | each day to indicate the best times to reach you. |
| on our DVR, usually on a morning when the | | | | Example greeting: "Hello, this is Joe Block with |
| previous night's Leno was a rerun.There are | | | | Block & Block. I'm sorry I missed your call. Today |
| almost always more important things to do in the | | | | is Friday, June 5th, and I will be in the office |
| evening than watch TV, like building my business | | | | between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, as well as |
| or reading to my toddler. If you run your own | | | | from 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 of | | | | must spend waiting. While waiting on the |
| Law & Order? Of course, you can't put a price on | | | | telephone on hold, check and respond to email. |
| family time, and you can't give full attention to | | | | While driving to work or waiting in traffic, listen to |
| your spouse or offspring with one eye on the | | | | educational or motivational audiobooks. Use this |
| tube. If you have the space and funds to furnish | | | | time 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 use | | | | many tycoons who have written books.When |
| of your TV time. Add more exercise equipment | | | | scheduling medical appointments, try to get the |
| for even better results. You can make time for | | | | earliest 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 & Computer | | | | day progresses because they spend whatever |
| Games. The Internet is a wonderful, miraculous | | | | time is necessary to answer all of their patients' |
| piece of work, but can also quickly pull you into a | | | | questions and attend to their needs. The later |
| nearly infinite galaxy of interesting but | | | | your appointment time, the longer you will wait. |
| not-terribly-useful information. You can easily lose | | | | Avoid Monday and Friday medical appointments |
| track of time while clicking one intriguing link after | | | | for routine visits. Sick people line up to be seen |
| another. Many folks set timers for their children to | | | | before the weekend, or call first thing Monday |
| limit their computer time, but think nothing of | | | | after feeling progressively worse all weekend. |
| losing valuable sleep time staring dazedly at the | | | | Avoiding Mondays and Fridays means avoiding the |
| screen. Computer games also can quickly suck | | | | most crowded waiting rooms full of |
| the life blood out of your work and family time. If | | | | sick people and their germs.Since some amount |
| you're not careful, you'll lose track of time - time | | | | of waiting is inevitable, always take along a |
| that could be spent in more productive | | | | newspaper, 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 here | | | | magazines from employees to fill their racks. If a |
| and there in idle chit-chat with coworkers. Don't | | | | 1999 issue of Field & Stream doesn't interest you, |
| get me wrong - some degree of relationship | | | | you'll be glad you brought along today's |
| building at work is important, even critical to your | | | | newspaper. Alternately, you can use the free |
| professional happiness and success. But you can | | | | service to download fresh content directly to |
| easily turn 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there | | | | your PDA before any appointment. It's a great |
| into a major disruption. The next thing you'll be | | | | way to carry around enough reading material for |
| discussing is that you don't have nearly enough | | | | a long wait without needing a heavy backpack.6. |
| time to do all of your work, and you don't know | | | | Don't Finish It Just Because You Started It. If the |
| where the day has gone!4. Disconnect From | | | | book doesn't live up to its ratings, or you bought |
| Constant Monitoring of Email & Phone Calls. Just | | | | into the hype of a very bad movie, you have |
| because you can be constantly available doesn't | | | | already wasted money. Don't waste your time as |
| mean that you must be. If you have a secretary | | | | well. 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 your | | | | terrible flicks. Studying reviews may save you |
| calendar to return calls and answer emails. Many | | | | both 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 by | | | | upon those who watch hours of TV, spend a lot |
| introducing you to new or less expensive | | | | of time in conversation with coworkers, check |
| products and services, but out of consideration | | | | their 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 you | | | | merely offer an outline for raising your |
| have no interest whatsoever, don't waste their | | | | achievement level by breaking away from |
| time or yours. When you're in a time crunch, close | | | | common time traps. The rest is up to you.Beth |
| your email program so that you are not tempted | | | | McIntire is a marketing guru, technical writer and |
| to keep checking it. You can program your cell | | | | computer geek. |
| phone with a distinctive ring for calls that you | | | | |