Time Management

Inside Out
Business Edition
"You can't change the direction of the wind. . .
but you can adjust your sails!"
--Jimmy Dean

Kim Olver, MS, NCC, LPC

www.Coachingforexcellence.biz
Kim@Coachingforexcellence.biz

To read our blog click here or go to www.coachingforexcellence.biz and click on the "View our Web Journal" on the left of the page. Read some of Kim's musing and add some of your own!

June 8, 2005 - Volume I, Issue 5

A Message from Kim

Hi everyone. I hope your last two weeks have gone well for you. This issue focuses on the way we protect, organize and prioritize (POP) our time. We cannot really manage time. There is no way that I know of to get more than 24 hours in a day. It is what we do with our time that is important. In today’s information age, many of us are inundated with information all the time. It is easy to get distracted by information and forget to do the things that we need to for our lives and those we love. Why not join me on June 13, 2005 at 12:00 PM EDT in my chat room. We will be discussing how to POP your time. It doesn’t cost anything and we can look at areas where you can improve to fre.e yourself for more of what you WANT to do. You can talk to me, ask questions and interact with the others in the chat room. Just go to www.coachingforexcellence.biz and click on the link on the left-hand tool bar that says, “Chat with Us.” This will take you to a page that once loaded will show two boxes. You type the name by which you want to be identified in the chat room. It will appear next to all comments that you type. It is not necessary to fill out the profile box but you can write a word or phrase to describe yourself. I type in Coach for myself. Then click on the button that says “CHAT!” Then you enter the “Chat Room.” You will see whatever comments I have typed identified by Kim next to them and if anyone else has entered, you will see whatever they have also typed in. If you want to speak, then just start typing your comments. They will initially appear in the area near the bottom of the chat room just above the words that say “Double click a name for a private chat.” Once you have typed your comment, you must hit the “enter” key on your keyboard to have your comment posted where everyone can see it. And now you are chatting. It’s fun, it’s fre.e and you can get some phenomenal advice.

If chatting isn’t your style, then join me for the teleclass scheduled on the same date at 2 PM EDT. Contact me to bring me into your company to do a workshop. There are lots of options if time management is something you need help with. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

In This Issue

Feature Article
Time Management

Upcoming Events
Teleclasses
Chat Room

Book Review
How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life
by Alan Lakein

Quote of the Week
“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good.
What you do today is important because you are
exchanging a day of your life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever;
in its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good.”
---unknown

Business Q&A

CLICK HERE
for Free Teleclass Offer

About Kim Olver

Feature Article

Time Management
By Kim Olver

Does it ever feel like there is never enough time in the day? Are you always rushing? Do you feel stressed at the end of the day? Do you believe that you are not accomplishing what you hoped? Better time management may be the answer.

Dr. Respect at http://marcusgentry.blogspot.com says we must “protect, organize and prioritize our time”. If you are having any of the above listed difficulties, then my guess is you are missing at least one of those elements.

Protecting our time is important. We all have the same amount of time in a day. It’s what we do with it that is critical. Do you find yourself doing things you really don’t want to do or spending time with people who take more than they give? These are examples of not protecting your time.

Your time is your gift to spend, as you will. You can spend it wisely or you can waste it. It’s your choice. However, one thing you can’t do is get it back to do over again.

Sometimes we all do things that we don’t really want to be doing but when we do, it should be in furtherance of a bigger goal that we have. Maybe we don’t want to be going to work today but we want to collect our paycheck at the end of the week, so it’s something we choose to do to get to the bigger payoff.

However, there are things that we do that just aren’t important, don’t lead to anything and waste our time. Can you think of any activities that fall into that category for you? Do you know that the average American watches on average three hours of television each day? How is that for a time waster?

I know when I first got my computer, one of the things I unwisely spent my time on was computer games. I don’t mean an occasional game here or there. I’m talking about an addiction, an obsession---playing solitaire until 2 AM. If I didn’t get that under control, I would have not only been wasting my time, but I would have been wasting my life.

I have three general categories for which I like to protect my time. One is for making progress toward my work/life goals. These are the things I do to move me forward in life. These are generally geared toward helping people in some way, generating more clientele, and increasing my revenue streams.

In this category, it is my sincere hope that one day I will have enough income to hire out all those necessary jobs that I don’t love to do so that I can focus all my time on the things that are my passion but until that time, there are still things I do to move myself forward that I don’t totally love. However, I try to get them done as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

The second category would be spending time with people I care about---those people who nurture me. I protect time for the special man in my life, my sons, my extended family and my friends. There are some people whom I avoid when I am protecting my time. They are the ones who generally take more than they give. Do you have people like that in your life? If they can’t be totally eliminated, at least minimize the time you give to these people.

The third category would be simply things that bring me pleasure or joy. There are things I do that I can do alone or with others when I need relaxation. I like to read a good book, watch a good movie, horseback ride, canoe, ski, walk in the woods and something I got to do this weekend---swim. Protect your time so that you get to do the things that bring you joy.

Organizing your time has to do with having a good time management system. Don’t wait until something is due tomorrow to start on it. Have a good plan and systems in place so you are in charge of your time instead of your schedule being in charge of you. Learn more about time management systems in our Time Management teleclass.

Another aspect of organizing one’s time is maintaining laser-like focus. Did you know that the average person’s mind wanders around seven to eight times a minute? Developing good work habits that include staying focused until the job is done is critical to organization.

Prioritizing your time has to do with deciding what’s most important. I said I have three categories---goal-oriented actions, time with important people and time doing enjoyable activities. They don’t necessarily prioritize in that order.

There must be a balance. I know that when I spend too much time working, I start to feel on edge and tense. This is generally a strong indicator that I need to switch my focus to one of the other areas. A person cannot be in control of their time if all they do is goal-oriented activity. A healthy balance is necessary for good time management and a healthy lifestyle.

Check under “upcoming events” in this newsletter and sign up for one of our teleclasses on Time Management or contact me at Kim@CoachingforExcellence.com and schedule a time management workshop for your workplace. You will learn in much greater depth how to protect, organize and prioritize your time so that you aren’t wasting this valuable commodity.

*Click Here or on icon to read some of Kim's other articles*

Upcoming Events

Teleclasses
(Times in EST)
All teleclasses are one (1) hour in length and all you need is a telephone. When you register we will send you a phone number that you will call five minutes prior to the start of your teleclass. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, but if you prefer to just listen that’s all right too. You do not need a computer or Internet, only a telephone. Don’t delay. There are a limited number of slots available.
Click on date to register for teleclass or visit www.coachingforexcellence.biz events calendar

Time Management
June 13, 2005 2:00 p.m.
July 19, 2005 8:00 p.m.

Never seems to be enough time in the day? Always rushing? Feeling stressed at the end of the day? Not getting accomplished what you hoped? Then this class is for you! Learn how to turn your precious moments into productive time that moves you forward toward your ultimate goals and your life purpose.

Stress Management
June 22, 2005 8:00 p.m.
July 5, 2005 2:00 p.m.

Do you always feel like life gets the best of you? No matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to make a difference? There is too much undone work at the end of your day? People are getting on your last nerve? You just can’t take one more thing? Then this teleclass is for you! Learn how to reduce stress in your life by taking control of the things you have control over---the things you think and the things you do. These revolutionary ideas are different from the ones you typically hear in a stress management workshop. Register for this call today and take charge of your life.

Customer Relations
July 14, 2005 2:00 p.m.

Are you having difficulty cultivating loyal customers? Do you want your business to stand out among your competition? Then join us on this call. You will learn some little known trade secrets to keep your customers satisfied. Register for this call today and take charge of your life.

Managing Depression
July 13, 2005 8:30 p.m.

Are you sad most of the time? Does your mood interfere with you enjoying life? Is it affecting your relationships? Are you unable to do the things that used to bring you pleasure? Then this call is for you! Learn about Choice Theory---the New Psychology of Personal Freedom. Register now for this class and learn how to unleash your personal power by focusing only on those things you have control over and watch your depression lift. Register for this call today and take charge of your life.

Chat Room

Kim will be available in her chat room for questions
and dialog on the following dates and times:

********************
Time Management Chat
6/13/05 12:00 - 1:00 pm
********************
6/21/05 8:00 - 9:00 pm
7/1/05 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Book Review

How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life
by Alan Lakein

Alan Lakein is a guru of time management. In this classic on time management, he discusses the difference between long term goals and short term benefits and helps us focus on the long term goals. He teaches us his ABC prioritizing system for deciding what to do when. He helps us formulate life goals which are critical in any time management system. He asks the question, “What would you be doing now if you knew you’d be dead in three months?” He teaches the difference between goals and activities.

Lakein discusses how important it is to stay flexible in scheduling. If you schedule yourself so tightly without leeway, then you have no life adjustment capabilities and as you know, life has a way of happening. He speaks about the importance of transition time between tasks. It is important to take a moment to clear one’s head before moving on to one’s next task.

Lakein recommends handling each piece of paper only once. Don’t keep moving the same thing around so you have to waste time looking at it over and over again. Deal with it. He speaks of the importance of assertiveness and saying no when necessary. We can’t be everything to everybody. In order to stay true to our own needs, sometimes we have to tell others no. He also writes about how important it is to build quiet time into one’s day.

His magic question is: “What is the best use of my time right now?” This helps to build in that flexibility. Just because a certain activity is next in your schedule may not mean it is the best use of your time at that moment. Be willing to be flexible.

He has some very helpful words about how to conquer one’s fear to minimize avoidance. Often the things we are putting off doing are those things we are afraid of. When we get control of our fear, then we can stop avoiding the things that are necessary to move us forward. Delaying can escalate problems. Don’t keep putting things off

He also helps us learn the Seven Critical Situations in which to increase our willpower to maximize the time we do have.

Overall, this is a must read for anyone serious about taking control of their time and their life.

Click here or on book to order

Quote of the Week

“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good.”

---unknown

Nothing is more valuable than our time. It is our gift and we know we have a limited amount of it, yet often we act as if we have an unlimited supply. Please don’t let one more second tick by without getting the absolute most from this precious gift. Take charge of your life and start living life on purpose.

Fre.e Teleclass

How would you like to take one of my teleclasses for f.ree? All you have to do is get two (2) people to subscribe to either of my e-zines and send me their
e-mail addresses for confirmation with the name of the teleclass you would like to attend. If you do not wish to attend one of the teleclasses, you can give your f.ree teleclass to a friend or family member. It’s that simple! Send either one or both of the following links to all your friends and family and ask them to subscribe to the e-zine. For the personal edition of "Inside Out", go to The Relationship Center and for the business/school edition go to Coaching for Excellence and have them type their name and email address in the boxes on the right-hand side of the web page where it says, “Subscribe to Receive 'Inside Out', our Fr.ee Ezine". Only two people actually have to subscribe for you to be eligible for a f.ree teleclass. Once their subscription has been confirmed you will receive an
e-mail giving you the bridge line and access code for the teleclass of your choosing. A listing of teleclasses being offered can be found in both my weekly e-zine or on my calendar page at either web site. There is no limit to the amount of f.ree teleclasses you can earn---you get one f.ree teleclass for every two referrals that sign up for one of my e-zines. Within the next year I am planning on adding many new teleclasses on several topics including the following:

How to Do More in Less Time
Coaching for Peak Performance
Effective Communication
Goal Setting and Attainment
Diffusing Anger
Problem Solving
…….and many more.

Please continue to check this eZine and my website calendar for these new and exciting teleclasses. Don’t wait, take advantage of this offer and experience the new technology of teleclasses, learning and growing from home or office.

Business Q&A

Question:I don’t know how to be the kind of supervisor my boss wants me to be. I am told to have an open door policy but my staff keeps interrupting me all day and I never get my own work done. What can I do?

Answer: Well, it seems I keep talking about balance lately and this is no exception. There is a way to have an open door policy AND get your own work done. It involves having posted open door times. Let all your staff know that if they need you, there will be certain times that you are accessible to them. They must also know that you are always accessible for emergencies. If a staff person violates this by interrupting you during non-available times for other than emergencies, then you must do some education to help him or her understand the difference between a problem and an emergency. During times you are unavailable, close your door, ask your secretary to hold all your non-emergency calls or arrange for another person to handle them and concentrate completely on your own work that must be done. This will be a win/win/win proposition for you, your staff and your boss.

About Kim Olver

Kim Olver is a professional coach, specializing in the field of interpersonal skills, empowerment and leadership development. She has functioned in the role of supervisor and administrator for over 20 years. This column is for readers to submit their questions for Kim to answer. It could be a question about supervision skills, maximizing teamwork, customer service, interpersonal skills or client satisfaction and empowerment. No interpersonal question in the field of work is off limits. To ask your question, simply send it by email to Kim@CoachingforExcellence.biz and look for her response in future issues.

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