Getting More Done, Faster and Easier

By: Brian Tracy

There are so many demands on your time today that very little of your time is yours to use as you choose. The good news is that you can take far more control over how you use your time at work and in your personal life.

The Starting Point

Time management begins with you making a list of your goals in order of priority. You always work from a list. You then organize each day with a list as well.

Priorities Versus Posteriorities

There is a difference between priorities and posteriorities. In order to get your personal time under control, you must decide very clearly upon your priorities. You must decide on the most important things that you could possible be doing to give yourself the same amount of happiness, satisfaction, and joy in life. But at the same time, you must establish posteriorities as well. Just as priorities are things that you do more of and sooner, posteriorities are things that you do less of and later.

The fact is, your calendar is full. You have no spare time. Your time is extremely valuable. Therefore, for you to do anything new, you will have to stop doing something old. In order to get into something, you will have to get out of something else. In order to pick something up, you will have to put something down. Before you make any new commitment of your time, you must firmly decide what activities you are going to discontinue in your personal life. If you want to spend more time with your family, for example, you must decide what activities you currently engage in that are preventing you from doing so.

Hard Time Pushes Out Soft Time

A key principle of time management says that hard time pushes out soft time. This means that hard time, such as working, will push out soft time, such as the time you spend with your family. So concentrate on working when you are at work so that you can concentrate on your family when you are at home.

Three Questions For Life Balance

There are three key questions that you can ask yourself continually to keep your personal life in balance. The first question is, "What is really important to me?" Whenever you find yourself with too much to do and too little time, stop and ask yourself, "What is it that is really important for me to do in this situation?" Then, make sure that what you are doing is the answer to that question.

Your Highest Value Activities

The second question is, "What are my highest value activities?" In your personal life, this means, "What are the things that I do that give me the greatest pleasure and satisfaction? Of all the things that I could be doing at any one time, what are the things that I could do to add the greatest value to my life?"

The Most Valuable Use of Your Time

And the final question for you to ask over and over again is, "What is the most valuable use of my time right now?" Since you can only do one thing at a time, you must constantly organize your life so that you are doing one thing, the most important thing, at every moment. Personal time management enables you to choose what to do first, what to do second, and what not to do at all. It enables you to organize every aspect of your life so that you can get the greatest joy, happiness, and satisfaction out of everything you do.

Action Exercises

First, look at your calendar, your list of tasks and responsibilities, and decide what you are going to cut back on or stop doing altogether. Second, organize your work so that you work all the time you work. Don't waste time in idle socializing or low value activities. Third, ask yourself continually, "What is the most valuable use of my time, right now?" and whatever your answer, work on that task exclusively until it is complete.