How to Multiply Time!

by Michael Corthell

Do you feel overwhelmed and not so much in control these days? When you start to feel that you are losing control over your time, your relationships, and your life, responsibilities feel like heavy burdens, obligations that leave you feeling trapped. You may even start to feel powerless and then resentful and then you may start to neglect your responsibilities to others and yourself. Stop.

''The key to organizing is to schedule your priorities first,
and then prioritize your schedule.''

Let's look at some very simple ways to get started down the road to self-control.

Set your priorities. What's so important? Think and find out. Many people just 'wing it'. Don't do that. The key to organizing is to schedule your priorities first and then prioritize your schedule.

Review your choices. Make a 'responsibilities list'. Be thorough and be honest. Include work duties, home projects, social events. Once you have your list in hand do these things:

Why am I doing this? Ask questions like, Do I do this not to disappoint someone? Is it for the security of me and my family? Is it something that fosters the 'greater good'. You are looking for 'good' reasons for what you do. You define what is 'good' for you. Look at what motivates you now. Focus on why you should say 'yes' as well as why you could say 'no'.

Define what you'll do before you're asked. It's the negotiation and any good negotiator will always prepare. Clearly what your limits are and what you will compromise on. Focus on positive outcomes for both you and the person asking favors of you. You never want to enable lazy behavior on the part of others. If you do you are just as derelict in your duty as they are. Lastly, remember to always stand for what is good and right.

Delegate by trusting other people to do some of the work. Avoid the mindset of 'only I can do this right'. Be a teacher and mentor and do be patient. Kind teaching makes for a fast learner. When you show people you believe that they too can be accomplished, they will probably more than surprise you. Help them develop their own set of skills and then let them go at it. Now you have created more time for yourself.

Outline your priorities daily. Do this before you start your daily tasks and do it without fail. It will only take a matter of a few minutes. Have that list handy and refer to it several times during the day to stay focused on your goals for the day. You may find that keeping on the right path is what is most important, not the total completion of all tasks. The reason? Like most, you will invariably assign yourself too much to complete in one day, but after some experience, you will become more realistic with your daily goal setting.

Pace your productive time. Let useful distractions distract you. Good creative thinking requires that you have periods of time where you don't think about work or problem-solving. Downtime feeds creative thinking.  Make it a point to use your downtime to do these two things also: Meditate for a short period each day and connect with a friend every other day.

It is a great idea to focus on your priorities and it is also a very good idea to take life as it comes, in stride. Do not create alibis, make decisions and create possibilities.  Live in the day, moment to moment. Appreciate what you have, and do not dwell on negatives, let them go.  In fact, look for lessons in the negatives because they are opportunities. Do ask for help. Give more than you take. Make time for loved ones. Laugh at it(life). Know that to cry is to feel/care for the world.

Lastly and most importantly, stay true to yourself and your values. Never compromise those.

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How To Multiply Your Time

by Rory Vaden

Everything you know about time management is wrong. In this challenging and counter-intuitive video, Self-Discipline Strategist and New York Times bestselling author of Rory Vaden, shows you why you can't solve today's time-management challenges with yesterday's time-management strategies. More importantly, he explains why procrastinating on purpose is the key to being able to Multiply your time.