CLOSING THE GATES ON TIME THIEVES
By Christine Walter, Lodestone
Twenty twenty is going to be a great year! By repetition of numbers it is already a year of abundance and leading into a new decade; it’s time for something else!
This year feels different! I am not one to make New Year’s Resolutions anymore and after three years of being in a semi-reactive sort of situation I feel like this year I have more control. So, I sat down and did some self-interrogation on how the Time Thieves have been impacting me.
Everyone has 24 hours in a day, the difference for successful people is how they use those 24 hours. They have routine which allows time for themselves as much as time to accomplish things. They are focussed and dedicated; and passionate.
So, here are 10 things to include to stop Time Thieves from preventing your success.
1. Is It Your Monkey?
Based on a Harvard Business Review article (https://hnr.k-state.edu/doc/rres-690/whosgotthemonkey.pdf) in 1974 this question is one that we should ask ourselves before taking on a task. As a quick summary…..
We all have metaphorical monkeys which we need to feed, i.e. tasks, outcomes etc. In business our requirements within our role are all these monkeys as well as any challenges that arise. Some people are “rescuers” and help by taking your monkeys from you and offering to feed them. This might be the boss or the colleague that will say “OK leave it with me”, rather than “what do you think the solution is?” The former sentence takes ownership of the problem, of the monkey, while the second leaves the problem/monkey with the current carrier.
Then there are those who are very good at getting people to take their monkeys, even if the person doesn’t want to. They may use excuses why they can’t tend to the problem right now, or they may be able to slip in a sentence “Can you look into it for me?” or “can you use your influence with this one” or even the “I won’t possibly have time to do this as well” and there you go, the monkey often seamlessly slips off one person’s shoulders to another.
So, are your perceived priorities yours to own, or should you gift the monkey back to its owner?
Learn to say “NO” and be discerning on what you take on.
2. Plan and Prioritise
Knowing your outcomes and planning the incremental steps are important in achieving outcomes. Sometimes our dreams and desires can be overwhelming. Sometimes procrastination can overtake action. By
- knowing what it is you want, the more detail the better yet remember to be flexible
- setting a date to work toward and
- breaking the tasks down into incremental steps
we create movement. Movement gives us opportunity for feedback and adjustment on the task. It gives us something to calibrate against. Doing nothing gives none of this!
3. Get It Out of Your Head and on to Paper
Following on from the prior point, literally get what you want out of your head. If you are planning something try putting your thoughts and ideas on Post It notes and place on a board. This way you can move them around and order them from an external perspective. The order becomes visible and naturally, can be moved, added or subtracted as the goal evolves.
The clearer the vision the easier it can be achieved.
4. Make “Ta Dah” Lists instead of “To Do” Lists
Lists are another great way to capture and organise thoughts. It is very simple though to create an extensive list for the day and then feel at the end of the day that very little was achieved. Be practical and realistic – prioritise what needs doing today (and is it your monkey to do) and put the other activities at another point. Those tasks that are important go to the top of this list. If you keep shifting some consider, how important are they?
A “To Do” list is a list of all the things you must do. A “Tah Dah” list is a list of things you must do that is achievable in the time frame. This way you can celebrate and say “Tah Dah” when it is completed.
5. Stop Wasting Time
mBit creator and visionary Grant Soosalu used to wake up every day and think “how can I be the highest intention of myself today?”
Are you valuing your time? That series on Netflilx or game on your phone can wait. It is just a distraction. Are you utilising your time to be your highest intention or is what you are doing a distraction? Is the task worthy of your time? What can you ask others to do, (that’s right – shed a few monkeys of your own!!!) that means you can continue with more meaningful things?
6. Know Your “Why”
Simon Synek says the most successful businesses don’t only know their “What” and “How”, they know their “Why” too. When we understand what drives us, we find motivation. Successful people know what they want, and they understand the “why”. This aligns the goal with their values and values are the greatest drivers.
7. What Is Your Level of Perfectionism?
Sometimes our level of perfectionism can get in the way. Commit to your same high standard as what we do reflects us and our business. Consider though, if you have a high level of perfectionism will it ever be good enough? The Middle Eastern religion believes only Allah is perfect, so their beautiful beaded dance costumes always have one bead out of place or a different colour because “only Allah is perfect.”
Is your commitment to “getting it right” at the right level or a bit too high?
8. Dress for the Task
By dressing according to the task, we can change our state and intention. If you are self-employed businessperson do you turn up to the home office still in your lawn mowing gear or do you turn up reflecting your business persona? Would you wear your business clothes to mow the lawn or go to the gym? You probably have other clothes for that.
Create “uniforms” and dress in the right uniform for the task.
9. Setting Time Frames Is Useful
Being an old-fashioned gal at heart I do like my hard copy diary. I like it because it is a reference if I need to look back on dates and being visual, it shows what I have on. Another member of my family utilizes their phone calendar. However you make sense of your time, set appointments to achieve tasks in your ‘diary’. Block out time as if it were for an important appointment and only for important things change it. Treat that appointment as you would a doctor, dental or hospital appointment and aim to keep it.
Do you know the 500-mile rule of meetings? It is simple, if the phone rings during a meeting ask yourself “would I walk 500 miles to answer this call?” If the answer is yes then take the call, if not, trust they will either leave a message or call back. In modern day we are giving too much weight to being instantly contactable. Apply the 500-mile rule to your own personal time frames.
10. Do Something for Yourself
It is a personal belief that every day should also reflect me and what I want for myself. Whether it is an hour’s exercise (which keeps me sane and centred) or just 20 minutes to have a sit in the sunshine it is important that we do something for ourselves as well. NZ Employment Law requires all employees to have a lunch break. Be sure to utilize yours no matter how you are employed in a day.
I often ask my clients “how do you eat an elephant”.
I am sure you know the answer…
This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.
Christine Walter is a Master NLP Practitioner and NLP Trainer, Hypnotherapist, Life Coach and mBit Coach. She offers training courses via the NZ School of Life Coaching and through her own business Lodestone. She is also a Director of Australia and New Zealand Coaching Alliance.