Instead of being caught up in the thick of things, effective people plan and execute according to their deepest priorities.  They assign time to the important but not urgent tasks that will move them toward their goals.

Gold Time tasks are those that coincide with or support your mission, roles and goals. Urgent tasks press down upon you, for example, a ringing phone. You know you need to answer it but it may also be a total waste of time if it doesn’t support your mission, roles, or goals. 

It is very easy to get sidetracked and spend time on the management of the wrong things, even though you may be doing them in the right way.  An effective way to determine if you are focusing your time on the right things is to categorize your activities using the following matrix:

Quadrant 1: Important and Urgent—These are problems or crises that need to be attended to such as an important meeting that suddenly comes up and you know your lack of attendance could result in a major problem . Activities in this quadrant are time sensitive and relevant to your goals. They are often referred to as “fires that need to be put out.”

Quadrant 2 is Gold Time:  Important but Not Urgent—Activities that affect your mission, roles and goals. Since these activities are related to significant goals they are obviously important but they do not have a sense of “ NOW” about them and are easy to put off. Failing to address activities in this Quadrant, results in fires that crop up in Quadrant 1 and need to be put out immediately.

Why do we call it Gold Time? Because time spent in this Quadrant pays 10 times more than time spent in any of the other Quadrants! We have seen this fact proven, time and again, as leaders and executives achieved breakthrough financial results, increased their personal income, and rose through the business to higher levels of responsibility and authority.

Quadrant 3:  Not Important but Urgent—These are pressing, immediate, in-your-face activities like a ringing phone, someone at your door, or unanswered mail. These are time sensitive distractions but often without value except on the part of others and are not in support of your mission, roles or goals.

Quadrant 4:  Not Important and Not Urgent—These are usually time wasting activities—unnecessary meetings, text messages and e-mail, stopping to read an article on the internet –  interruptions that can consume the entire day and leave you feeling like you haven’t accomplished a thing.

Gold Time Can Be A Gold Mine

Ask yourself this:  What is the one activity that I could do superbly well and consistently, to produce the marvelous results I desire? 

Think of one in your personal life and another in your professional life. For example, deeper one-on-one time with key associates or clients, or loved ones at home. In other words, higher level activities that are prevention oriented, bring bigger opportunities and are key to managing your time effectively, also known as Gold Time Activities.
Remember, the 80/20 rule?  80% of the results come from 20% of the effort or activity. 
If you neglect the important but not urgent crises grow until they consume your life.  You feel beat up, burned out, and fatigued.  If, on the other hand, you attend to important but not urgent activities, pressing problems get smaller and smaller.  Things will still come up that you didn’t anticipate, but they will be more manageable and more importantly, you will have a sense that you are working on preventing problems and seizing opportunities.

Finding Time for Gold Time
So, where do you get the time and attention for Gold Time?  Consider this analogy: You have to put the fires out before they burn your house down.  But where are you going to find the time and attention to mitigate the possibility of wild fires, like taking down trees and bushes too near your house, or fireproofing your home to better protect it? 

You won’t find time for Gold Time by cutting back on Quadrant 1 activities. These are non-negotiable must-dos.

Grab the time for doing the important but not urgent things from quadrants 3 and 4.  Be Proactive. Learn to say no to unnecessary distractions.  Practice the discipline of spending more time on the things that matter most. In fact, discipline yourself to schedule Gold Time in your calendar everyday if you can. And, if you have one, learn to shut your door when you are in Gold Time. Let your staff know that your door will be closed from 9:00 and 11:00 every morning for example. If an emergency arises, let them know it’s okay to interrupt you, but anything short of an emergency should wait until after 11:00AM.

Take steps to eliminate distractions that result in spending time in Quadrant 4

• Turn off the chime on your computer that tells you a new e-mail has arrived.
• Silence your cell phone unless you use it for business. Discipline yourself to check it only 2 or 3 times a day.
• If you have support staff, delegate your filing and other mechanical activities.
• Learn to handle each piece of paper that comes across your desk only once – be decisive.

You are probably wondering, in which quadrant does leisure time fall? If it is your intention to spend leisure time avoiding taking action toward your goals, it may be a time waster—not important and not urgent.  However, if leisure time is intended to restore and renew yourself, consider it Gold Time, Quadrant 2, because it can help you meet challenges and recognize opportunities. 

Final lesson—be proactive. 

Quadrant 1 acts upon you, finding time for Quadrant 2 activities must be acted upon.  Scheduling Gold time is key to your success.

Reprinted with permission
by Kate Ripp of BestYearYet.com

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1. Mozy.com online computer back-up system: A couple of years ago, I suffered through three hard drive crashes in about 6 months. I try to back up my files to an external hard drive regularly, but sometimes I slip up and forget. Mozy.com is an inexpensive Internet-based backup system that operates automatically. When my Outlook file got corrupted a few months ago and I somehow had neglected to back up those files to the external drive, Mozy rescued me from disaster. I think of it as cheap insurance. Be sure to consider implications before backing up privileged information.

2. Ta-da Lists: Getting to “to do” list out of my head is critical. It’s easy to forget something important otherwise, and it’s a waste to devote valuable attention to trying to remember “must do” items. Ta-da Lists is an easy, web-based solution that will allow you to access your lists anywhere, and you can share your list with others (perhaps with an assistant) if you so choose.

3. YouSendIt.com: When you need to send large files, YouSendIt is an easy solution. You can choose from several service levels, including a free option that offers only basic function and more advanced levels that offer password protection, tracking, and more. Again, be sure to consider whether to send privileged information in this way.

4. Online relaxation and meditation timer: Practice can be stressful, and sometimes a short break can make all the difference – not just in your stress level, but also in your productivity. “My Free Guided Meditation” allows you to set a timer for 1 to 60 minutes, accompanied (if you like) with a selection of relaxing music. It’s an easy way to design a quick, time-limited break.

5. Healthy meals, cooked for you. Too busy to cook, and sick of the same-old, same-old options? Look into prepared foods for pick-up or delivery. In Atlanta, I like Fresh’n'Fit, which offers a 1200- or 2000-calorie option for neighborhood pick-up or overnight delivery. Similar services are available in most metro areas – for instance, I’ve heard wonderful comments about Seattle Sutton, though I’ve never tried that service. (Try a Google search on “healthy meal delivery service” and your city to see what’s available.) Though these options aren’t inexpensive, it’s a much better alternative to night after night of greasy take-out.

Guest Blogger: Julie A. Fleming, J.D., A.C.C. is the founder of Life at the Bar LLC (http://www.lifeatthebar.com).  Contact Julie by email: jaf@lifeatthebar.com or by telephone to 800.758.6214.

“I’m stressed.”

“I don’t have time.”

“I have too much on my plate right now.”

“There are not enough hours in the day.”

When was the last time you heard yourself saying one of these phrases?

While it’s true that some stressors are unavoidable, there are steps we can take to make our lives a bit more manageable.  So, let’s control what we can.

LET ME OFFER FOUR SUGGESTIONS:

1). Learn how to say “No.”

Practice it.  Now, before you start saying “No” to everyone, including your boss, let me say this.  You do need to understand what your own limits are.  And, you do need to understand that your priorities are different from someone else’s.  And, you know what? That’s alright. Why? Because your time is valuable.  Set limits. You’ll feel better.

2) Avoid negative people who stress you out.

Now, let me go back to mentioning the boss. I do recognize that you may not be able to avoid every single negative person. You do have to work with these people sometimes. They may even be members of  your family. And, of course, you can’t necessarilty avoid that overbearing woman in the grocery store line, or that PTA mom who is always trying to get you to join one more committee, or even that friend who just won’t take “No” for an answer.  But, you can avoid people who historically have left you feeling stressed out. I like to call these people energy suckers. Get them out of your life. Or, if that’s not entirely possible, limit your interaction with them. I promise…it is possible to do this.  And, you’ll feel better.

3) Avoid unnecessary environmental stressors.

How about this? Why not conduct an experiment for one week? Stop reading or watching the news while on a lunch break and take that bit of time for yourself? Instead, go outside for a walk.  Or, try reading a book.  Now, I’m not suggesting avoiding news and being ignorant of what goes on in our world, but let’s admit it. We are inundated. Take some time for yourself. Yes, you got it. You’ll feel better.

4) Learn to manage your time. 

Don’t wait till the last minute to start a project. Make a list and prioritize. Then, break up the task into smaller tasks. Delegate whenever possible.  Guess what? When you have a plan and implement it, you will feel better. 

If you would like to discuss further how to feel less stressed in your life, please contact me at paige.arden@gmail.com or call me at 404-386-9950 to set up a time for an individual consultation and advice session.  My clients report feeling much less overwhelmed and more empowered after we speak .  I’ve even been told that it’s better and cheaper than therapy. I’ll be getting a testimonial page up at some point but in the mean time, references are provided upon request.

5 HOURS– “THE TIME SAVER”– $300.00

10 HOURS- “THE OVERHAUL”– $550.00

20 HOURS- “FULLY LOADED”–$1000.00

Let Paige come help you get organized and take items off your to do list! Purchase a package and save the hours for special occasions!

**Packages and pricing are good for 1 year before they expire.

Records Retention | The Organized Files | Office & Home Office

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Find out why people are “Paigeing” me and how I can help you improve your life and eliminate stress! Let’s get an item off your to-do list!

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