Getting More of the Right Stuff Done

Last Sunday, the news program, "60 Minutes," had a segment on Americans working "24/7." They showed a couple where the wife has the "bare minimum" of two cell phones, and the husband "multi-tasks" all day long, talking with several people, working on his computer and exchanging emails, all at once.

Like most people, I want to get "more" done, and as a coach I love helping my clients do more, earn more, and live better. It's all in a day's work, and it's fun! But the answer is almost never to work more or "harder" and yet that's what too many of us are doing.

Whatever happened to the vision of "leisure time?" Whatever happened to the day when "labor saving devices" would do our work for us? What in the world happened?!

Far too many of us consider a 60, 70, or even 80 hour work week to be the expected standard. Whatever happened to the "break-through" 40-hour week our parents and grandparents fought for? Read the statistics. Most of us are sleep-deprived. Most of us are in debt. Most of us have hyper-tension, headaches, ulcers or other stress-related discomfort. Diabetes, associated with life-style choices, is becoming epidemic. How did this happen?

How can we change it?

There are no easy answers. We value the income and opportunity that come with hard work, long days, and busy lives. That isn't going to change. But, I think we can manage our lives much better, and some steps in that direction are actually easy, and fun. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Learn to say no. Too many people think they "must" explore every invitation or opportunity that comes their way, and that's a mistake. We get endless invitations! You can stay out all night, work all day, travel, do good and important things every hour of the day. But is that how you really want to live your life? Learn to say no, even to good and wonderful things.

2. Spend less than you make. Remember the old saying, "time is money?" It works the other way around, too. If you spend less, my experience suggests you'll immediately be less busy and less stressed. When money is not a "problem," time management gets easier, too.

3. Live your values. Every day, review your priorities. Review the things that are MOST important to you. Re-write your vision or purpose statement, talk it over with your spouse, make a tape in your own voice describing the life you truly want, then listen to it on the way to work in the morning.

4. Plan your day. Every morning review your schedule, make a list, write stuff down. Then cross off a few items. They aren't really important, you probably won't get them done anyway, and you'll have more fun. Be honest. Plan. Do the things you want to do, and include very few "have to's." Life's better that way.

5. Have more fun. Meditate or dance every day, even for only five minutes. Laugh out loud. Leave love notes or send a text message to your kids. Be sure to hug and kiss and tease and play with the people you love. It reminds you what you're working for.

6. Use time management skills. Practice "single handling." Work standing up. Put time limits on meetings, calls and activities. Close your office door so you can concentrate. Every few months (at least twice a year) read a book or take a seminar on time management to remind yourself. Get very, very GOOD at this!

This is your one and only life. Don't blow it! It's been said that time is the only resource any of us truly have, and once it's gone, it's gone forever. Work as hard and as much as you choose, but then quit! Work can be rewarding and delightful, but don't let it become an addiction. Earning money, building our businesses and "getting ahead" are things we DO, not something we ARE. Remember the distinction.