Freedom On Toast

My friend and I hung out yesterday for a good part of the day. Throughout the day as we spoke, we spoke of recent vacations, pending vacations (hmm… there’s a theme there!), family and day to day…stuff.

And then she had an anxiety attack over MY schedule. Seriously.

See, what my friend knows but doesn’t fully comprehend is that I manage my time like no body’s business. She knows I am organized. She knows I don’t miss lunch or skip a “play” day. She knows I am busy. And it’s true, I am. But a few quick tips and helpful resources can give you quite a bit of extra time in a day. Here’s a few to get you started:

At the end of the day, write down the 6 most important tasks that need to be completed the next day. If you are building a business make sure your business tasks are scheduled.

Use a calendar - faithfully!

Turn off the TV - try it for a week and see how much “extra” time you have in a week!

Schedule errands so you can take care of many at once and set a time deadline so you don’t get stuck in the book section of your favorite store (okay - dawdle there but nowhere else!)

Prioritize your tasks. It really doesn’t matter if you use numbers or letters just start with the most important = not necessarily the easiest task first.

Pay your bills online. A couple clicks are a lot faster than writing the check, noting it in the checkbook, getting the envelope, getting the stamp, going to the post office.

Time management issues to large for a couple quick tips? There are some excellent resources to help you out.

Brian Tracy - Eat That Frog

Stephen Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Enjoy the books! Gotta run!

I am reading a good book right now by Jentezen Franklin called Believe That You Can.  As anyone in Network Marketing knows, mindset is more than half the battle - or fun - depending upon how you choose to look at it. 

The book has been good from a “big picture” standpoint.  He doesn’t offer “how to” advice so much but rather here is the big picture, how can you fit that into your life.

While much of the book has been enjoyable, I was really struck by a principle he calls, “And Then Some.”

“One of the greatest life lessons that you can ever grab hold of is this:  don’t just do what’s expected.   Don’t just do what your job description says, what people expect you to do.  Do what’s expected and then some.”

How many people go through the day thinking, “how little can I do and get by with it?”  What impact does that have on society, on our relationships, and most importantly, on ourselves?  If we continue to do the bare minimum “to get by” then what growth opportunities are we missing?  With just a little extra effort, great feats can be accomplished.

I once heard a story about Shaquille O’Neil.  Basketball great.  Now here is a guy who by all measures is a great athlete.  He has accomplished much throughout his career.  But like anyone else, he can have an “off” day.  So here’s a guy who goes out to play a game.  He scores more points than anyone else in the game yet they lose.  At the end of the game, as the crowds were leaving, and his teammates were leaving the arena, he stays in the arena to shoot baskets.  He could have easily left.  He had scored the most.  He already had plenty of talent.  But for him, it wasn’t enough.  So rather than hit the showers and go home to a comfortable lifestyle, he practiced and practiced…and then some.

What would your life look like if you added some…”and then some.”

How happy would your marriage be if you just added a little more…”and then some” - whatever that “and then some” might be.  Maybe it’s more time with your partner.  Maybe it’s doing something unexpected at the end of a hard day. 

What would your business look like if you added…”and then some.”  Maybe more training.  Maybe more time with your team.  Maybe more phone calls.  How much would your business grow?

So next time you are thinking limiting thoughts like, “I’ll just do this quick and get it over with”, consider the added value to your life if you just add a little “and then some.”