Our Most Precious Resource

Time. It’s one of those commodities we can trade for almost anything, although we cannot buy more of it ourselves. Each of us has a finite amount of it, yet no one knows how many minutes. Perhaps it’s that last part that scares us so much.

Like a driver stuck on a railroad track while a train approaches or a deer in the headlights, we freeze when we think that at some point it will all come to an end. But if we are aware of this fact, why do we not make more of what we have? Like most other commodities, we can choose how we invest time. ?

We invest in time, and therefore ourselves, by prioritizing what we do with it. What we learn, who we spend our lives with and even our attitude, enrich our days. Here are a few simple, but often overlooked habits we can implement to get the very most out of this precious resource.

Prioritize. Put a label on everything we do in terms of its importance to us. Notice, I said “… to us.” Often, we get sucked into doing menial tasks or busywork that doesn’t have that much of a payoff in the end. While in the army, Dwight Eisenhower developed a way of assessing what was routine, important, strategic or short-term in nature.

It basically boiled down to what was good for his goals in the long run versus not. We get sidetracked by someone else’s goals or find comfort in doing those things which have little to no return on investment. When someone asks you to do them a favor, ask them when they intend to return it. Eliminate all the repetitive work, drama and other time wasters from your life.

Time block. This is setting aside time for specific tasks. In sales, set aside an hour or two each Tuesday and Thursday for prospecting and sales calls. When working with real estate home buyers, I tell my clients I am available to show homes all Saturday morning, but the afternoons are for my family. ??

We tend to get a lot more done when we are in “the zone.” So, don’t get knocked out of it! Lock the door, turn off the phone or other distractions and otherwise hide until you have completed that block of time. Make it a habit that becomes systematic.

Multitask. Okay, human beings cannot actually multitask. At least not in the way we usually think of it. Our brains are not designed to do more than one thing at a time. Though, we can switch back and forth rather quickly, we wind up not doing either well. Have a conversation with your kid while doing taxes and she will insist you didn’t listen to her. We need to stop fooling ourselves by believing we can multitask.

But we can make the most out of our “dead” time. Our minds have two major channels, conscious and subconscious. Our “awake” or cognitive mind can learn new things while it is focused on that task. However, our subconsciousness or implicit mind performs routine actions. It’s muscle memory for things that are familiar to us. This is why we can listen to talk radio while driving home and never get lost. Or we have the right music playing in the background while studying for a test.

So, what does the forefront of our mind do when we are on autopilot? The US Census Bureau tells us the average commute to work is 27.6 minutes each way. That’s an hour a day! So listen to an audio book or learn a new language at drive time. Going to be sitting in a waiting room? Take a book. Push-mowing the lawn? Stretch beforehand, do a leg squat at each corner and call it exercise. What could you do with an extra hour a day?

We can also plan for the future where automation is involved. Growing up, it was completely normal for a family to put a roast in the oven on Sunday and let it cook while everyone was at church. When they got home, voila, it was time to eat. It’s a matter of planning and taking initiative.

Attitude. Our time is better quality when our head is in the right space. Do whatever you need to do to get in it! How many positive books audios or videos do you consume? Who do you associate with? Do you like what you wear each day? What are the things you tell yourself? Does anything here need to change? You have to protect the six inches between your ears. ?

When I was a trainer for the local RE/MAX office, I would tell the new agents to not listen to Blues or Country on the drive over to an appointment. I happen to like both of those genres, but they can be somewhat… depressing! You are not in the right frame of mind to meet clients if you just heard a story of someone being cheated on or their dog dying.

I always recommended something upbeat. Rap, Metal or some contemporary Jazz. I also recommended they keep their workstations clean. Make everything that touches your five senses pleasant.

Good time management means making the most out of your life. It’s an investment in yourself. Creating a system for personal excellence will make you more productive, effective and happier.?

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