As I said previously, I always smile when I think about rafting through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. One reason I smile is that I always recall how quickly people change their minds when rafting there. And I propose that there’s a lesson in this for us.

First, here’s some background.

The Colorado River is dammed up at Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona. On the Eastern edge of the Glen Canyon Dam you have Glen Canyon Reservoir and on the western edge of the dam you have the Colorado River that runs through the Grand Canyon. Employees from the Department of Interior, depending on the environmental situation and time of year, release water in varying amounts from the bottom of Glen Canyon Dam so there is a steady flow of water to the Colorado River. That water tends to be very cold since it is released from the bottom of Glen Canyon Dam.

Now, realize this.

People (like me) who enjoy rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon only do their rafting in the warmer times of the year. Sometimes those temperatures are often as warm as 120 degrees F.

Now, picture this.

When you’re rafting on the river, you continually get splashed with the cold water from the river, and when that happens, people say, “Steer the raft out of the shadows into the sun so we can warm up.” As soon as the raft gets in the middle of the sun’s rays, people begin to yell, “Steer the raft back to the shadows of the canyon because it’s so hot here in the sun.”

All of this yelling goes on until people on the raft begin to realize that these hot and cold temperature changes are part of the Grand Canyon experience and then the people on the rafts begin to limit their need for back and forth motion and to appreciate the entire experience for what it is, a trip forward through the canyon, not an experience which they need to keep controlling.

I offer this back and forth description as a lesson for our days. Most of us are often doing one thing and then, because of an interruption, we need to switch to something else. That bothers a lot of people, especially those people who are not following an overall plan. They simply keep switching back and forth (being busy) and therefore get nothing done.

I propose that when you follow a specific plan (like moving forward down the Colorado River), there’s no reason to try to grab control of every moment. Simply limit the number of back and forth changes by prioritizing the ones you need to take care of. In other words, go with the flow of your plan so you keep you moving yourself forward towards to your specified goals.

Does this make sense? Please let me have your comments.

I explained in the last post on this blog why I consider hiking at (or rafting through) The Grand Canyon as an ultimate time management experience. Here’s another lesson you can quickly learn at The Grand Canyon.

Please picture yourself at The Grand Canyon. Now please look around and notice how big and timeless it is. Notice the variety of formations and colors.

Please now remember that for centuries time was thought of in cyclical terms. Storms came; storms went. Seasons came; seasons went. These will continue whether you have a clock or not.

Man invented time to deal with our linear needs of schedules and precise appointments (i.e., the need to pay taxes, for example).

Now realize that the variety of rock formations and colors at The Grand Canyon were created by seasons. In other words, a clock did not create the formations and colors.

Now please consider this.

Since time is a man made concept, any day can be New Years Day. If you agree, please now say “Happy New Year!”

I love doing this with audiences. They always laugh when I yell, “Happy New Year, everybody!” and they then yell “Happy New Year!” back to me.”

I’m not asking you or anyone in my audiences to say “Happy New Year” to be silly. I’m asking you to say the words now so you’ll know that — since today is New Years Day — you have the opportunity to make a New Year resolution now.

Question: Have you ever made a New Year resolution and then broken it?

Most people are just like you. They make a resolution (lose 12 pounds, for example) and then later (by the end of January, for example) they break the resolution and, consequently, they then wait until the following year to make a new resolution.

I suggest that, rather than wait for a full year to schedule your resolution again, why not celebrate 52 New Weeks. This then enables you to reschedule your resolutions sooner so you keep them from slipping through the cracks and thereby have a greater likelihood of achieving your dream.

I’m not a travel guide so I must admit that you don’t have to go to The Grand Canyon to learn this lesson. You can visualize the canyon in your mind – or look at it in a picture or painting. Either way, I believe in my heart that you’ll anchor the above lesson in your heart more easily if you experience The Grand Canyon in person – for yourself!

Does this make sense? Please put your comments here.

When meeting with a group of friends this week, they noticed that I have a painting of The Grand Canyon in my living room and they asked why I talk about The Grand Canyon so much. I told them that The Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places and I explained that, when I hike down in the canyon – or ride the rapids on the Colorado River through it — I begin to realize my own insignificance.

Here also are a couple of other reasons.

First, my family and I have noticed that when we think we have a difficult problem, we quickly realize when we hike the canyon that – thanks to the timeless beauty and majestic perspective of the canyon — we don’t actually have the problem we thought we had. The majesty of the canyon simply dwarfs our “problem”.

Also, I like the fact that, when you are at The Grand Canyon, there’s no need to rush or run because the canyon is so huge that wherever you are, you’re already there.

In addition to all of this, I consider hiking to the bottom of The Grand Canyon – or to float on the river through it — to be the ultimate time management experience. What I mean is that to hike or float on the river, you need to plan, prepare, prioritize, schedule, team up with others, and eliminate the things that are unnecessary.

And, best of all, when you focus on your hiking or river riding moments, you see and observe so many inspiring and truly awesome mesas, pinnacles, and other grandiose formations that your powers of concentration become enhanced. And this doesn’t just happen to me. It seems to happen to everyone who steps into the canyon.

Even while not at The Grand Canyon right now, I notice I’m getting more and more excited just by writing about it. This is so amazing to me that I can see right now that I’ll write more about The Grand Canyon experience again this week.

Meanwhile, does this make sense? Please leave your comments here.

As we said earlier, procrastination is always named as a big time waster and I wrote about ways to deal with procrastination in Part 1. Here are two more strategies that you can use to reduce the likelihood of procrastinating items you really do want to handle.

1) Watch out for putting projects on your To Do list.

Most of us get in such a hurry that we start throwing all kinds of items on our To Do lists, items that actually are projects! Projects of course have multiple steps and, thus, when your subconscious mind sees a project on your list, it reminds you that there are many steps necessary, so you tend to procrastinate it.

Solution: Put the bite size of a project on your to do list, not the entire project.

2) Use action verbs on your To Do list.

Form the habit of writing an action verb to the left of each task you write on your To Do lists.

Example A: If you have “Budget” on your list, are you going to “Think” about the budget, “Plan” the budget, or “Talk” about the budget? Use the verb that describes what you want To Do when you make your note.

Example B: If you have Mom on your list, are you going to “Write” Mom, “Call” Mom, or “Think” about a gift for Mom? Use the verb that best describes what you want to do.

Notice that when you see the verb you wrote (next to the task you want to do), you’ll now looking at a bite size of a task and, thus, you’ll be less inclined to procrastinate the task.

These four strategies (the two here in Part 2 and the two in Part 1 below) are not perfect, but they will help you reduce the likelihood of procrastinating key tasks that you do want to do.

Does this make sense? Please let me know.

I promised to write about ways to deal with procrastination and then I joked about it by saying I’d do that tomorrow. That’s typical of procrastination. Nearly everyone wants to put things off, particularly tasks that are difficult, challenging, or undesirable.

Here are some strategies you can use to reduce the likelihood of procrastinating items you really do want to handle.

1) Use a To Do list for sure.

Realize that successful days come from pre-determining key priorities so you can maintain focus in the midst of changes and interruptions. Thus, it’s a good idea to form the habit of writing down the things on a To Do list. When you do that, your To Do list will remind you of tasks you want to handle so you don’t forget them and procrastinate them.

2) Consider using more than one To Do list.

Instead of using only one To Do list, consider using five: one for Monday, one for Tuesday, one for Wednesday, one for Thursday, and one for Friday. (If you’re using an electronic organizer, this is a cinch. And, if you’re using a paper organizer, you’ll want to add some pages.)

Now, suppose you’re working on your Monday To Do list and a customer calls and tells you she needs something for Friday. Turn to your Friday To Do list and make the note. Now, suddenly your brother calls and says he needs to talk with you on Wednesday. Go to your Wednesday To Do list and make your note.

When you make your notes on the days you want to remember items, you are Time Activating items to a time when you plan to take care of them and Time Activating helps you overcome procrastination.

These two strategies will help. Consider them now and then I’ll list two more strategies to help you deal with procrastination on Thursday.

Notice how I’m suggesting here that you Time Activate a task on your To Do list for Thursday and, if you do care about doing this, you’ll see your note on your Thursday To Do list and, thus, be less inclined to procrastinate it.

Does this make sense? Please write your comments here.

Whenever I ask an audience to make a list of their top ten time wasters, they inevitably put “procrastination” on their list. Realizing that, let’s plan to talk about procrastination tomorrow.

Sound OK to you?

You and I both know that we have a lot to do every single day. We also know that the amount we can accomplish is limited. Even when knowing this, most people get so hurried and overwhelmed that they forget the principle of leverage – leveraging your time!

Here’s what I mean: Picture a triangle!

Now please write the word “Administrator” in the lower left hand corner of the triangle and jot the number “40” next to the word “Administrator” to show the number of hours an administrator might handle for you (if you hired an administrator).

Next, please put the word “Sales” in the lower right hand corner of the triangle and jot the number “40” next to the word “Sales” to show the number of hours a sales rep might handle for you (if you hired a sales rep).

Now put your name at the top of the triangle and write the number “40” next to your name to show the number of hours most people work in a typical week.

Ok, please now notice that the triangle is showing you that if you hire an administrator and a sales rep, both of whom work 40 hours for you, you end up getting 120 hours of results for yourself in your 40 hour workweek.

This is the power of leverage, which is so often overlooked.

I’m not telling you that you need an administrator or sales person. I am suggesting that if you do indeed hire two people (or even one person) to do some of the lesser value items you’re now handling yourself, you’ll be leveraging your time and getting more done in your day – and in your week.

Realize also that, if you hire one or two people to do the lesser value items you’re now taking care of yourself, you can pay the people you hire a fraction of your own rate, thereby helping you get full dollar value for the time you yourself invest in your week.

Leverage helps you get more done in your day and more value for your own time — and it’s worth remembering this and implementing it whenever you can.

Does this make sense to you?

When I was being interviewed on Vern Moter’s “Practical Advisor” nationwide radio program over the weekend, a caller named Angel called the show and said he needed help.

Angel said he is in the apparel business and that he had just moved to Alabama where he and his family are now living, yet his job is in Minnesota. Angel explained that, because he now must fly back and forth between his new home and his job, he is forgetting things, stressing, and accidently letting things slip through the cracks. He asked me if I could suggest anything that might help him.

I asked Angel if he had any kind of portable organizing device, paper or electronic. He said he did not. I then suggested that it’s important for him to immediately get an organizing device that he can carry with him at all times.

I told Angel that it doesn’t matter to me which organizing device he chooses (Franklin Planner, iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, or whatever), but that I suggest he look at his new organizer as a “portable desk.”

I pointed out that, if Angel carries this “portable desk” with him wherever he goes, he’ll have a trusted place where he can put his notes, ideas, to-do list, projects, etc. and, thus, he can plan, create, and make decisions wherever he is: at home, at the office, or on an airplane.

I’m writing about the conversation I had with Angel to suggest that you do the same thing. If you don’t have a portable organizer, get one as soon as you can.

I wrote about PDAs in a previous post on this blog. (See “How to Make Time for You-#7.)

When you have a portable organizer (I use an iPhone which I love), you can start getting better use of your time and you can get things done wherever you are. (Example, I was the 48th person in line for a flu shot yesterday so, while waiting in the long line, I was able to check the email on my iPhone and write these words for the blog you’re now reading.)

A portable organizer will help you plan, make decisions, save time, and reduce your stress.

Does this make sense to you?

Prioritizing is crucial to your daily success so here are some tips for prioritizing quickly in these fast-moving, turbulent times. I’m listing several methods here so you can choose the one that fits you best.

Before you do any prioritizing, realize that you’re better off when you make a written list of your tasks in advance, so you can look at them objectively. If you don’t do that, you’ll be trying to prioritize in your head – and with all of today’s pressure and last minute changes — you’re apt to get sidetracked by emotions and the stress of “urgent.” You don’t want that, so sure to always make a written list – in advance!

Once you have a written list there are a number of ways you can prioritize. Let’s call these ways “methods.”

Method #1: Use A’s and B’s

This is the procedure I described in detail in my book, “Get Your Ducks in A Row!”

Look a your written list and put the letter “A” to the left of those items on your list that are items you absolutely have to do on that given day. Then put the letter “B” to the left of the items that you’d like to do that day, but which, if you get in a jam, you could move them to another day.

When you do this, you’ll notice that you have a lot of “A” priorities, so put the number “1” as a footnote to the right of the most important “A” priority (A1). Put the number “2” as a footnote to the right of the second most important “A” priority (A2) and keep moving forward with the number 3, 4, 5, (A3, A4, A5). so you end up with a prioritized list.

Now, whenever you look at your list, you’ll now be able to focus on your most important priority first: (A1) and, when you’ve accomplished it, move on to A2, etc.

When you follow this method, you’ll find you reach your goals faster because you’re focusing on your key priorities.

Method #2: Use 1’s and 2’s

Method #1 (described above) works perfectly with a paper organizer (Franklin Planner, Daytimer, etc.) If you use an electronic organizer, however, you’ll note that it (PC or Mac) doesn’t have A’s and B’s in the areas where you make lists. It does have numbers, however, so use the numeral “1” for what you’d call an “A” priority in Method #1 (described above) and the numeral “2” for the “B” priorities (described in Method 1).

Get “Act” or “Outlook” software to help you prioritize with numbers on your PC. Get “Things” or “Remember the Milk” to help you prioritize on a Mac.

If you use a portable organizer (Blackberry, iPhone, or Palm), you can connect your Blackberry or Palm to your PC using “Act” or “Outlook” and then you can manage your priorities on the move. Likewise, if you use a Mac, consider “Remember the Milk,” “Toodledo,” “FCTasks by Franklin Covey or “Things” (described below). Each of these Mac programs has an Ap that can connect your iPhone with your Mac.

No matter what electronic device you use, you’ll quickly discover that you accomplish your goals faster by focusing on your “1” priorities first. That’s what matters most.

Method #3: “Green Time & “Red Time

Robert Krietel, best-selling author and professional speaker, recommends to clients that they with put their tasks in time blocks, which he suggests they call “Red time” and “Green time.” He defines “Green Time tasks” as those that promote value (i. e. call a client, follow through on customer matter, etc.) and that “Red Time tasks” are items that are “Bureaucratic” in nature (write report, check e-mail, etc.).

If you choose this method, it’s obvious that you’ll make better progress towards your goals when you focus on accomplishing the “Green Time tasks” first.

Method #4: $5,000 tasks & $5 tasks

My friend, Steven Iwersen, (http://www.steveniwersen.com/), a professional speaker, says that after he has made a list of all his tasks, he determines which ones are his “$5,000 tasks” and which ones are “$5 tasks.”  He says that the “$5,000 tasks” are the ones he knows will bring him the most value in his day (i.e. talk with prospect, update brochure, write proposal) and that his $5 tasks are the ones that bring him the least amount of value (check e-mail, file papers), etc.

If you choose Steven’s method, it’s obvious that you’ll reach your goals faster if you concentrate on your “$5,000 tasks” first.

Method #5: Mac & iPhone

If you’re an Mac User and if you use an iPhone (I use a Mac and an iPhone), you might want to get the software called “Things” which is described at www.culturedcode.com.

This software helps you list all your ideas, tasks, and projects in visible and invisible categories.  Thus, each and every day you can focus only on those steps that you said you wanted to take that day, while keeping all the other items (distractions) out of sight.

Summary

If you want to conserve time and get more done, it’s important to keep your prioritizing simple. The above four methods will help do that.

Do you have a comment or a favorite method of simplifying your priorities every day? Please let me know.

Many people think time management is a narrow subject for managing their own time. I suggest that good time management is much broader than that.

I propose that time management includes any and all management skills that help you, your team, and others “save” time. And, yes, I did say “all management skills are necessary” because, whether or not you are the manager of a group or team, you are the manager of yourself. Correct?

Please consider the following.

I went to Jiffy Lube last week. They had exceptional teamwork there and they got the job done fast. Their teamwork saved time for them – and for me. Realizing this, wouldn’t you say that the minutes that Jiffy Lube saved because of their teamwork efficiencies are minutes they can use – and minutes I can use? I sure do. Isn’t this what time management is all about?

Or, how about this?

I went to The Apple Store and they had excellent customer service. In essence, the Apple Store saved time for me – and for them. Correct? And the minutes the Apple Store saved because of their customer service efficiencies are minutes they can use – and minutes I can use too. I love those extra minutes and, to me, that’s what time management is all about.

And what about performance evaluations?

Some leaders tell me they put off giving performance evaluations for their people because they don’t have time. I say that is a misguided excuse and that they are fooling themselves with that excuse. Please think with me.

When you clarify expectations with your employees, and when you develop clear understandings with them, you save time for you – and for them. Correct? Once again, the minutes you save for you – and the minutes you save for your employees – are minutes that you — and they – can use. Isn’t this time management?

Ok, how about this?

My wife and I had breakfast at a Pancake House and my wife asked a waitress for some maple syrup. The waitress said, “Ask your own waitress.” Ok, please forget the rudeness of the waitress (terrible customer service) and realize that if the waitress had simply helped, she would have saved time for the other waitress – and for my wife. Those minutes would be minutes they could use. Thus, I say again that teamwork and customer service both are part of time management.

My point is simply this: Make your minutes count, no matter what item or person you are dealing with. To do so, please think of time management as the broad management skill it is, one that includes teamwork, performance evaluation, customer service, and leading meetings. I suggest that all of these management skills save time for you — and for others. And, boy, is it ever great to have any and all extra minutes to use in these chaotic, fast-changing times! Correct?

Does this make sense to you? Please leave a comment here.