Simple Time Management

Steno Notebook Method

2011-10-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

I see the Ehow people have used the old URLs of articles written by authors who have elected to remove their content from the site, so I have removed my old posts about the Steno Notebook method as the links no longer point to my work. The original article is hosted on docstoc.

Improve Your Time Management with a Steno Notebook

Triple Task Advanced

2011-04-02T14:56:00.001-07:00

As you already know, I am a big believer in the rule of three, which I have written about in several articles and eBooks. It is a concept I stumbled upon while reading an article on the Marines. The Marines have found that by limiting the amount of "things" people deal with to three, it optimizes productivity. I have explored this in goal setting and achievement, time management and generally in business and have found it to be true. I have developed a time management system using the concept, but in my quest to always simplify life wanted to see if there was a way to make it as simple as possible. I call the result Triple Task Advanced.

The basic concept is that if you can manage to get three important things done in a day and do this consistently you will be very successful over time. No one has won a Nobel Prize for always having cat food and never losing a house plant to under watering. Focus on big meaningful goals and the tasks that go along with them and you will be successful; I will write more about this later. Now, this key premise of course can't be proven, it is just based upon my observations over the years having seen successful people who focus on key areas and succeed and also seeing ridiculously busy yet unproductive people flail around. We will first focus on the principals of the system and then get into a few ways to implement it.

The system operates by planning in advance the three most important things you need to get done each day, writing them in a notebook and then working them until they are done. This is in essence a plan your day method which is a departure for GTDers and those using Autofocus and Superfocus. This method prescreens these three tasks, isolates them on a page and has you working on them. For those fans of Mark Forster's work is a departure from the current method he uses in Superfocus and is more akin to a will do list ala DIT.

The rationale for this method is firstly, if you don't plan your day, someone else will do it for you. You will be interrupted by a co-worker or boss. Additionally, for many people the idea of circulating through many lists and tasks is in fact a demoralizing process which leads to overwhelm and reduces productivity. By first planning your day and picking the three important items, you start your day with a list of three things. Three things should not overwhelm anyone. Additionally, the other many lists or tasks are not in sight at least initially, so you have separated the process of doing from screening. Instead of picking a task, doing it and then having to dive back into lists; you stay in action mode for at least three tasks. One very important note is that you must write your tasks as things that can be accomplished in a day or less, since we will be doing this exercise every day. You are writing tasks you will finish, not tasks you will work on. There is a very big difference. So write call architect for resume, not build dream house. The first task can be done in a day, the second one can't.

Mechanically, this system can be done in a simple notebook. One of the rules I try to follow is the rule of writing in one place. It tends to make life easier. If you like it as well, just put your daily three things anywhere in the notebook and keep the notebook open to them until you have them done. Once they are done, you can use whatever method you like to find the next tasks to work on, including adding three new tasks. Note, a spiral type notebook is better, so you can rip out the page with the three tasks at the end of the day if you want to start fresh each day. The key to this system is the discipline to stay working on the three tasks until they are done. TTA is a departure from TT because you do not add tasks when you have dropped down to one or less tasks. In TTA you work to completion of the three important tasks until completion.

If you do not care about writing in one place, just create another notebook for the three important tasks and keep that in front of you until they are completed and then work within the other system and/or notebook which has the balance of the tasks you need to do.

An interesting experiment is to draw a line after your three tasks and note below the line anything you work on before completing the three tasks or anything someone asks you to work on. This list shows you the level of your own focus and the level of interruption you face in your work area. Obviously, if you work on a bunch of other tasks before completing the three important tasks you need to improve yourself discipline. If you are interrupted a lot, you may need to develop work place boundaries on interruptions so you can get what is important to you done.

This method is as much a system as it is a way of building the discipline to focus and block out distraction.

The World’s Simplest Time Management System

2011-03-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

We strive for and in fact crave simplicity here at Simple Time Management. If something is too complex, we quickly loose interest in it. Over the years when it comes to time management things have gotten more complex. David Allen’s Getting Things Done also known as GTD was complicated enough even before the Iphone, Droid, Ipad and other gadgets came out designed to “help” you get things done using GTD. Even those who seem to embrace simplicity like Mark Forster have designed some seemingly simple systems like his new Superfocus which appear to be fairly complex. After the launch of Superfocus, there have been dozens of threads and hundreds of posts on his forum asking for clarity on the rules of the new system, which is paper based by the way. So, possibly it is not as simple as it was designed to be if it requires all of this debate. Now, I am not knocking these two fine gentlemen who have done much to advance the productivity of the world and certainly have profited deservedly so for their efforts. My point is always to ask and try to answer the question, is there a simpler way? Can we find a method that provides us a framework to capture and process the stuff we need to get done without having it take weeks, months or years to learn on? More importantly, can we also do this in a manner that actually saves us time because any time management system requires the use of our most valuable commodity which is of course that thing we are trying to maximize, our time?

One thing common to all time management systems is rules. In order to do GTD you must follow its rules. That means you have to make certain lists for Next Actions, Projects, Someday/Maybes etc. You need to sort your actions into contexts. So I need to decide what I could do at a computer or at a phone. You need to do a weekly review to manage all of this. In Superfocus you create lists of tasks based on urgency. Some things go in one column others another. You circulate through the tasks and work on stuff that “stands out”. Unfinished tasks get added to other future columns. If you don’t do stuff when you pass through in a certain way, you dismiss the page, meaning all of the tasks are now gone. Now, I am sure followers of these systems will claim I got the rules wrong and don’t understand the systems, I am just pointing out that all systems carry with them some complexity and overhead to implement.

So, this begs the question is there a simpler way? Personally, I have a much simpler system I use and I have never been happier. It has one rule and one rule only. What is the rule?

Write everything in one place.

Let’s examine the rule. When you say write everything in one place, what do you mean? Well just that. Everything you have to do, calls you need to return, to-do lists, notes, ideas, project lists all go in one place. Ok, got it what is the place? The place is the paper notebook of your choice. Note, this is a paper system, which in my experience is the easiest, most efficient way to keep track of commitments. The notebook can be an expensive Moleskine or a spiral notebook like we all used in school. Aside from cost, there is actually a difference in how the system operates depending on what you choose. A spiral notebook allows you to rip pages out, a Moleskine does not. So if you are using a spiral notebook, you can rip out notes and place them in files for later use. If you use a Moleskine or other type of hardbound book, you will not be able to file notes. What is the impact of this? Either way if you need to save notes you will need to expend some additional time to either catalog your notes if they are kept in a hardbound book or make files and keep the notes you rip out of the spiral notebook. The choice is up to you. People will naturally ask things like how often and how do we review the notebook. I have always said a time management system does not choose your priorities and limit your commitments to a manageable number, you must do these things. So, given that you are in charge of your life, you will naturally determine how often to review your notebook and also what to work on when you review it. If you need the focus of a daily list, you will write one. If you need to get caught up on lingering tasks, you may start at the back. If you want to focus on recent urgent items, you may work backwards. There are no hard and fast rules because no rule can govern changing circumstances. However, the rule of writing in one place I have found gives me the 80/20. I have captured all that needs to be done in an easy to review system with minimal overhead. This system allows me maximum processing time, because of the low overhead, yet I can trust it because everything is in it.

Tips/Questions

What do I do at the end of the notebook? You can review it for things you still need to do and transfer them to new notebook. Throw it away and start fresh, which may be therapeutic. Keep it and keep working the items until they are done. You will still only be writing in one place, which is a fresh notebook.

What size notebook should I use? What ever size is comfortable for you and fits in your briefcase, backpack or purse. Lefties may consider a steno notebook or another top bound alternative.

What else could make me even more productive? Maintain a simple A - Z filing system since a huge cause of wasted time is hunting for things. Also give up hunting for the perfect time management system and use the time to get things you need to accomplish done.

Jane Wesman on Time Management

2011-02-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

I came across this old article from Inc. Magazine on a CEO's simple time management system using a hardback notebook. It is interesting to see how this person also embraces simplicity yet runs a significant organization.

All you need to plan your work is an ordinary notebook

I've never understood the value of a complicated time-management system. I tried one once -- the kind with a loose-leaf binder with a dozen sections for different types of information. With that system, I had to spend so much time prioritizing my to-do list and deciding where things should go that I could barely focus on running my company!

The full article is here.

Triple Task Time Management - My Implementation

2010-11-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

There has been an interesting discussion going on over at Mark Forster’s website regarding another simple way to manage time. If you are a fan of simple paper based systems like I am you will enjoy Mark’s site. It is loaded with great systems, ideas and a great discussion forum as well. Mark has been experimenting with a new system he calls Triple Task Time Management, which focuses on only three major tasks or focus areas at once. Most of my readers know I am a huge believer in the Marine Corp Rule of Three, which states you limit areas of responsibility, tasks or goals to three items. When this number increases, productivity and focus decreases. My ebook Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology of course uses this principle as a part of its method to achieve your three top goals. I decided to see if there was a way to take these ideas and utilize some of the time management principles I use to create a simple time management system around it.

I have designed a new system, which makes use of this principle. The idea is to have visible list of three tasks which are highly important to you and which you focus on achieving each day. Additionally, since we all have many more things we need to track and handle, we need a way to ensure these items are accounted for as well. To accomplish this we have two parts to the system, the Three Task Page and the Capture Section. Below are the details of how I implemented this system using a simple spiral notebook, like the ones we all used in school. Please note the way I designed the system requires that the notebook have removable pages, so a moleskine notebook would not work as well.

Here is the method;

I have two "sections" to a single spiral notebook. I am using the last page as my Three Task System, writing three important items to finish during the day. This page will be ripped out at the end of the day and a new one started as discussed. So the Three Task Section is always on the last page of the notebook.

I am keeping the notebook open to this page during the day and working exclusively on this page until I am down to one item or less, I then add two more items. I just cross out finished items. At the end of the day this page is ripped out and a new one started using any unfinished items from it and the Capture Section (discussed below) of the notebook as choices for the new three task list. Note this page may end up having several more than three tasks listed on it, however the most unfinished tasks is three at a time.

The front of the notebook is what I call my Capture Section. So it is for notes, other to-dos that pop up during the day or exist already, project lists, phone calls to return, waiting for items etc. It is designed just to make sure I do not forget anything and have all that needs to be thought about in one place, i.e. called into a meeting, need to jot notes, messages on the voicemail to take off, idea pops into head. So the Capture Section goes from page one forward. The idea behind this section is a complete capture of all of the items I must do, may do, people to call back, ideas, waiting for items etc.

At the end of the day review the capture section along with the three task page pulled from notebook and create a new three tasks page on the then last page. During this daily review also pull out and file any notes needed and threw away any unneeded pages. So over time the notebook will shrink as three task pages are pulled out each day and other notes or unneeded pages are removed.

When you have no more pages, use this as an opportunity to prune items from the capture pages and start a new notebook by starting at page one and creating the new capture section.

The only rules I am following for this system are;

Keep the notebook open to the three tasks page and keep working on these items unless you must add to the capture section or the number of tasks is one or less. You would add to the capture section if you are going to a meeting and taking notes, checking voicemail, have a new idea that pops into your head, your boss calls and gives you a new thing to do etc.

All tasks go first into the capture section so there are no distractions from the current three tasks page. This serves as both a buffer and a review mechanism to select important items from the totality of what you must accomplish. Obviously an emergency must be handled, but this buffer and review mechanism keeps you focused on what you selected as important to accomplish, not what the world is throwing at you.

Stay on the three tasks until there is only one or less before looking to the capture section to add more tasks.

Make sure the three tasks are in fact actionable tasks you can do in a days time or less, so I am using words like, call Joe, read 3rd quarter report, review lease, make wire transfer to bank. Again, I am using this as a time management tool not a goal accomplishment tool so long term items are not appropriate; this system will build action muscles.

Write in this notebook only, so all you need to think about is in one place. I have written about the rule of writing in one place before and quite frankly it by itself can increase ones productivity for reasons previously discussed.

This new system seems to work well for me because I have the sense of peace that all that ultimately must be done is captured and yet I am focused on what I believe to be the three most important tasks are at the moment.

This could also work with an index card, separate sheet of paper or post-it note for the three tasks along with a single notebook or legal pad, however having everything in one place seems to have a nice simplicity and ease to it. Good luck and let us know if you try this system.

Away or Towards

2010-09-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Every decision you make or action you take is fundamentally a decision to move away from something or toward something. For example, you may quite your job because you hate it and wish to leave it, which is an away action, or you leave because you got a great new job which is toward something new. In my experience, toward moves tend to be better reasons to make a move. I have quit a job even with another job in hand, but had it be just an ok move. The reason being, I was moving away from the old situation, not really toward the new one. The old job had an unbearable boss, with a poor culture and morale and was not as financially rewarding as it should have been. The new situation appeared to be better, but in reality was being filtered or compared to the old situation, which made it look more attractive than it actually was. This comparison coupled with a heaping dose of impatience made the new place seem better than it was. The true comparison should have been to my ideal situation, not a bad one. This comparison in essence set the bar too low. In reality I was tinkering at the margins, not greatly improving my lot.

When confronted with decisions in life, it is important to look at the true catalysts for the decision and use this simple framework to analyze the situation. A quick way to do this is to list all of the reasons you are going from point A to point B. If your list dwells on the negatives of the old situation, you may be making decision that is an away decision. Pause and really take a look at the new situation and make sure the benefits of the new will truly make it worthwhile. Again, if you can exercise patience, you may be able to stick it out longer and generate some better options, so when you make a move, you are doing so because you are truly attracted to something and are making a move towards something. When you are on a roll and making lots of toward moves, you will begin to notice an increased sense of satisfaction, calm and joy in your life. So take the time to ask your self next time you make a decision, am I moving away or towards something?

Incorporate this question into your use of the Desired Outcomes Implementation Program to ensure you are selecting the best desired outcomes to work on and it will make the program even more effective. Good luck.

Plan Board Versus Action Board

2010-09-19T15:01:00.001-07:00

One of the concepts popularized by the movie the Secret is that of the vision board. This is a board on which you place pictures of the things you would like to attract in your life. So a typical vision board will have a mansion, sports car, jewelry, nice cloths, yachts, supermodels etc. The idea is that by looking at the vision board, you start to attract and manifest the "things" or what I call Desired Outcomes on the board into your life. Well, most of the things people put on a vision board require money to acquire. I will not comment as to whether or not supermodels require money to attract, but keep our discussion to the stuff like cars and homes. So once you create a vision board do you just keep staring at run to answer the door when the doorbell rings hoping your supermodel has arrived or the universe is coming to drop your Lamborghini off? If you are in fact a realist, you know your need to make things happen. The board will help you quantify what I call the resources gaps in Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology. What are resources gaps? They are simply the difference between what something requires to buy it and what you have now. So if a Lamborghini costs $200,000 and you have $20,000, you have a resources gap of $180,000. A realistic and mature person understand that they need to close the resources gap in order to posses the car of their dreams. Absent luck and the purchase of a winning lottery ticket, the sooner you realize this fact, the sooner you get what you want.

With this reality firmly understood, you can move on to planning for and taking action towards your desired outcomes. In my book since most of the things people desire take money to buy, the plan board should have lots of action steps people are taking in their lives which increase their earning potential and investment savvy. People should put on their plan board; books they are reading to increase their skills, business ideas they are working on, lists of people they are going to call and meet with whom can invest in their ventures, impart skills and wisdom to them and other ways to increase the three Cs. The three Cs which I describe in Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology are Capital, Contracts and Competence. Increasing the three Cs is the day to day path of achieving your desired outcomes. To get this powerful program today and make things happen in your life, click on the link to the left.

Understanding the Resources Gap

2010-09-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

The Resources Gap is an often misunderstood part of the Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology program. Some Law of Attraction die hards who have read the program have told me that focusing on the Resources Gap is to focus on lack and focusing on lack will only bring you more of it. In other words more of the standard LOA arguments.

As I have written countless times, you don’t get what you think about; you may get what you work towards. This is reality. Thinking and planning are important steps and yes a positive attitude when used properly (a subject for another day) can be great tools, but as we all should know by know, action is the fuel that fires the engine and moves the car. You can’t drive cross country on a set of plans or a thought about a Ferrari.

The Resources Gap is not a negative, nor is it a positive. It has no emotion to it unless you put one on it. The Resources Gap is just a fact. If you wish to have $2,000,000 to retire and you now have $500,000, the Resources Gap is $1,500,000. Is that positive or negative? One could yell and scream about it, another may rejoice at how small it is and how much progress is being made to reduce it. It is just a number. In our program, it is a number in a notebook, to be dealt with and reduced through the actions one will take in the Desired Outcomes program. This Resources Gap needs to be closed to meet your desired outcome. Emotions will not close it, actions will. Throwing a fit will not reduce it; you need to move to the action stage to close it. It could be reduced spending, a second job, and renewed focus on your investments. These actions may close the Resources Gap, a tirade will not.

I hope this article clarifies for you the purpose and interpretation of the Resources Gap and how to use it to move close to your Desired Outcomes. As always, we welcome your feedback. Use the links to the left to get the program today.

More of Less Of

2010-09-12T16:09:00.001-07:00

People have been asking me what they should do if they have a difficult time creating their three desired outcomes when following the Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology program. One good way to start brainstorming is to create a page called a more of less of chart. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of it. On the left side write more of and on the right side write less of. Begin listing the things you would like more of in your life. Examples include; money, free time, art, concert going experience etc. On the less of side, examples include; commuting, bills, annoying friends, fat etc. These lists will give you ideas of desired outcomes you can incorporate into your program. It is a quick and simple brainstorming idea to generate your three desired outcomes. Try it today.

There is No Action Called Get Rich

2010-09-12T16:07:00.001-07:00

One of the goals many people have is the desire to attain wealth. The Law of Attraction phenomenon has fueled this even more in people. The idea that you can attract and manifest wealth is central to many LOA teachers programs, which include titles like Attract Money Now by Joe Vitale and Money, and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Wealth, Health and Happiness by Esther Hicks. The problem is as we have discussed before the Law of Attraction is not a scientific law, but a marketing idea used to sell books. The reality is you do not attract what you think about, you may obtain what you work towards. Not as sexy due to the words may implying not everyone succeeds, which is obvious from life and seeing entrepreneurs trying and failing to achieve wealth and that problematic word for LOA people - work. True believers in the LOA dance around the issue of action. In fact many even say it is not required. Well, this is non-sense, action is required to obtain results unless you wish to rely on luck. Personally, I will take my chances with a good plan and a bunch of action toward making it happen.

That brings us to our next issue, if one wishes to increase one's net worth and accepts that action is required, you have to understand that there is no action called get rich. You simply can not say to your spouse, honey I think I'll spend a few hours getting rich this afternoon and then pick you up for dinner at 6:00. Certain actions do in fact lead to wealth creation but there is no action called get rich one can engage in. It is much more productive to learn how to critically review the actions we take in life, measure how they impact our net worth and hone them to be more impactful on our net worth and make the necessary changes to those actions to improve our wealth. Rather than sit around and wonder if we are attracting and manifesting correctly, why not study the creation of wealth by looking at other who are succeeding and seeing how our skills sets, business approach and products offered compare to those more successful than ourselves. These activities would take us much further than watching another LOA DVD. The program detailed in Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology gives you the mindset and skills to improve wealth if you work the program. As always, we welcome your feedback.

Self Help Gurus Rant

2010-09-12T15:55:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in another post, Rhonda Byrne the author of the popular self help book the Secret, has a new book out called the Power. I have not read the book, nor do I plan to, but apparently the book's theme is love. This is the power that now along with the "Secret" which we all know is the supposed Law of Attraction, will allow you to have it all. Well much has been written on the subject of love and of course there was the famous Dr. Leo Buscaglia known as the Doctor of Love who began discussing the topic a few years back. The purpose of this discussion is not to debate love and if it is in fact the key to the universe, but to discuss the marketing approach of self-help gurus and their methods or wares as I call them since they are in fact being sold.

My main problem apart from the ridiculous claims they make regarding their "product" with most of the self-help gurus and the law of attraction crowd in particular is the emphasis on passive methods. The law of attraction is a passive methods, meaning the focus is on thinking and feeling, not on acting. This is a common theme in self-help. Change your thoughts. Thoughts are things. If you can see it and believe it, you can achieve it. So the message is think as I think and the world you desire will come to you. If you go to a tennis instructor, you do so because they are going to show you how to hit a forehand, backhand, serve and move your feet. No doubt at some point the mental aspects of the game will be taught, but most of the time, there will be active work and you will in fact hit lots of tennis balls. Not so with the majority of self-help gurus. They are going to teach you how to think and believe. Why is this so? Well, for one, most of the self-help gurus make their money selling you self-help materials. This is their business, they do not have other skills. If they could do something else to make more money or were expert in something else, I assume they would be doing it or selling it like the people who are going to show you how to get great abs or make a fortune trading stocks on-line. Since, I sell a goals program, I should be studying the LOA teachers marketing methods, which are, wild claims of the power of ancient secret methods now uncovered for the first time this century changing your life. This is of course not my style, but back to my point. The good thing about selling thoughts is what I call the power of you are not doing it right. So if I sell you the law of attraction which is of course not a law, can't be proven and is a mere marketing ploy, when the LOA does not work for you, I can simply say, well you must not be doing it right meaning thinking correctly and then sell you something else to show you how to think correctly. Case in point, the Secret. If in fact The Law of Attraction were real, what else would we need. Think about money, it shows up, visualize a house and boom, there it is. Most people would be pretty happy with this new power and would stop there. When it does not work, the easy answer is, well you are not doing it right, get my latest book, DVD, come to my seminar or sweat lodge weekend and find out how to really think correctly so you can manifest this time. We just discovered a new ingredient which now super charges the old method and makes it a gazillion times more effective and we reveal it in our new book, DVD and/or seminar.

The unfortunate reality is there is a huge market for something for nothing. There are many people looking to get rich, thin and have it all without doing much to make it happen. furthermore, there are a bunch of marketers who have discovered this group of searchers willing to separate them from their money. What does this mean for the ardent goal seeker? As I say in Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology if you feel passive methods work, then by all means incorporate them, but follow the program exactly as it is laid out. Which is really just a play on the old Indian proverb, call on God, but row away from the rocks. In other words if you believe in prayer or affirmations, visualization or any other passive method great, but you better combine it with a heaping dose of action if you want results. Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology gives you a simple to follow formula to follow to identify your three desired outcomes or goals and begin making them happen. It is not a tease for another book, DVD seminar or product. Once you have it, you will be on your way toward making your desired outcomes reality.

Download it today and get started.

The Daily To-Do List Revisited

2010-09-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

The daily to-do list has been debated much in time management circles over the years. GTD does not employ one, other systems do. While reading Working Smart by Michael LeBoeuf, a 1979 vintage time management book, the author recounts the story of Charles Schwab of Bethlehem Steel. Schwab supposedly called in a man named Ivy Lee and asked to be shown a way to get more things done with his time. Schwab said he would pay a reasonable fee for this advice. Lee told him he would give him something is twenty minutes that would step up his output fifty percent. The advice was to write on a blank sheet of paper the six most important things he had to do tomorrow and number them in importance. Out the paper in your pocket and start work on number one, work on it until it is finished and then go to number two and so on. Do this until quitting time. Don’t be concerned if you don’t get everything done, because you will have done the most important task. Lee further said, if you can’t get them all done by this method, you won’t get them all done by any other. The story finished by Schwab sending Lee a $25,000 check. The method is credited with helping Schwab turn Bethlehem Steel into a $100 million company and the biggest steel producer in the world. This was in the early 1900’s.
Is it possible that with all of the systems and gadgets and gizmos floating around out there, we are all overlooking a simple yet effective system to get things done? This system goes against much of the current thinking in time management which stays away from daily to-do lists and prioritization, yet there is an inherent simplicity in picking sox important things for the day and working to get them done. Personally, I am going to experiment with this system and give it a go for awhile. If you try it let us know.

The Two Kinds of Tasks

2010-08-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

Time management systems run the gamut from simple to complicated, but when you really boil it down it is really about tasks, those things we actually pick from our systems and get done. When it comes to tasks there are really only two broad categories; Tasks you must do and tasks you want to do. Simple, isn’t it? I must go to work, but I want to go to the beach. I must use my money to pay my electric bill, but I want to buy a new pair of shoes. I have to write a report for my boss, but I want to surf the Internet. I know that one never happens. If take this concept a bit further, we can design yet another quadrant system to categorize our tasks based upon when they are to be done.

1. Must Do Today 2. Must Do Someday

3. Want to Do Today 4. Want to Do Someday

There is of course the category called must do yesterday, known as our backlog. If this is a long list, you may have a procrastination issue. Obviously, quadrant three is the desired quadrant. The more tasks we are actually doing that fit into this box, the happier our lives will be. If we spend 100% of our time doing box one tasks, we can experience, burnout, depression and a sense life is generally not fun. If we are spending lots of time in box one, it could be due to poor planning, too much work, working inefficiently or some other reason leading to a lack of time to do the things we want to do. Obviously boxes three and four are quite connected to our goals both personal and professionally. These are the high satisfaction tasks. Ah, the euphoria of checking off our list, buy cat food (Box one). Right, not a huge rush, but mastering a complicated piece of music, finishing that great novel, or maybe even just cleaning out the garage if it is a box three task will feel great.

Is there a new time management system based on this? I certainly think that dividing the world into simple categories is always an excellent way to go. To implement a system based on this, the most appropriate tool is a page a day calendar, since this is in essence a system based on planning your day. You will also need lists of all the things you might want to do someday, like learn an instrument or language, visit Italy, etc. These tend to be longer term goals; versus I want to go see that new movie today. You also obviously need a list of the must dos. Any regular time management practitioner will already have this in some form

Now with our new page a day diary or calendar, we simply review the lists and put into the book, a few want to do to days, which hopefully include some the initial steps for the longer term goals or want to do somedays. Make sure you put at least one a day into your new system. This will get you on the way toward a more meaningful life and a better work/life balance. As always, we welcome your feedback.

A New Simple System - Instructions Fit on a Post It Note

2010-08-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned, the longer I am involved in time management, the simpler my ideas get. I was wondering the other day if I could develop a system so simple that the instructions could fit on a post it note. I decided to use a 3 inch by 3 inch post it note and see what I could come up with. On the fourth try, I thought the system was pretty good. Here is the post it and for those that can't read it the words are typed below.

The post it says:

Write everything you have to do or manage and all your notes in one place (legal pad or spiral notebook) with pages that tear out so you can file them in your A-Z filing system. It is ok to scan things and have an electronic filing system. Do not use things like stuff people send you for reminders instead use your notebook for everything you must do. Look at it often.

Let us know if this simple system works for you or if you have any other great time management systems where the instructions fit on a 3 inch by 3 inch post it note.

The Three Ps of Business

2010-08-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

Many of my readers know I am a big fan of the rule of three, which is discussed in my goal achievement ebook Desired Outcomes Implementation Technology. Many businesses, projects or goals can be thought of simply in terms of three main elements.

These elements are:

* Product
* People
* Process

Let’s look at these elements a bit deeper.

Product is of course what the business offers its customers. This can be an actual physical product like a car, television set, meal or and Ipod or a service. A service is a form of product. Services obviously are things like tax preparation, lawn care, a manicure or a car wash. Products and services are the physical manifestation of what marketers have known for a long time, it is not necessarily the actual product or service the customers is interested in, but the feeling the product or service creates for the customer. This topic has been extensively written about and will not be our focus, but suffice to say, all marketers and entrepreneurs should focus on the feelings their products and services create in their customers.

People is the wide set of the folks involved in your business. Obviously at the top of the pyramid are the customers of the business, those people who make the register ring. Additionally, key people include the people involved in the business like the marketing people, productions people and administrative people who should be making the business run smoothly and delivering the best customer experience possible. Don’t forget to think of other people involved in the enterprise like debt and equity investors, suppliers and outside service people like accountants and lawyers.

Process is defined as a systematic series of actions directed to some end. Simply put what the people do to make, sell and deliver the product. This is how the people do things to create the customer experience.

Most of what a business owner thinks about and works on can fit into one of these three simple categories. I view strategy as a subset of process. Your delivery strategies and manufacturing strategies are in fact your process. Your customer service philosophy is a part of the process. Do you need to raise capital for your business, think in terms of people? Who is going to do the offering memorandum? Will we engage an intermediary to raise capital for us? Will we reach out to our existing banker and ask for more credit? So in addition to thinking about new products, you must always be thinking about people. Do we have the best? Can these people deliver for our customers? Is more training needed to make things run smoother? Are the people we have effectively incentivized to undertake the process of delivering our products?

Assuming you did not miss the market and there is in fact a market for your product, if things are not going the way you planned you can look to the other two Ps to see if changes need to be made. Thinking in terms of the three Ps gives you a simple framework to analyze the results your business is generating and a way to focus in on areas which may be lacking in your efforts to deliver the best customer experience possible. As always we would love to hear your feedback.

The Big Picture

2010-08-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

People are way too focused on details. They are not asking or answering the big picture questions. It may be the training in colleges or the current business environment, but generally I find people need to think up not down. Many problems in life and business can be analyzed at a higher level as opposed to solved at a lower logistical level. The higher level is frequently a strategic level. If a sector of a business is not profitable, many people begin to scramble to find out the reason at a lower level. Are our costs correct, are we staffed right, maybe our advertising is not right. Higher strategic thinking would ask, did we miss the market, should we have invested in this business model in the first place?

Why is such detailed thinking so pervasive? Detailed thinking feels active, while strategic thinking feels passive. It is a much quicker path to action to say, the advertising is all wrong let's fire the old agency and get a new one in here for a meeting next Wednesday, as opposed to lets really take a look at our decision making process and find out why we got into this sector in the first place. The detailed thinking feels like you are going to solve the problem, quite candidly the big picture thinking is more likely to uncover a problem, maybe a big one.

What are the implications of this revelation? The point is not to abandon all attempts at detailed type thinking. The reality is many problems are logistical and need an in depth detailed mindset to solve. However, you should be aware of the big picture and ask yourself very pointed questions in your life and business. Examples include:

* What really caused this_____ to fail?
* Do we really want to enter into this new contract with?
* What would failure of this new project mean for our business?
* Do I really want to purchase this new_____?
* How would I unwind this new relationship with______if it does not work out?
* What is the possible return on this new investment, versus the probability that I loose __% of my money?

The idea is not focus on failure necessarily, but to get yourself thinking in a big picture manner and train your strategic muscles so you are thinking both in a detailed and a strategic manner. After you practice these methods for a short time, your palette will expand and this type of complete analysis will become second nature to you.

Use Logical Groupings - Avoid Laundry Lists

2010-08-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

When beginning this system, you should start the practice of thinking in terms of logical groupings. Try to avoid a laundry list of unrelated random tasks, mixed with calls, incomplete pieces of projects, reminders etc. For example if you have 20 calls to return, make a separate page entitled calls and add them. You will be able to continue using this page until it is totally written on. Another logical grouping is a person. For instance, if you need to make sure you are on top of all things related to your boss and need to be able to provide them an update covering all of these issues you may create a page for them.

Examples of logical groupings include;

* Calls
* A meeting agenda
* A project list
* Actions related to projects
* A person and all your commitments to them
* A daily "hot" list
* A customer service issue
* An event being planned

Leave plenty of space. There is no need to fill every line, in fact it is detrimental to this system. By leaving space, you can fill in additional information and items as situations unfold and issues get resolved. This method keeps issues together so you can track and plan their progress. This is another place where rigid flexibility comes into play. Even if the groupings are not perfect, the Rule of Writing in One Place will keep you on track.

If you enjoyed this excerpt from The Ultra Simple Guide to Time Management, click on the link to the left to get the entire ebook.

Funny Video About the Secret

2010-07-23T19:56:00.001-07:00

The Rule of Writing in One Place - Rigid Flexibility - USTM Excerpt

2010-07-14T20:29:00.001-07:00

You will write everything on the notepad. This is called the Rule of Writing in One Place. You only write on this one pad. Follow this rule without fail. You never write anywhere else. By diligently following this one rule you greatly simplify your life. This is where the concept of rigid flexibility comes in. By being rigid and only writing in one place, you can feel free to be flexible in how you use the notepad. Since everything you are involved in has a connection to the notepad, you experience the peace of mind of knowing everything is accounted for and will not slip through the cracks, yet you use the notepad in the most beneficial way. This means you can write lists, make drawings, create agendas, take meeting notes, in essence what ever you need to put on the notepad to capture the essence of what you are trying to accomplish. You will not need to hunt around for scraps of paper or look in multiple places for information. This is the key principal as to why this simple system works. The time saved by following this simple system allows you to reduce the overhead of a more complex system. If you have attempted to implement a complex time management system using software, or even one that is paper based you may know the feeling of overwhelm trying to keep up the demands of the system and reviewing the many places things can be. With this type of overwhelm or the overwhelm of too much to do, it is comforting to know you at least have a simple easy to use method to keep yourself on track and to ensure things are not slipping through the cracks. With this system you don't need to get involved with a complicated system, yet you will experience significantly increased productivity very quickly.

The only exception to the Rule of Writing in One Place is if you feel you must separate your work and personal lives for either legal reasons, or simply liking to keep a separation and not mix the items. I recommend that you do not keep any other blank paper on your desk with the possible exception of one post-it pad if you need to write instructions on paper you plan to give to someone else.

Since this is a paper based system, the notepads are obviously portable, so they can go on airplanes, to the store and to meetings. This means you can always use the notepad and follow the Rule of Writing in One Place.

Paper is only one of two places - attached to the notepad or in a file in the filing system described below. Pages of the notepad are only pulled out when they are going to be filed or thrown away. Avoid loose pages, which are a big time waster. Loose pages provide more places things can be, such as on your desk, in someone's office, in your car etc and lead to time wasted looking for things.

Characteristics of a Good System

2010-07-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

There are several gurus promoting a variety of time and self management systems. Several of them are quite complex. Some systems are attached to planners, PDAs, software, courses and/or coaching services. Yet, a good system does not need to be complex nor require a large investment to have a dramatic impact on your life.

A good self management system possesses the following characteristics.

It is simple to learn and easy to implement.
It is self contained so you do not have lots of places or things to monitor and think about.
It is easy to use, so you will continue using it. Most complex systems are difficult to maintain and as a result are abandoned as time moves on.
It is portable. Portability ensures you will use it consistently and not try to circumvent it.

The systems we teach here is all of those things.

Time Management

2010-07-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Time management is a subject that has been written about and taught over the years by countless authors, gurus and consultants. With today’s fast paced, information overfilled world, there are many frazzled and thinly stretched people looking to “manage” their time. The reality of the situation is that time management is a misnomer. Time can not be managed. Time progresses at the same rate for all of us. Everyone’s minute has 60 seconds, hour has 60 minutes and day has 24 hours. We all play by the same rules. So in essence time management is really self management.

People are trying to make the most of their time and use it in the most efficient way. Invariably when some people realize they are overwhelmed, they turn to a time management "guru" or technology to “fix” the situation. The latest device, gadget or system is secured and used usually for a short period of time until they declare that they don’t have the time to use the system. Time management systems are like any other system, the more complex they are the harder they are to maintain.

A word about priorities. Several authors in their writings take the tact that in fact most people do not have a time management problem, they have a priorities problem. That is, if they got their priorities in order, that would free up their schedules and they would have enough time for the important things they need to get done. Unfortunately, many of us live in worlds where we do not set all of the priorities, this is known as OPP (other people's priorities). We work for companies with priorities we disagree with and think are out of whack, yet must strive to achieve them.

This guide is not about helping you set your priorities. We assume you have already set the priorities you can control and eliminated as many of the OPPs you can. So, your life is basically full of the things you need to do.

This system is purposely low tech in nature. It can’t be broken, run out of batteries or fail. The one catastrophe that can take place is that your “system” is lost. If this happens yes, you may be screwed, however, even this can be avoided.

Time or self management like most things in life follows the 80/20 principal. 80% of the improvement will come from 20% of the changes. So for instance if a fairly disorganized person looks at all of the time management options in the universe but focuses on three changes. This hypothetical person begins to write everything they need to do in one place, begins religiously using a calendar and commits to spending 10 minutes an evening planning their next day. They may get 80% of the benefit that fully implementing the most complex time management system would give them, while saving hours learning a complex system. If this 80% makes them say 40% more efficient, but due to its simplicity they stick with the system for 10 years versus the more complex system which in this example makes a person 55% more efficient, but can only be used for a year before the complexity overwhelms and it is given up, the total productivity is obviously much greater with the simple system. So simplicity coupled with consistency works for greater long term productivity.

Organization is Not an Achievement

2010-07-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

Organization is not an achievement. Sorry to have to break the news to everyone, but it just isn’t. Being organized in an of itself is meaningless. People should not be proud they are organized, they should be proud they have accomplished something. Ask yourself, what has my “system” helped me achieve? Are you making more money, getting new clients or have you freed up ten hours a week to finally learn Dutch?

The fact you have mastered DIT, AF, Covey Quadrants, SGTM, USGTM or the holy grail of time management GTD or tweaked out your own system is really kind of pointless unless it has had a tangible and positive impact on your life. There are no raises or promotions for being organized, only for adding something of value. It is kind of silly to think, now that I have mastered the new super deluxe time system I never run out of cat food and none of my plants have dies in three months. So, when evaluating time management hopefully you can point to significant positive contribution to your life. In picking systems look for simplicity, ease of use and a nice fit with your working style. This will ensure you stick with it and reap long term benefits.

A New Time Management Matrix

2010-06-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with Stephen Covey’s famous time management quadrants. I have a new twist on this concept based upon the importance of tasks to the parties involved in them. Whether we realize it or not, every task we do has an impact on both us and other parties. Obvious examples like paying someone we owe money too impacts both parties. However, even a task like learning a new language impacts others. Why, because if you commit to learn French, you are taking time away from family members who may miss your company and find the relationship devalued as you spend less time with them. The matrix below defines tasks simply based upon the importance of the task to the parties involved.

                                           Important to Me    Unimportant to Me
Important to You    1 2

Unimportant to You                        3                                              4

Let’s look at the various quadrants and see how this concept works.

Quadrant one is pretty easy. If a task is important to both parties, you both will be motivated to make sure it gets done.

Quadrant two tasks are not important to me, but are important to you. This is a quadrant you need to be concerned with. You are not worried about these tasks, but another party is. If you ignore these tasks you run the risk of disappointing another person you may care about.

Quadrant three tasks are important to me, but unimportant to you, so I have to drive the bus in these and make these things happen. If I don’t get it done, since it is not a priority for another person, there is only downside to me if it is not completed. If it is a task the other person needs to get done, I need to make sure I stay on top of them, since it is unimportant to them. You may need to manage the process to make sure it happens.

Quadrant four tasks neither party really cares about, so these you may prune or assigning a lower priority to.

This matrix gives you a new tool to evaluate how you approach time and task management. Pay attention to quadrant two tasks to make sure you are keeping up with important relationships as well as quadrant three tasks which other may be doing on your behalf. Let us know if you have any questions.

Discussion

2010-06-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

There are two ways to discuss the ebooks or any topic related to time management and goal achievement. The forum and on a new facebook fan page. Let me know if I can answer any questions. Thanks

Discussion Board

Desired Outcomes Facebook

What is Your Problem? Time Management Problem that is?

2010-06-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Before embarking on the journey known as starting a time management system, it is helpful to spend some quality time with yourself thinking about what you hope a time management system will actually do for you. Unfortunately, time management systems will not solve all of the problems we label as time management problems. In fact implementing a time consuming time management system when you may have a small issue will make you less productive, as I discussed before here.

If you simply forget things, a simple to-do list written in a trusty notebook that you keep with you may solve the problem. Find yourself missing appointments? Maybe it is time to get an electronic device with a audio reminder to give you ample time to get to your appointments. The important stuff not getting done? A daily hot list with the three most important things you need to do may solve this. Too much work, or working inefficiently? Well, time management won’t fix these things. If you have too much work, you should take Mark Forster’s advice and look at your commitments and prune at this level. If you are working inefficiently, you will need to develop better habits and this takes a big commitment of effort. inefficiency is like government waste, a great thing to go after, but hard to reduce.

This discussion points to a simple issue, time management systems need to be customized for your issues and simple. Implementing GTD, Autofocus, Do It Tomorrow or one of my systems will not automatically make you more efficient and save you time if they don’t speak to your issue.

Good luck in finding your ideal time management solution.