Which Rolling Stones song do
YOU wake up singing every
morning? "Time is on my side, yes it is!"
OR
"Time waits for no one, and it won't
wait for me."
With apologies to Mick Jagger and
Keith Richards, your answer to this
question reveals your mindset about
time management. It's just like Henry
Ford's famous quote — "If you think
you can, or if you think you can't,
you're right!" Successful time management,
like every other aspect of success,
is first of all a mindset. Then
there are some simple guidelines that,
if followed consistently, will lead you
to becoming a master of your time
rather than a slave to it.
"I don't have time!" Let's take a
look at how your mind is programmed
about time. The majority of people are
convinced they don't have enough
time and walk around constantly saying,
"I don't have time! I don't have
time!" to themselves, almost as their
mantra. And they also talk to others
about how busy and stressed out they
are, as if this were some badge of
honor. Yet if I were to stop and ask
them, "Can you think of someone
who's more successful than you?" The
response would be, "Of course!" Then
I'd ask if they had the same 24 hours in
a day, to which I usually get a dumfounded
look and, "Well, yeah, I guess
so ..." So the real issue is not having
enough time, it's how they are managing
(or, in most cases, NOT managing)
their time.
A simple time management formula. The truth is, most people don't manage
their time at all ... they let other
people and situations manage it — and
that's called "normal." These just happen
to be the same people who don't
have a mission statement and don't
write down their goals. (Interesting
coincidence, isn't it?) So here's a simple
formula for you to begin to take
control of your time:
- Create a Mission Statement for
your career. A Mission Statement is a
paragraph that describes who you are
and where you're going. In my definition,
a Mission Statement also
describes your major goals and a deadline,
typically one year out. To easily
create a Mission Statement, go to
www.nightingale.com/mission.
- Write down your yearly goals
based upon your Mission Statement
in all areas of your life: mental,
physical, emotional, and spiritual. Mental goals relate to your career and
your financial well-being. Physical
goals are for the shape of your body
and what you put in it. Emotional
goals are for your relationships in life,
both personal and professional. And
spiritual goals are for the things you do
to get you more in touch with your
spirit, whatever that means to you.
- Divide out your goals in these four
areas. First, divide by 4 to get your quarterly
goals. Then divide by 3 to get your
monthly goals. Finally divide by 4 again
to get your weekly goals. For example, if
your Mission Statement goal was to
make $120,000 in commissions and
bonus by December 31, 2004, you would
know your quarterly goal is $30,000,
your monthly goal is $10,000 and your
weekly goal is $2,500. As a producer,
you may not be able to attain this weekly
or even monthly amount. BUT — you
may know that your average commission
for one new client is $15,000. So
you would need 8 new clients per year,
2 per quarter, one every 6 weeks. Then
you would calculate how many face-toface
sales meetings it takes for you to
add a new client (let's say 12), and then
you know you'd need to schedule 96
appointments per year, 32 per quarter, 8
per month, and 2 per week.
- Get out your weekly planner
and write in the exact time you will
be engaging in these goals. From the
example above, if you needed 2 faceto-
face meetings, you'd schedule in
time for prospecting calls to get these
on the books. You should view ALL
the items you've written as APPOINTMENTS,
so you don't get off track by
the various inconsequential interruptions
that happen throughout the
course of a day.
- As a habit, review your goals
and planner DAILY to ensure you
stay on track. I share with my clients
a technique I call "The most important
appointment of the week." It happens
on the weekend, and it's with YOU. So
you can pick a Saturday or Sunday
morning right after coffee or a workout,
or perhaps Sunday evening just
before the coming work week. After
letting your spouse and kids know you
need some "space," sit down and set
up your weekly schedule just as
described above. I suggest you enter
this weekend appointment in your
planner initially to get the discipline
of doing your scheduling. I guarantee
you'll sleep better knowing your
upcoming week is on track with your
monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals.
Since developing his first coaching
program in 1982, Success Skills Coach
Jim Rohrbach, "The Personal Fitness
Trainer for Your Business," has
coached hundreds of business owners,
entrepreneurs, and sales professionals
on increasing their clientele.
Learn more about Jim Rohrbach.
To find out how a Nightingale-Conant
coach can help you become a high
achiever, call us at 877.512.3100 to
speak with a coaching representative.
