Time Management and High Fuel Prices

With rising fuel prices, many of us are being forced to limit trips in our vehicles and avoid unnecessary driving. In some cases, people may even have to limit spending on other items in order to pay for fuel. I have a friend who is an independent truck driver, and he has had to turn down some jobs because, in his words, "I just can't make money delivering that load." Tough times indeed.

This situation also caused me to reflect on how things would be different in my own life if I looked at my time and energy in a similar manner more often. Here are some possibilities:

• I would more consciously prioritize the tasks in my day, insuring that the ones with the greatest connection to my purpose were accomplished first.


• Because time is so valuable, I would guard against wasting a single moment.


• Before expending my energy (physical, mental or emotional) on any issue or task, I would ask if the benefit was really worth the cost. Put another way, does it help me accomplish my purpose? If the answer is no-it would not find it's way into my schedule.

Bottom line? I'd stop wasting my own resources. Good advice to myself-whether it's fuel, time or energy of any kind.

Small Acts Can Be Big Ones

Last week I had a conversation with someone who is definitely "struggling to get it all done." The twist was that while they had lots of acts going on in their work ring, they just didn't have some of the RIGHT ones. They were busy, but not bringing the right tasks into their lineup to improve their business over the long term.

It became very clear that my role was to listen. When they finished their verbal download, I simply asked one question: "If you could perform only one task at work tomorrow that could have a major impact on the success of your business, what would it be?" While I expected a litany of items, he just replied, "I need to make a phone call." And he did.

The enthusiasm I heard in his voice after the phone call was wonderful! While he has not worked out the details yet, at least he has new hope for his business-and his circus.

What is the one small thing you could do today that could have a big impact on one or more of the areas of your life?

Planning and Three Questions To Ask

"Do It Yourself." It's a mantra shared by many of us as we seek to reduce the cost of auto repair, home improvement or even tasks within a small business.

Bruce Johnson, author of 50 Simple Ways to Save Your House, asks himself three questions before taking on a project-or leaving it to a pro:

• Do I have the time?


• Will the job require specialized tools and skills?


• Is there a safety risk?

What difference would that make if you did the same before attempting to add a "do it yourself act" to your lineup?

Time Management and A Planned Lineup

One of the arguments we sometimes hear from individuals is that planning a lineup doesn't work for them because they have too many interruptions. While we beg to differ, I had an experience last week that showed the true fallacy in their reasoning.

After spending time lining up the acts in my work ring, I had to take my father to a doctor's appointment. Nothing serious, just a simple quick visit-or so I thought. What was supposed to take an hour wound up taking over 4 hours-with multiple appointments, driving across town, etc. What helped me keep my sanity with this big change in my day was having my lineup planned out. In a spare moment I could review it and see if a quick phone call could be made or e mail sent. While driving, I could at least work on some of the tasks mentally, if not physically. When everything was over and I returned to the office things were a little hectic as I worked to get my acts done, but at least I didn't feel like the circus was running me.

Too many interruptions? All the more reason to have a plan, so you can get your acts together more quickly when the interruption is over.

The Elephant of Spring Cleaning

In about a month there will be a whirl of activity around our home as we tackle the HUGE elephant of Spring cleaning. None of us look forward to it, although the outcome always gets a big standing ovation from everyone in our family.

This year I decided to take a new approach. Why not set aside 10 minutes a day to work on a small area, and then stop. I was motivated because I knew it wouldn't be too painful, and I was amazed at how much I could get done when laser focused on a single task. I've already started lining up the small acts for the rest of the week. After a few days I plan to let my wife in on my plan and show her the results.

I was affirmed in my efforts when I read a quote today by Marian Wright Edelman:
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

What small "act" could you undertake today that when combined with a series of small acts, could make a big difference in your performance?