Time is a Circus….Here one Day Gone the Next By Sherry Hilley Retired Department of Defense Government Event Planner

10 Myths About Time 1)Time can be managed 2)The longer or harder you work the more you accomplish 3) If you want something done right - do it yourself

10 Myths About Time 4) You aren’t suppose to enjoy work 5)We should take pride in working hard 6)You should try to do the most in the least amount of time 7) Technology will help you do it better, faster

10 Myths About Time 8)Do one thing at a time 9)Handle paper only once 10) Get more done, you will be happier

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Helen Keller

Time Wasters Attempting too much. Not saying no. Incomplete information. Management by crisis, fire fighting. Interruptions.

Making the Best Use of Time Decide that you don’t have to please everyone. Let go–don’t be a perfectionist. Resist the temptation to do small, insignificant tasks too well. Outsource what you can.

Get The Most Out Of the First Two Hours of the Day Don’t eat breakfast at work Look at calendar for day Review your “To Do” list Pull your tickler file for the day and start with the most important task first Do one of the ‘unpleasant’ tasks

Get The Most Out Of the Last Two Hours of the Day Update your “To Do” List Check your tickler file for the next day Delete unnecessary s Clear clutter from your desk File any completed tasks

…All the time in-between If your easiest tasks take less time, save them for the end of the day Get up from your desk for a minimum of 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon, Don’t eat lunch at your desk! Find a retreat! Smile.. Scientists have told us that it takes 41 muscles to frown and 17 to smile

Why do we procrastinate? Just don’t know where to start! The task at hand is ‘unpleasant’ Doomed to failure Standing by for information…standing by for information…..standing by…. Hoping someone else will do it! Overcommitted…overwhelmed…

To overcome procrastination: Prioritize…. Organize… Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Test yourself! Put a penny somewhere on your desk…30 days later retrieve the penny. If you find it immediately, you get an A…if you can’t seem to find the penny….you need help in organizing!

Why aren’t we organized? It takes too much time. You don’t know how. You want to do it “perfectly.” Is this your office?

The price of not being organized? Missed deadlines. Overlooked opportunities. Wasted time. Lost customers due to poor or slow service. Waste money by misuse of resources

Eat That Frog! By Brian Tracy Take a good look at your desk or office, both at home and at the office. Ask yourself…”What kind of a person works in an environment like that?” The cleaner and neater your work environment, the more positive, productive, and confident you feel. Resolve today to clean up your desk and office completely so that you feel effective, efficient, and ready to get going each time you sit down to work.

Managing Your To Do List You will probably never be able to do everything on your list in one day so prioritize your lists; short term and long term Update your list daily Avoid yellow sticky notes as your ‘to do’ – put your reminders on the ‘to do’ list Keep the list where you can see it frequently What’s the worst that can happen if don’t do this? Am I the only person who can do this? Must it be done now? Is there an easier way to do it?

Managing s Filter and file your s Don’t print out messages unless it is something important Don’t keep an for the address or person’s name; copy and paste in your address listing Make sure that the major point in your is handled first If the desire is to serve the customer, you will certainly be well in front of your competition by responding to every , promptly and politely

Filing Tips Never file envelopes unless the postmark is significant. Write a keyword or “date read” on the item when you read it If action required, file in your tickler file, not on your desk Use a simple, alphabetical filing system for permanent files File immediately

Using Your Calendar Add a meeting as soon as you know about it. Put follow-ups on your calendar If you use an electronic calendar, back it up with a ‘regular’ calendar

Set Realistic Goals It is no secret that 25% of new year resolutions are broken in the first week. Be specific about your goal Don’t change everything at once It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time. - Winston Churchill

Dare to say “No” Be firm -- not defensive or overly apologetic -- and polite. “It doesn’t fit with my schedule,” is perfectly acceptable. Remember that there are only so many hours in the day…prioritize!

SMART Phones – The “Disadvantages” Using the many functions on it is time consuming Lack of concentration at work Less time spent with family and friends Photo sharing and giving out personal information has led to theft People spend countless hours surfing the net rather than doing important things Texting or talking while driving!

Thank You Make the most of each day. If you are happy at what you are doing…you won’t work a day in your life!