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Running Out of Time?"Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence--neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish--it is an imponderably valuable gift." -Maya AngelouDo you constantly feel like you are on overload? Do you tellyourself that you'll spend more time doing something that'simportant but not urgent “when things slow down a little” or“after we finish this next big project”?Being technically proficient in your business or profession willonly get you so far … especially if you feel like you're on arunaway treadmill. To gain some control and sanity, you may needto organize your time differently.Most business owners, executives, and professionals spend theirtime in four ways:Free Time – time to rest, relax, and rejuvenateCreative Time – time to generate new ideasDelivery Time – time to deliver the product/service that is coreto your workSupport Time – time to handle the “behind the scenes” oradministrative functions necessary to support you in getting theresults you desire.These four areas of time are very connected, so what you do withone dimension of time affects the others. Have you ever noticedhow taking Free Time to rest and rejuvenate enables you to comeback to your work with a fresh perspective…one that enables youto be much more creative?Creative Time enables you to work ON your business. It's tough tohave an objective vantage point when you're “in the trenches” allthe time. Taking a step back to see the “big picture” isessential if you want to generate fresh ideas and find newsolutions to challenges.Delivery Time enables you to work IN your business. You mayalready spend much of your time here. The key is to remember thatit doesn't matter how much Delivery Time you spend if what you'redelivering isn't what matters most to you or your company…and ifwhat you deliver and how you deliver it is not valued by therecipient of your products or services. Direction and prioritiesare generally determined during Free Time and Creative Time .Part of your success requires spending some Support Time tendingto details – responding to email and phone calls, reading,writing, reviewing, evaluating, filing, etc. Of course, some ofthis can be delegated to others. If you ignore the details thatsupport your core deliverable, it will affect your ability to beproductive or deliver the best quality product or service. Inaddition, you will not feel like you can take Free Time if theunhandled details are constantly nagging at you.Without Free Time , stress and overload set in. Then it'sdifficult to be in a frame of mind to take Creative Time . Thispushes you to work harder IN your business ( Delivery Time ),which results in taking a reactive rather than a proactiveapproach to managing challenges. This rarely results in the bestquality results, and often adds to burnout.Look at the diagram below and note that it is a continuouscircle. When working properly, the process keeps repeatingitself…unless you get stuck in one spot on the continuum.Changing HabitsChoosing to live a more thoughtful, self-directed life in themidst of a society that seems to thrive on a frenzied pacerequires determination, planning, and self-discipline. Accordingto behavior change experts, you have to believe in the valuesbehind the change, or it will not stick.For example, if you promise your family that you will work lesshours, but you're not mentally committed to such a change, yourodds of maintaining your commitment drop. It's difficult tosustain such a promise if the reward for working longer hours isgreater than the reward for getting home earlier.G. Alan Marlatt, professor of psychology and director of theAddictive Behaviors Research Center at the University ofWashington, studies people who are successful in long-termchange. Marlatt says that it gets easier after the first 90 days.At that point, the chances of a relapse drop from 85 percent to20-30 percent. He also points out that adding a new behavior iseasier than trying to give something up.Marlatt's tips:• Self monitor. If you're relying on internal motivation (asopposed to having a coach or an addiction counselor), keep adaily chart of progress for the first 90 days. Note what needs tobe fine-tuned. If you feel you might slip, make note — either ina journal or a note card or a bold message on your morning mirror— to get back on track.• Social support. Find someone or a group of people trying tomake similar changes. Meet with them or e-mail them or join achat room. If you're not into strangers, get a comrade, coach orfamily member to be your support.• Keep your rewards high. New clothes for that lost weight? Aweekend away for that pared down to-do list? That keepsmotivation high. Success leads to success.• Watch your self-criticism. If people go off course, thetendency is to say, "Oh, this proves I have no willpower." That'sself-defeating and it undermines motivation.• Remind yourself of goals. What is it you're trying to change?Some people carry reminder cards that list what they want toaccomplish. One man trying to quit smoking simply carried a photoof his young son.• Have a plan for when obstacles arise. How will you get back ontrack? It's important not to overreact but to regroup. "I missedtwo days of exercise, but I won't miss a third."The biggest trigger for reverting to old behaviors is a negativeemotional state, such as feeling angry or depressed, especiallyif you turned to your old habit for comfort. Think of what youcould do instead. Call a friend. Take a walk. Sing a song. Dosomething that feels good right away…something that will breakthe habit you've previously fallen into when in a negativeemotional state.It's easier to create a new habit than it is to stop doing an oldone. So, instead of saying, “Don't work past 6 PM,” it may workbetter to have a specific plan for the evening: “Be home for 6:30dinner with my family.”Don't be too harsh on yourself if you backslide – that's normal.As long as you have some success, you are moving closer to yourgoal. Some habits take an average of 12 attempts to quit ,according to Marlatt. But you need a plan to keep frombacksliding too far. "If you have a flat tire, it doesn't meanyou're not going to finish the trip," Marlatt says. "It justmeans you've got to fix it up before you continue."Having a mentor such as a coach can provide structure,accountability, support and expertise to make changes stick.Coaches generally schedule a weekly check-in time by phone totalk about goals and progress.It's your choice!I hear clients say, “I just don't have enough time!” The realityis that we all get 168 hours a week. Challenges arise – notbecause you don't have enough time – but when you have notcarefully clarified and stuck with your priorities.A couple years ago Krispy Kreme donuts moved into the Seattlearea, where I live. I remember reading in the paper about theGrand Opening frenzy. The drive-through line stretched forblocks, and some people drove hundreds of miles, only to waitseveral hours in line to sink their teeth into a Krispy Kremedonut! There were even police officers hired to control theKrispy Kreme gridlock that ensued! So how is it that we have timeto stand in line several hours for a box of donuts, but we don'thave time to do a gazillion other things that are on our to-dolists? Perhaps it's because Krispy Kreme serves comfort food.People are emotionally hungry, and the donuts fill a hole.The bottom line is this: when something is really important toyou – when you feel motivated by your inner desires – you willmake the time for it! It's difficult to sustain such things as apromise of getting home earlier if the reward for doing so doesnot outweigh the motivation for staying later at the office towork.I've recently returned from being away from my office for ninedays. Re-entry is challenging because of the backlog of e-mails,phone calls, mail, etc. It's easy to fall into the trap ofworking longer hours to get caught up. But if the truth be told,I'll never be caught up. There will always be something else thatI could do, no matter how many hours I work . I've found thatwhen I schedule time for my top priorities, I am much moreproductive. Sure, some things don't get done, but when I planahead, the things that do get done are the things that reallymatter. By being more productive during the day, I can get thesame amount of work done and leave my office earlier. When Ineglect to do my planning, productivity goes way down, stressgoes up, and so do my work hours!-- Now is a great time to assess how you spend your time, basedon your goals, talents, and passions! --There's no magic formula as to how much time each of us shouldspend in the four areas of time mentioned earlier. That isdetermined by your goals, talents, and passions. Perhaps you aremost gifted and have the most fun when creating new ideas. Youmay choose to carve out more creative time and delegate much ofthe refinement and delivery to someone else. Or if you find yourgreatest gifts and passions are in delivery or managing thedetails, you may choose to spend minimal time with the creativeelements of your work.Not sure what the best fit is for you or others you work with?Check out these excellent assessment tools:* The DiSC Profile [http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#discprofile ] enablesyou to learn more about your behavioral style, and to understandand appreciate differences in others.* Team Dimensions Profile [http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#td ] enables you todiscover which dimensions of a project are the best fit with yournatural talents and working style. With this information, you andothers you work with may decide to rework who is responsible fordifferent parts of a project.* Tired of running out of time? Bridge the time gap! The TimeMastery Profile [ http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#tm] can help you identify your biggest time wasters and getconcrete solutions to your most difficult challenges withmanaging time.-- Are you on the right path? --Answer these questions (in writing!) to determine if you are onthe path you choose.* Do your daily actions reflect what you want for your life?Identify what you enjoy the most and what you're most naturallygifted at doing.* What do you choose to delegate or say no to so you can spendmost of your time doing what you're best at and enjoy the most?(Visit: http://www.orgcoach.net/delegation.html for tips ondelegation.)* Imagine what you want your life to be like a year from now.What will be possible when you organize your time differently soyou can spend it the way you want?* As you review the four areas of time, where do you choose tospend more time or less time than you currently spend? Writedown what you choose for each area. EXAMPLE: Free Time – One additional day a weekCreative Time – An additional ½ day a weekDelivery Time – Keep the same as nowSupport Time – Delegate enough of this so I can spend more timein Free and Creative Time. Refine processes and systems so I canbe most efficient with the tasks I will manage for myself.Now that you are clear about how you choose to shift the way youspend time, what is the next step you will take to put this intoaction? What will support you in making this happen?Contact me at [email protected] to request a complimentarycoaching call if you'd like to explore the possibility of workingwith me as your coach. There is no cost and no obligation for thefirst call. Then we can both determine if we are the "right fit"for working together. If not, I can refer you to a trustedcoaching colleague.