How To Keep Other People From Wasting YOUR Valuable Time
People will waste your time... IF you let them.
Let's face it. People waste time. They will also waste your time if you let them. It's amazing to realize how much time is wasted on unimportant, trivial, or useless activities. The people who fall prey to this problem frequently run around complaining about how overloaded they are and how they can't accomplish the things they need to do.
If they are wasting time, how can they claim they are busy? Because they ARE busy, but they are busy doing things that are not important or busy doing things others impose on them.
A person who is serious about leading a successful personal life would have a low tolerance for things that cause him to waste his time foolishly. He would have an even lower tolerance for others who waste his time and theirs.
We all know some of these kinds of people. There is Suzy Social who drops by to chat numerous times a day. Or, you might know a Peter Planner who seems to live to schedule another meeting. Simon Cellfone thinks that you are obligated to answer each and every time that he calls your number. Then, there is Vinny Vendor who has to review his order one more time because he wants as much face time as he can get. Last, but not least, there is Kelly Client, who demands access to you at every moment of the day, or else!
The people in your life who drain you of your time and energy have many weapons with which to "attack": cell phones, email, memos, visits, gossip, etc. Are there any sure-fire tricks to do away with these people's wasting of your time and productivity? Actually, not really. You just need to learn to put up your guard and draw firm boundaries.
Here are some specific, yet easy, suggestions. Have scheduled times, maybe once or twice a day, to check your email. Turn off the ringer on your phone if you are beginning a highly productive work session. It's okay to leave it off when you're off work too. Don't be a slave to the phone. You don't have to answer it just because it rings. Realize that people will take as much time from you as you give them. They will interrupt as often as you let them. Their supposed urgent moment can dictate your response, if you let it.
When you have people in your life that frequently give you trouble in the area of time management, try this approach. Practice a "three strikes" rule. This can be used with employees, vendors, or even clients, when appropriate. Give them three opportunities to learn that they cannot expect to have instant access to you at all times. If a person wants to chat, explain to them that you are working hard to meet a deadline and then ask if there is something that you can help them with. If a client calls to nit-pick over some issue for the third time, assure him that you will take care of the issue and that there is no need for further checking in.
Basically, figure out an appropriate way to convey the message, "I don't waste time, and I won't allow you to waste it for me". You don't have to be ugly, but by the third "talk" with any one person, you should be nothing short of very direct about your expectations. If that doesn't do the trick, then simply put an end to their opportunity to interrupt you needlessly.
Time is a precious commodity, yet, we often don't take care of it the way we should. We guard our money carefully, and it can be replaced, but we fail to guard our time in the same way. Don't forget� lost time is gone forever.
About the Author
G. Brent Riggs, author of "Life Without Debt", "Serious Faith" and "Desperation Station" has over 20 years experience as an business owner, teacher, personal growth coach and mentor. You can contact him from his main website: http://www.gbrentriggs.com
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