Dialogue With a Time Management Expert: Words of Wisdom From Stephanie Winston


For Stephanie Winston, author of Organized Executive, "Time management and organization are not religious or moral issues. People often feel that their character is weak if they are not organized. Rather, I see organization and time management as fundamental tools to enable you to accomplish the things that you value in life, whether they are professional or personal priorities."

In this interview, Stephanie shares her wisdom about managing time and getting more out of life.

BARRY FARBER:

What's the most important thing people need to do to get more quality time out of their lives?

STEPHANIE WINSTON:

The first thing is to have some sense of commitment to what it is you want to do. A lot of people are disorganized because they're unclear as to what their real intentions are. I use the word intentions purposely, as opposed to priorities. A priority is really a reflection of your intentions. You need to be clear on this because of the tremendous number of claims on your time. Be clear on what you want, and make a personal commitment to it. Once you've articulated an intention, then you can begin to think systematically about priorities, actions, and delegation—the practical aspects of time management.

So your first task is to define your intention, and then to translate that into the actions you will take. Then, as time goes on, measure your success. Are your actions leading you toward your intentions? If so, keep going in that direction. If not, take different actions.

BF:

Everyone talks about simplifying their lives. Do you have any simple suggestions for doing that?

SW:

Take a few days and analyze how you're spending your time. Every time you undertake an activity, ask yourself, "Is this time expenditure appropriate for me? Can it be eliminated? What would happen if I stopped doing this?" Maybe it is something that can be delegated to someone else. Take voice mail, for instance. If I sit and listen to my voice messages, I could spend half an hour just writing them down. On the other hand, I can have my assistant listen to the messages, then type them up for me, including names and phone numbers. Then I can go through them in just a few minutes. It's a task that needs to be done, but not necessarily by me.

Another thing you can do is get out from under what I call "the curse of e-mail." E-mail has not replaced the letter or the phone call, it is an add-on. Of course it has its good points, but we somehow feel we are at the mercy of our e-mail—that we have to pay attention to it at all time. People will call and say, "Did you get the e-mail I sent you 15 minutes ago?" The solution is to think of your e-mail as being delivered like your paper mail, and that you will only check it at a specific time. The idea that you must send an instant response is damaging to your work and your life.

BF:

I always work on several projects at once. What's the best way to keep many balls in the air at the same time?

SW:

First of all, here's a basic rule of time management: Know your own temperament. Some people would find that confusing and overwhelming. You're obviously energized by having many balls in the air. But no matter how many projects you have, you can only concentrate on one thing at a time.

David Allen, a business expert, once said, "You can do anything, but you can't do everything." What I take that to mean is that you can do it all, but you can't do it all at the same time. You have to acknowledge that you are a human being with human limitations. You have to take everything in sequence. Write down the sequence and say, "I'll do this task first, it should take me this long, then I'll do the next one." Otherwise, it's like gridlock with everybody trying to cross the intersection at the same time. No one goes anywhere. This applies not only to business, but to life in general. It's all about setting up a sequence of priorities. It's common sense, but it's difficult to think about when you're caught in the fray. That's why you need to make it a habit in your life.

Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.

—Horace Mann,
educator




Diamond Power. Gems of Wisdom From America's Greatest Marketer
Diamond Power: Gems of Wisdom from Americas Greatest Marketer
ISBN: 1564146987
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 207
Authors: Barry Farber

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