Dear Mr. Self Development,

Do you have any time saving tips?

Maria

Maria, making sure you avoid the following 3 “time wasters” will save you lots of time .

Time Waster #1: Not having a “Theme”

Not having a theme for your day, month or year can cause you to waste lots of time.  Why?  Because you will probably attempt too many task and get very little done; the key is to focus your days, months and or years solely on your priorities.

The Lion Tamer at the circus uses a pistol, a whip, and a chair to control the lion.  The chair is said to be the most efficient at controlling the lion. 

Why a chair? 

The bottom of a chair has four legs, and when pointed in the direction of the lion, the lion becomes unsure as to which leg to focus its attention on, and thereby loses his or her train of thought. 

Don’t be like the lion, with so many things to focus on that you get off track; while nothing gets accomplished.

Maybe you want to take a day and focus on organizing your house, or take a year and focus primarily on getting in shape or creating a prosperous mind, but keep your focus single.  You will accomplish more when you have singleness of purpose.

Time Waster #2: Chatting on the telephone at “Inopportune Times”

I have specific times that I will answer my phone, if someone calls outside of those hours, I will return their call when it’s most convenient for me.  You can waste a lot of valuable time just “shooting the breeze” at inopportune times. 

There’s nothing wrong with “chatting on the phone,” as long as it doesn’t conflict with your other priorities.  It’s important to preserve the times when you are most productive, and dedicate those hours to producing your best results uninterrupted. 

Don’t become the victim of someone else’s boredom.  In other words, when someone has an hour to kill, don’t let them kill your hour too.  Take control of your telephone time, and it will help you take control of your day.

Time Waster #3: Watching the News

How many people spend hours a day watching the news, or reading about the news on the Internet?  A lot. 

Why should you avoid watching the news?

It steals your time from doing more important things; things that will actually enhance your life and make you feel good about yourself (such as working out, bonding with your spouse, or making strides towards achieving your personal and professional goals).

Unless your job requires it, there’s no real need to know about all of the murders that are taking place, not to mention every single theft…it is an absurd waste of time. 

While they are telling you about all the murders, they are murdering your time and killing your productivity.

I once heard a comedian say (something to the affect of) instead of showing the news, they should just flash, “Things Are Getting Worse!!!” across the screen.

Now, I don’t believe things are getting worse, I believe things are getting better (society is evolving for the better, no matter what the stock market says).  However, the picture that the media portrays is that things are getting much worse, and really fast. 

I don’t want to fill my mind with such rubbish.  I would rather choose to focus on the good, thereby increasing the good in my own life.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you become a hermit, and find a rock to hide under. It’s OK to tune in every now and then, or as I do, get my news from the Internet because I can click and choose what enters my mind.  I don’t want to be bombarded with the negativity from the media (I usually give myself a time limit, such as 5-10 minutes). 

What if Something Important Happens and I Miss It

Don’t be concerned that you are going to miss the next great tragedy if you’re not tuned in.  If something big happens, you’ll find out about it, trust me .

A majority of the time there is virtually nothing you can do with the bad news from the media, except to become more afraid, lowering your consciousness and the collective consciousness of the entire population; increasing the chance of this negativity re-occurring.  This is a huge waste of time; you should take this precious time and do something that enhances your life. 

The Solution

For some, watching the news (or surfing the web for the news) is just a daily habit.  Try replacing that habit with reading a good book or a positive blog such as mrselfdevelopment.com .

Instead of taking in bad news, take in some positive news, because you are the summation of the information you take in.  

Thank you for reading mrselfdevelopment.com where every article expands your mind, increases your faith, and changes your life.

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