- Most expensive web domain-Insure.com:$16 million
- Most paid for a car at an auction-1962 Ferrari 250 GTO:$35 million
- Price paid of ONE parking spot in Manhattan:$1 million
- Most expensive house ever listed for sale in the US is in Bel Air, California: $250 million
I could keep adding to the list of expensive stuff but I’ll stop and declare nothing on the list comes close in value to time. Time is without a doubt the most valuable asset on earth. But also the most democratic, we’re all equal. Everybody has 168 hours a week. Bill Gates has 168 hours. Jeff Bezos has 168 hours. The guy working the grill at Five Guys has 168 hours.
Time is renewable. You can’t buy more time for any amount of money.
“And all your money, won’t another minute buy”
-“Dust in The Wind” by Kansas
I’ve become so aware of this I’ve put this quote on my Instagram and Twitter profile
“I have plenty of time left, but none to waste.”
No matter what I allow myself to believe, I do have all the time I need to get meaningful stuff done.
Most of the information you find on time management focuses on the Do’s. But I noticed not much is said about time management Dont’s.
Here’s a few of my favorites.
Don’t Check Email First Thing At Work
Email is a great magician. It gives you the illusion you achieved something. But have you? What did you achieve after marking 26 emails “Read”? I would guess not all that much.
A great strategy to avoid getting sucked into the email vortex is to restrict processing email to 3 times per day. The first after an hour after you start working. Right after lunch and an hour before you go home. I’m sure there are exceptions but 95% of us can do this ,we just think we can’t.
Don’t Fall for the Multitasking Myth.
Not only is multitasking impossible, it’s harmful to your performance. The more information you try to process the less time you have to give it the attention it deserves. This means you start making poor decisions and overlooking important details.
Focus on one task at a time. Give it your full attention and you’ll find yourself getting more done with a higher quality outcome.
Don’t Work Without Taking a Break
Your brain is not designed to focus on anything for an extended period of time. You’ll notice you get distracted more easily after an hour or two, until you’re getting nothing done.
The solution is simple: Take a break.
Get up and walk around. Go outside if the weather is nice. Have a snack. Indulge yourself for 10 minutes of social media.
Whatever you do, let your brain disengage from the task. When you do this your brain will thank you and reward you with fresh ideas and perspective.
A great way to do this is to use a 25/5 work/break schedule. Set the timer on your phone for 25 minutes when you start a new task. Do not stop until you finish or the timer goes off. Reset the timer for 5 minutes for your break. When the timer goes off, reset to 25 minutes of work. Rinse, repeat until you have crushed your day.
Try these three strategies to not only increase your productivity but also discover more time to make a bigger impact on your world.
Don’t forget you have plenty of time left just none to waste.