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Using Time Wisely
5 Qualities of People Who Use Time Wisely
By John
C. Maxwell
Time is
precious.
Ask the
coach whose team is behind in the final seconds of a game.
Ask the
air traffic controller in charge of scheduling takeoffs and landings at a major
airport.
Ask the
news reporter who has just received a breaking story from the AP wire.
Ask the
cancer patient who just learned he has only two months left to live.
Time
management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps
ticking regardless of how we lead our lives.
Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.
Our days
are identical suitcases — all the same size — but some can pack more into them
than others.
No one
has a magical ability to make time, but if our lives have direction, we can
make the most of the moments we have been given.
Time
stewardship is perhaps a leader’s greatest responsibility.
In the words of Peter Drucker, “Nothing else distinguishes
effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.”
How do we
maximize the precious minutes given to us each day?
Learn and
emulate the five characteristics of people who use time wisely:
1. They are purposeful.
People
who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life.
By
consistently channeling time and energy toward an overarching purpose, people
can most fully realize their potential.
We cannot
reach peak performance without a peak purpose. Purpose enlivens all that we do.
In fact,
I believe the two greatest days in a person’s life are the day they are born
and the day they discover why.
Uncovering
purpose helps to refine passion, focus efforts and sharpen commitments. The
cumulative result is to amplify achievements.
2. They are committed to values.
People
who use time correctly underscore their values with the time they spend. By
acting in accordance with their beliefs, they find fulfillment.
Failure
to identify values leads to a rudderless existence in which people drift
through life, uncertain as to what they hold dear.
Clarity of values is like a beacon of light,
guiding the way through life’s twists and turns.
When extended
to an organization, values inspire a sense of broader purpose. They make work
worthwhile.
In an
organization, if vision is the head and mission is the heart, then values are
the soul. Values endow day-to-day operations and transactions with meaning.
3. They are attuned to their strengths.
People
who use time correctly play to their strengths. By doing so, they are most
effective.
People
don’t pay for average. If your skill level is a two, don’t waste substantial
time trying to improve because you’ll likely never grow beyond a four.
However,
if you’re a seven in an area, hone that skill, because when you become a nine,
you’ve reached a rare level of expertise.
As Jim Sundberg says, “Discover your uniqueness; then
discipline yourself to develop it.”
You are
blessed with a unique set of skills and talents. Find them, refine them and let
them carry you toward success.
4. They are choosers of happiness.
People
who use time the right way choose
happiness by prioritizing relationships and recreation.
While
choosing happiness may seem simple and obvious, far too many people are trying
to prove themselves and validate their worth.
These
people chase after power and prestige, and along the way their friendships
wither, their family is ignored and they skip vacation after vacation.
In the
end, any success they earn is a hollow and lonely achievement.
Family
and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness. Prioritizing
time to cultivate relationships is a hallmark of a healthy leader.
Likewise,
scheduling leisure combats stress and allows us to delight in the hobbies that
bring us joy. In the end, happiness is an inside job.
We are
wise to surround ourselves with family, friends and fun, but ultimately, we
determine our internal response to the people and circumstances in our lives.
5. They are equippers.
People
who use time properly equip others in order to compound their productivity.
They realize the limitations of individual attainment, and they build teams to
expand their impact.
By
developing an inner circle of leaders and investing in them, wise time-users
multiply their influence.
Equippers
recognize that legacies are carried on by people, not trophies. They pour
themselves into the lives of others and watch the ripple effect of their
leadership spread through those they have taught and mentored.
Equippers
seek significance over the long term, which causes them to have a vested
interest in the success of their successors.
As much
as we would like, we can’t find more time — it’s a finite and constantly
diminishing resource. But we can learn to spend time wisely.
John C. Maxwell, an
internationally respected leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold
more than 18 million books, has been named an inaugural SUCCESS Ambassador. Dr.
Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP, a non-profit organization that has trained more
than 5 million leaders in 126 countries worldwide. A New York Times, Wall
Street Journal and BusinessWeek; best-selling author, Maxwell has
written three books that have sold more than a million copies.
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