I like that you’re breaking down some ambiguous focus areas, like health, into clear tasks, like drinking 8 glasses of water per day. Also, I like that you’re approaching time management as a quest for balance, which can be beneficial for some people. However, I would argue that without a clearer plan, people won’t have the focus to remember each of these focus areas, and will continue leading “unbalanced” lives. I want to explain how I usually get my clients onto a clear program of time management.

Here’s how I would approach this situation: I would start by reviewing my client’s long-term goals (if you have a family, maybe one of your goals is to get your son enrolled in college.) I would then break these goals down to figure out what I would need to do on a yearly, monthly, weekly and daily basis in order to complete them. Following that, I would work out what my ideal weekday and weekend would look like, and how it would include these tasks. If one of your goals is to run in a marathon, for example, I would say that you should get at least 6 miles of running in on a treadmill or outside once every day. Now we know that about an hour and fifteen minutes needs to be set aside for running, and we incorporate it into the day, using the ideal weekday assessment. If the client likes to exercise after work (I personally think this is the best time, since it breaks up your afternoon nicely), then we’ll schedule it in then.

Now, obviously, there are going to be times when that chunk of scheduled time is unavailable, due to a pressing engagement like a wedding or a sporting event being on television that you want to watch. That’s why I have my clients spend ten or fifteen minutes in the morning planning out how they want to organize or rearrange their day. Sometimes, the client can’t fit the running into the day at all because of one of these engagements. That’s okay, though – as long as you’re conscious of how your time management decisions affects your long-term goals, you’ll make the right decision.

I’m just starting out my time management consulting company, but I use an explicitly no-bullshit system to get people on a time management plan that works for them. I’m actually not even charging a fixed rate at this point. At the program’s completion, I just have my clients pay me whatever they felt the service was worth. If you’re interested in that, contact me at nate [at] cumalu.com or visit my Web site: http://www.cumalu.com.

I’ll definitely be following your blog over the next few weeks, because marketing is definitely not one of my strengths. I’ve also just started following you on Twitter – I’m interested in hearing what advice you can give new business owners.

I like that you’re breaking down some ambiguous focus areas, like health, into clear tasks, like drinking 8 glasses of water per day. Also, I like that you’re approaching time management as a quest for balance, which can be beneficial for some people. However, I would argue that without a clearer plan, people won’t have the focus to remember each of these focus areas, and will continue leading “unbalanced” lives. I want to explain how I usually get my clients onto a clear program of time management.

Here’s how I would approach this situation: I would start by reviewing my client’s long-term goals (if you have a family, maybe one of your goals is to get your son enrolled in college.) I would then break these goals down to figure out what I would need to do on a yearly, monthly, weekly and daily basis in order to complete them. Following that, I would work out what my ideal weekday and weekend would look like, and how it would include these tasks. If one of your goals is to run in a marathon, for example, I would say that you should get at least 6 miles of running in on a treadmill or outside once every day. Now we know that about an hour and fifteen minutes needs to be set aside for running, and we incorporate it into the day, using the ideal weekday assessment. If the client likes to exercise after work (I personally think this is the best time, since it breaks up your afternoon nicely), then we’ll schedule it in then.

Now, obviously, there are going to be times when that chunk of scheduled time is unavailable, due to a pressing engagement like a wedding or a sporting event being on television that you want to watch. That’s why I have my clients spend ten or fifteen minutes in the morning planning out how they want to organize or rearrange their day. Sometimes, the client can’t fit the running into the day at all because of one of these engagements. That’s okay, though – as long as you’re conscious of how your time management decisions affects your long-term goals, you’ll make the right decision.

I’m just starting out my time management consulting company, but I use an explicitly no-bullshit system to get people on a time management plan that works for them. I’m actually not even charging a fixed rate at this point. At the program’s completion, I just have my clients pay me whatever they felt the service was worth. If you’re interested in that, contact me at nate [at] cumalu.com or visit my Web site: http://www.cumalu.com.

I’ll definitely be following your blog over the next few weeks, because marketing is definitely not one of my strengths. I’ve also just started following you on Twitter – I’m interested in hearing what advice you can give new business owners

-nate

Thanks so much for your continued wisdom my great friend!
Bruce Backman´s last blog ..The Ring of Power-One Ring to Rule Them All

I’d say my life is more work focused at present but I know it is and I haven’t just gone into it unknowing. Sometimes it’s ok to have an imbalance when you are focusing on one area of your life to achieve greater goals in this area.

Thanks
Gavin