Tag Archives: Time Management

Dream Derailer#9d- Insufficient Time

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Let me start off by saying, “You have enough time.”  Or let me put it more precisely, “You have all the time you’re ever going to get!”  Time is the great equalizer.  Unlike money and talent, everybody gets the same amount of time.  Time is the one thing that no matter what we do we won’t get any more or any less of. Now, I have to admit it feels like time does seem to fly when we are doing certain things, drag with others, and to even stand still under certain conditions.  However unless you fly to the moon or evoke quantum physics theories, we each will have the same number of hours.

So with that said, let’s look at what the real issue is, managing the time we have.  One strategy for getting control of your time is to approach it like you would money.  You’ve got to know how much you have, where you’re spending it, and how much you have left.  It’s the same with your time.  When we value something we keep track of it, appreciate it, and don’t waste it. Where is your time being spent.  Do you know?  How much time did you waste today on things that did not move you in the direction of your most important goals?

How to Find More Time

As we’ve discussed, you will not find any more time, so you will have to redistribute the time you have.  Everyone gets 24 new hours every single day and most people say they are still too busy.   But, what we may not think about is how small amounts of time add up.  We’re looking for that big chunk of time which we may not be able to find so easily.  Did you know that if you just set aside ten minutes a day to work on a specific goal that it would equate to over 60 hours in a year?   What if you put just thirty minutes aside each day, that’s less time than one television show.  You would find over 180 hours.  That almost eight 23 eight- hour days in a years time.  What could you accomplish in 23 full work days?  It’s like the latte factor in saving money.  Now that we’ve established the fact that we have the time, next you need to determine how much time you need for your goals or dreams.   Next take a serious look at how you are spending your time now.  Find the time wasters and schedule your important work during that time. Before you know it, you’ll find that you have more time than you thought you did.

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Dream Derailer #9a: Insufficient Resources

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3 Resources No Plan Can Succeed Without

Perhaps more dreams have gone down the drain because of the lack of these three resources than any other.  Everybody needs them and no plan will be successful without them.  I have been in business for over twenty-five years and although there is still so much to learn, a few big lessons stick out as critical.  I still believe energy is one of the most fundamental, but I’ve already dedicated an entire discussion to it.  And, we’re already assuming that you have the vision, values, and virtues you need that were discussed in a different topic, but there are still three critical resources that without them, any plan is doomed.  Have you guessed what they are?  I believe the big three are: time, talent, and money.  Unless you get control over your time, money, and talent you may be in danger of derailing your dreams.

Be Aware of Your Programming

Over the past week I have been listening to experts at the ‘World Tapping Summit’ speak about how to overcome all sorts of limitations.  Some of the presenters were Jack Canfield, Bruce Little, Carol Look, and Carol Tuttle.  Tapping is a blend of conscious intentions, tapping on energy points in the body (meridians and acupressure), and reciting specific affirmations to reprogram or reframe what is blocking us from receiving the abundance in the universe.  That abundance could be health, wealth, or self-esteem, etc.  Jack Canfield makes the point that much our limitations come from our earliest programming that we received from our caretakers. He says we must consciously think about what was going on in our parents’ lives during our first six years since we were just sponges and extrapolate what messages were probably recorded on our tapes without question.  The programming however does not end there, it continues throughout our lives and the experts say that 95% of what we are acting out is our inherited programming that makes up our subconscious. To be successful, we need to live more consciously.  Over the next three days I will discuss  three resources that most people are convinced are keeping them from succeeding: time, money, and talent.

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Dream Derailer #4: Inability to Stay Focused

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Okay, so one day you’re working on an important goal and the next thing you know you’re sidetracked and off to something else.   Nothing can derail your dreams faster than distractions.  Staying on track requires a conscious effort. Just because you have a dream and believe in it doesn’t mean that the things of the world will not distract you.  It doesn’t even matter how much you love or desire an outcome.  You’ve got to focus to hit your target.  And, if that target isn’t clear or keeps changing, how do you expect to hit it?  Choose, decide, commit, and stay focused. You’ve got to be willing to let some things go.  You may be able to do anything, but you still can’t do everything.  In ‘ Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha’, he states, “So long as the thoughts of an individual are  scattered he will achieve no results, but if his thinking be concentrated on a single point wonderful will be the fruits thereof.”

Identify Your Distractions and Do Something About Them.

Everyone isn’t distracted by the same things, but everyone is distracted by something.  You’ve got to decide who distracts, what distracts you, when you are distracted, and why you are distracted.  After that, figure out a plan to do something about it. If I know who distracts me, I can limit my time with that person when I need to accomplish something.  If it’s a specific time that I’m distracted, it might be wise to work on my important projects at a different time.   It also wouldn’t hurt to think about why you get so easily distracted either.  Perhaps your goal isn’t fulfilling enough or maybe it isn’t your goal.   Paul Graham calls the television and the internet, “visual crack,” since it is such an addictive distraction and suggests we turn it off or severely limit it.  Arjun Kulchani suggests choosing exciting work and using meditation as a tool for better concentration.   Cave Cheong offers a strategy he calls ‘time boxing‘ among other tips. Leo Babauta thinks we should schedule some ‘distraction time’.  Think about the strategies I’ve offered here and also check these wonderful sources below to pick out some ideas that work for you.

  1. 10 Ways to Eliminate Distractions by Leo Babauta
  2. 18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work by Dave Cheong
  3. 11 Ways of Staying Focused by Dave Cheong
  4. Disconnecting Distraction by Paul Graham
  5. How to Stay Focused by Arjun Kulkani

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Ten Tips for Tackling Procrastination Tendencies (pt 2)

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Why is it that you can’t get everything done? Is it because time just seems to fly, or you’ve set unreasonable goals,  or are you just not good at managing your time?  Did you know that there is a procrastination equation?  Piers Steel, PhD, one of the world’s foremost researchers and speakers on the science of motivation and procrastination writes, “There are two ways to find out where you land in the ranks of procrastination. Are you a garden-variety dilly dallier or are you hardcore with “tomorrow” tattooed across your back?” Take his survey and get specific information on how much of a procrastinator you are and what you can do about it.

My final five tips for tackling your procrastination tendencies are below.  If you missed first five tips be sure to check them out too.

My Final Five Tips for Tackling Procrastination Tendencies

  1. Make the goal a priority. If it’s not a priority and not as important as other things, stop beating yourself up.  Take it off your list and discard or delay until it is the highest priority.  If it is a priority, be disciplined at putting it first and putting off those things that are not as important to your success.  It’s also a good idea to start working on that plan when you are most alert and productive.  Why sabotage your goal by trying to jump-start it when you are deflated yourself.
  2. Know what your next step is. Sometimes looking at all we have to do is overwhelming.  So you might want to just identify the next step.  From that step you’ll more easily see the next step and so on and so on.  Commit to just doing the next step when the whole project overwhelms you.  Once you get started it’s easier to keep going.
  3. Get Yourself an Accountability Partner. Some people just aren’t self-motivated and need a progress partner. If  you need a muse, mentor, or friend to encourage you, hold you accountable, or to guide, get one or get all three.
  4. Specify a regular time to work on your goal and make it a habit. Habits only happen with regularity and action.  Do something regarding your goal every day, even if it is just to remind yourself of its importance and the time you’ve scheduled to act on it.  For example, I set a goal to pray at midnight.  I’ve found that if I do the same thing every single day around the same time, it becomes habit.  Once working on your goal becomes a habit, then it’s only a matter of time before you finish.
  5. Be clear about how procrastination is affecting you. Have you lost opportunities because you procrastinated?  Have you lost money and had to pay more or fees or jeopardized your credit because you waited until the last minute?  What about your relationships.  Has your chronic lateness caused problems with those you care about?  If you said yes to most of these questions,  your procrastination causing you stress and is a problem.  Your response to any problem should be….do something about it!

“In scientific terms, a person’s intention alone is not enough to see anything through–a condition called “preference reversal.” That means that unless an individual has some knowledge of his or her motivational weaknesses and can create a plan to counteract them, those promises of losing weight or writing a novel will fall to the wayside, Steel said.”  Steele came up with a mathematical formula to overcome procrastination.   Read more: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1008_3-6149636.html#ixzz1ECAsoP9T

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Ten Tips for Tackling Procrastination Tendencies

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It’s human nature to do the easiest, the most enjoyable, or the work we feel the most confident doing, but that doesn’t make it the most important.  Denis Waitley describes procrastination as, “The fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.” Ten tips for tackling procrastination tendencies are below:

  1. Have a compelling WHY?–  Are the reasons for working on this particular goal more compelling than what you are already doing?  Because if what you are doing is more important, there really is no good reason to abandon what you are doing to do something else.  If you don’t have a compelling enough reason to start, persevere, and to finish, you won’t!
  2. Create a plan to keep that reason visible and front and foremost in your consciousness.  If you have a compelling WHY and still find yourself procrastinating or forgetting, get a plan.   Constantly remind yourself of why you chose this goal.  Write the reasons on index cards, place them in strategic locations where you know you will see them, affirm your goals, and spend time thinking and acting on them.
  3. Tease yourself. Sometimes the hard part is to just get started.  In this case, give yourself a simple doable time limit, say fifteen minutes.  Usually you will get a momentum going and continue past the time initially proposed.
  4. Be clear about the benefits of achieving this goal and the consequences of not doing anything. Sometimes it is that clear vision of the benefits that provides the motivation to keep moving in the direction of your goals. While positive motivation is my preference, some people are motivated more by fear.  The fear of failure or the fear of the negative consequences is enough to get them motivated and continually motivated.
  5. Have a plan  of what you need to do. Just having  a vague idea of what you want and how you are to do it is not enough. – It’s easy to get distracted or sidetracked, a plan of action is critical to making sure that you stay on task.

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.