Coaching for the Workplace - Kaylus Horton
Time Bandits: Tips to Help You Limit Their Agendas
By Kaylus Horton, Path™ Coach
Feb 2, 2012 - 5:43:09 PM

Time Management has been and is projected to be a long term facilitated, discussed and written topic.  So many things and (people) compete for our time. Just this morning MSNBC featured a story about facebook and its innovative founder Mark Zuckerberg who along with his team are creating strategies to keep their users connected for more than the already counted 30 – 60 minutes per day.

Let’s think about that, 30 – 60 minutes is a longer than what most people take the time to read, exercise, think or journal thoughts, plan, reflect, brainstorm, prepare and eat a healthy meal, have a meaningful conversation and indulge in an activity that would refresh and renew them. 

The feature story stated the company’s vision which is to have 1/6 of the world’s population as its’ users.  Imagine what would it be like if 1/6 of the worlds’ population spent even more time on the internet, plus attention to the standard demands from ones personal and professional roles and functions? Whew! Would anyone have enough time in their day to attend to all of the above?  I smile, as I can imagine hearing you say aloud; “but Kaylus, this describes my average day, time bandits are causing havoc in my life.”
   
In an effort to help you gain and maintain focus through the many “get your attention schemes” listed below are a few practical and adaptable tips that can equip you to limit the deviant work of time bandits.

• Decide what is important and devote more time to those activities
• Identify short and long term goals, and do something each day that is considered work and value toward its realization. Doing something can be as simple as reflecting on the progress made thus far or envisioning the expected outcome
• Create boundaries to protect priorities and goals. For many this is may require mastering the ability to say no to tasks and people whose agendas are not aligned with yours or should you accept to involve yourself you foresee that the commitment required would be more than you will have available to give
• Create a to-do list and use tools to remind you of what is next or needs urgent attention
• Create strategies and use tools to limit interruptions. Whether it is closing the office door, placing your phone on silent or in the off position, asking not to be disturbed or for those entrepreneurs work from a secluded location
• Identify primary enjoyable time bandits. Is it chit-chatter, family, friends, television, social media, texting or shopping? Perhaps it is those allowed, compromising bandits such as lack of focus and direction, procrastination, fear and doubt
• Identify and succeed at delegating low priority tasks. John Maxwell said it best “dedicate 80% of your time focusing on the top 20% of your goals and priorities
• Eliminate annoying paper work by following these two steps, first read it and second, take action on it.  The latter comprises of delegating, filing or identifying a time for its attention.
• Master giving the time needed to balance professional responsibilities with personal time

To aim of this article is to coach you, the professional in the workplace to re-evaluate, re-define and re-organize how you use your time.  I hope that we have been successful in this endeavor. 
   
Here’s to the honor of coaching you forward,

Kaylus Adams
Vision Coach and Founder
Dialogues

We facilitate learning and discovery for focus and direction in lives and in businesses.


www.yourdialogues.com
Kaylus@yourdialogues.com

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