Got a Minute? That is the question!

How many times has that familiar question turn into ten or twenty minutes? It would be my guess that it happens more often than we would like. During our time management workshop "Work Smarter Not Longer!"™ we discuss time wasters and how they can cause us to lose one hour or more each day. We also discuss how we don't waste time in one hour blocks instead we waste (or lose) time in minutes. A minute here. A minute there!

"Oh it's just a little thing - a minute!" We think of nothing of wasting one here or there. But add them up and they soon become an hour. And by the end of the week we will have found that we have lost an entire day! Wasted minutes equal wasted hours, which in turn equal wasted days! Can we afford it? The answer is "No!".

Where does time go? Well for example, we lose time when we work on tasks that aren't important to do. Did you know that it takes the average person 30 seconds to open, quickly scan and then throw away a piece of junk mail? It does! If you were to receive 10 pieces of junk mail each day and you took the time to open each one, you will have lost 5 precious minutes of your time! So what's the solution? Throw junk mail away without opening it!

Did you know that the average person spends approximately 40 hours each year looking for lost or misplaced items in their office? According to recent studies, we do! The solution to this problem is to get in the habit of writing down everything in a place your mind will trust. We recommend that you use one of the forms that is included with your Discovery Organizer™. You can use the Communication Form for notes regarding individuals, vendors or projects. Or you can use one of the Lined Forms for general note taking. Once you use one of these forms, we recommend you file it in the A-Z tabs in your Discovery Organizer™. That way, it will be in a place that your mind will trust and you can find it immediately!

Did you know that the average person loses more than three hours each week in excessive socializing? We do! Now we aren't saying that you should immediately stop talking or interacting with your co-workers. Some socializing is necessary. However, it can be reduced to a comfortable level. One of the solutions to this time waster is to stand up every time someone stops by to "chat" with you. Stand up "meetings" take 60% less time than sit down meetings take! And when you stand up, most people get to the point much quicker.

Discovery International, Inc. is in the business of helping you to reclaim those lost minutes and hours and days. If you plan to accomplish anything significant in your life you need to realize how important each minute is and how to FOCUS your time on all aspects of your life - business and personal. To learn more techniques and skills to save time in your life, contact us and ask about our "Work Smarter Not Longer!"™ Workshop. This workshop can help you to reclaim all of those wasted minutes, hours and days!