The Now Habit at Work: Perform Optimally, Maintain Focus, and Ignite Motivation in Yourself and Other

Chapter 2. Time and Life Management

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

——Confucius

You no doubt have many accomplishments to your name and resumé, and yet, like many businesspeople, you may not be achieving your true potential because of poor time management skills. This serious drawback in your skill set could lead to workaholism and procrastination on some projects, feeling anxious and guilty, delivering assignments at the last minute, or just not doing your best. Regardless of your strengths, achievements, and skills, if you're busy, multitasking, and overwhelmed, you could benefit from new ways of thinking about time, work, and deadlines.

Set Time Limits to Be Efficient

For businesspeople over the age of 30, the college student's concept of managing time by pulling an all-nighter to complete a project at the last minute is not a strategy for optimal performance. Not only do you need sleep, you also need several nights to engage your dreaming mind in coming up with creative solutions. As an adult, your concepts of time, time limits, and deadlines need to be updated to include coping strategies that are more sophisticated and effective than those of a teenager.

Instead of employing the usual coping strategy of just working harder and longer, and working best under pressure, you can become an effective manager of your time and life when you learn to:

• Start projects immediately

• Manage your to do lists

• Create alternatives to to do lists

• Use deadlines to create three- ...