You’ll never go wrong if you simply follow my four rules on the importance of time management. Let me expand on that since it’s so critical to success.
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Time wasted cannot be regained. It’s a cancelled check—worth nothing. I guard my time like it is gold. In fact, to me, it’s worth even more than gold, because you can’t buy a sack of time with a sack of gold. That’s why I don’t like distractions in my life. I know they happen. But I don’t like them. The time of my life is divided into four areas, and I don’t let anything get in the way when I’m doing any one of the four.
1. When I work, I work. Nothing interferes with my workday. That’s where I make my living. I want to be focused and left alone.
2. When I sleep, I sleep. I like to sleep as much as a bear. I don’t want someone interrupting my sleep at three o’clock in the morning because they have a problem. Unless it’s an emergency, that’s my time.
3. When I eat, I eat. I don’t like being bothered when I’m eating. I don’t want to concentrate on anything else. Talk to me later, not when I’m eating.
4. When I play, I play. I don’t want someone trying to get a hold of me when I’m on vacation. That time is for me and my family. Don’t call me. I’m not listening.
Those are my four policies about how I regulate my time. If you follow this approach, you’ll be amazed at how much time you’ll have for everything in your life. And that’s important to understand because life is not about one thing. Your life is about more than just your job. To live a balanced life, you must pay attention to everything that’s important to you.
That’s how I do it. My approach is neat, orderly, and it works. I know exactly what I expect of myself and when–and so does everyone else. Here’s the kicker though: when it’s time to work, I go into action mode. I get off my butt and get moving. You won’t make any footprints in the sands of time while sitting down.