Your Time Is Your Most Valuable Asset…Quit Wasting It

I walked out of a doctor’s office today. I had arrived 15 minutes early as I was instructed, so I could update paperwork. Upon checking in, I was told that I didn’t need to update after all. I continued to wait for 45 minutes and then told the receptionist that I needed to leave and cancel my appointment. She asked if I wanted to reschedule. I declined. (BTW, I was the first patient to sign in for the day in their office.)

I wasn’t mad. But I was disappointed. I wanted to see the specialist. But I value MY time…apparently, more than the doctor does.

I’ve made a conscious decision to value my time. That means that I don’t spend it on things that don’t matter to me and I don’t tolerate others who choose, by their actions, to waste mine. I’m a firm believer that our time is our most valuable asset. And consequently, we need to make wise choices each and every day on how we spend it.

In the time management and productivity workshops that I offer clients, I share ideas and strategies to declutter their days and eliminate the time robbers that suck away their productivity. Let’s face it, we all have activities that waste our time or take us off-course. The sooner we recognize these time robbers for what they are; the sooner we can abandon our stressful, BUSY lives and start living more productively and in our purpose.

Throughout your day, the best question to ask yourself is, “What is the most important thing for me to work on right now?” Then give that matter your priority. When you finish working on your most important thing, you can re-ask the same question. It sounds incredibly simple. And it is.

But how often do you let other people or other things distract you from your focus? Equally important, how often do you distract yourself? When I get my clients to fill out a Time Use Matrix (a detailed accounting of how every minute of their work-day is spent), they are often shocked with the results. Sure, they have a general idea of how they spend their day, but I’ve discovered that their perceptions and their realities are usually at odds.

Do you know how much time you waste? Do you know how much time you spend on your high priority activities? Knowing the answers to these questions is an important first step in building awareness and making different and better choices. It’s the start of your journey from going from stressed and busy to fulfilled and productive. But before you can even go there, you need to make a conscious decision to value your time and see it as your most precious resource.