Basics of Time Management

Rule 1:  Apply the 80/20 test

Versions of this rule have been applied in many decision contexts. At its core, it is simply a reminder that some things are more important than others. Specifically, the “20” are the tasks, projects, and relationships that are of the highest value. Tending to these issues effectively will significantly advance you, your team, and your organization. They are of the highest strategic importance and are your top priority.

The other tasks, projects, and relationships (the “80”) are not unimportant, but they are less important. People spend far too much time everyday on the “80” instead of the “20”. The items in the “80” category are great targets for delegating, automating, or outsourcing. Your goal is to never spend more than 50% of your time on the “80” items.

Rule 2:  Identify your Einstein Window

While your IQ is fixed, your problem-solving ability is not. Problem solving is often a function of preparedness. One key aspect of preparedness is knowing when to work on what. Many times people will use “80” items as a means of procrastination instead of working on the more challenging “20” items.

You are smarter than that. Think about the time of day when your mental ability peaks. I call it the Einstein Window. For most people it is ...

a two to four hour window each day where problems feel like fun challenges.

What should you work on during your Einstein Window? You guessed it – a big chunk of your “20” items. In short, you will train yourself to work on the most important items when your brain is experiencing its peak window. During this time, vigorously resist working on any “80” items!

Rule 3:  Protect your Einstein Window!

Not everyone appreciates the importance of your Einstein window as much as you do. Make them. Here is the first thing to remember:  “No” is not a dirty word. Learn to use the word “no” effectively so you will not allow an excessive number of interruptions. If someone needs help and it is not an emergency, see him or her later – but not now.

Here are several additional ideas vital to protecting your Einstein time: shut the office door, take the phone off the hook, turn off the smartphone, and shut down the email program. Stop allowing anything that beeps or chirps to distract you!

Even if you’re only brave enough to attempt these approaches for 30 minutes, give it a try. When you stop multitasking so much and subjecting yourself to an avalanche of voluntary interruptions you might be surprised how much you actually feel like Einstein.

Really want to take a risk? Grab some very important work and your laptop and leave the office! Don’t ask permission. Just go. Find a park or an empty church – some place quiet (unlike the office). Your peak mental time is precious so you must learn to protect it.

Time Management Tips

Time management is the process of planning and organizing how to allocate time effectively and efficiently. Here are some tips to help you manage your time more effectively:

1. Set clear goals: Identify what you want to achieve and set specific, measurable, and achievable goals for yourself.

2. Prioritize your tasks: Make a list of your tasks and prioritize them according to their level of importance and urgency.

3. Use a calendar or planner: Keep track of your tasks and schedule using a calendar or planner. This will help you stay organized and on top of your deadlines.

4. Eliminate distractions: Minimize interruptions and distractions by turning off your phone, closing unnecessary tabs on your computer, and avoiding multitasking.

5. Use the Pomodoro Technique: Break your work into short, focused intervals (25 minutes) separated by short breaks.

6. Learn to say no: Learn to say no to unimportant or unnecessary tasks and activities to free up more time for the things that are important to you.

7. Take regular breaks: Taking regular breaks throughout the day can help to refresh your mind and increase productivity.

8. Delegate tasks: If possible, delegate tasks to others to free up more time for yourself.

9. Review and Reflect: Set aside time at the end of each day or week to review your progress and reflect on what you've accomplished.

10. Be flexible: Be open to changes and adapt your schedule as needed. Remember that unexpected events and changes happen and it's important to be able to adjust accordingly.

You Can Win by Shiv Khera

Chapter 1 – Importance of building a positive attitude

• change focus, look for the positive
• make a habit of doing it now
• develop an attitude of gratitude
• build a positive self esteem
• stay away from negative influence
• learn to like the things that needs to be done
• start your day with a positive

Optimist

1. Be so strong that nothing can distueb your peace of mind
2. Talk health, happiness and prosperity to everyone you meet
3. Make all your friends feel there is something in them
4. Look at the sunny side of everything
5. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best
6. Be as enthysiastic about the success of others as you are about your own
7. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
8. Give everyone a smile
9. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others
10. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.

The 5 Cs

• character
• commitment
• conviction
• courtesy
• courage

Chapter 2 – Success ; Winning strategies

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal

Qualities that makes a person successful

1. Desire
2. Commitment
3. Responsibility
4. Hard work
5. Character
6. Positive Believing
7. Give more than you get
8. The power of persistence
9. pride of performance
10. Be willing to be a Student – Get a mentor

Reasons for failure – Why we don’t achieve excellence

1. Unwillingness to take risks
2. Lack of persistence
3. Instant gratification
4. Lack of priorities
5. Looking for shortcuts
6. Selfishness and greed
7. Lack of conviction
8. Lack of understanding of nature’s law
9. Unwillingness to Plan and Prepare
10. Rationalizing
11. Not learning from past mistakes
12. Inability to recognize opportunity
13. Fear
14. Inablility to Use Talent
15. Lack of Discipline
16. Poor self esteem
17. Lack of knowledge
18. Fatalistic attitude
19. Lack of purpose
20. Lack of courage

Crash course for success

• Play to win and not to lose
• Learn from other people’s mistakes
• Associate with people of high moral character
• Give more than you get
• Don’t look for something for nothing
• Always think long term
• Evaluate your strengths and build on them.
• Always keep the larger picture in mind when making a decision
• Never compromise your integrity

Chapter 3 : Motivation ; Motivating yourself and others everyday

1. Develop a sense of pride through training
2. Reward performance
3. Set well-defined, clear goals.
4. Set high expectations
5. Set clear, measurable benchmarks
6. Evaluate the needs of others
7. Make others part of your big picture. Set a good example by being a positive role model. Build the self-esteem of others.

Chapter 4 : Self-Esteem – Building a positive self-esteem and image

1. Read life stories of people who have turned negatives into positives. Make reading good books or listening to inspirational audio tapes part of your daily routine.
2. Regularly and systematically commit a portion of your time and/or money to charitable activity without any expectations in cash or kind.
3. Stay away from negative influence. Don’t give into peer pressure
4. Practice giving and receiving sincere compliments graciously.
5. Start accepting responsibility for your behaviour and actions
6. Practise self-discipline even when it is not comfortable.
7. Associate with people of high moral character
8. Be creative and find ways to turn your weaknesses into strengths
9. Practice patience; persevere if the results are not visible.

Chapter 5: Interpersonal Skills; Building a pleasant personality

Steps to building a positive personality

1. Accept responsibility
2. Consideration
3. Think win-win
4. Choose your words carefully
5. Don’t criticize and complain
6. Smile and be kind
7. Put positive interpretation on other people’s behavior
8. Be a good listener
9. Be enthusiastic
10. Give honest and sincere appreciation
11. When we make a mistake, we should accept it immediately and willingly
12. When the other person realizes and admits that he has made a mistake, congratulate him and give him a way out to save face
13. Discuss but don’t argue
14. Don’t gossip
15. Turn your promises into commitments
16. Be grateful but do not expect gratitude
17. Be dependable and practise loyalty
18. Avoid bearing grudges. Forgive and forget
19. Practice honesty, integrity and sincerity
20. Practice Humility
21. Be understanding and caring
22. Practice Courtesy on a daily basis
23. Develop a sense of humor
24. Don’t be sarcastic and put others down
25. To have a friend, be a friend
26. Show empathy

Chapter 6 :  Subconscious Mind And Habit; Building a pleasant personality

21 days of conscious effort to change for the better

Chapter 7: Goal Setting; Setting and Achieving your goals

1. Make definite goals
2. Write them down
3. Read your goals twice a day, morning and night
4. Make goals slightly out of reach but not out of sight
5. Check your progress periodically

Chapter 8 : Values and Vision; Doing the right thing for the right reason

7 deadly sins

1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. knowledge without character
4. commerce without morality
5. science without humanity
6. religion without sacrifice
7. politics without principle

What money will not buy

1. Amusement but not happiness
2. A bed but not sleep
3. Books but not wisdom
4. A clock but not time
5. Companions but not friends
6. Finery but not beauty
7. Food but not appetite
8. House but not home
9. Medicine but not health
10. Ring but not marriage

Commitment implies

1. Dependability
2. Reliability
3. Predictability
4. Consistency
5. Caring
6. Empathy
7. A sense of duty
8. Sincerity
9. Character
10. Integrity
11. Loyalty

21 Ways Rich People Think Differently

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-rich-people-think-differently-from-the-poor-2012-8?op=1

Seven Secrets of Self-Made Multimillionaires

First, understand that you no longer want to be just a millionaire. You want to become a multimillionaire.

While you may think a million dollars will give you financial security, it will not. Given the volatility in economies, governments and financial markets around the world, it's no longer safe to assume a million dollars will provide you and your family with true security. In fact, a Fidelity Investments' study of millionaires last year found that 42 percent of them don't feel wealthy and they would need $7.5 million of investable assets to start feeling rich.

This isn't a how-to on the accumulation of wealth from a lifetime of saving and pinching pennies. This is about generating multimillion-dollar wealth and enjoying it during the creation process. To get started, consider these seven secrets of multimillionaires.

No. 1: Decide to Be a Multimillionaire -- You first have to decide you want to be a self-made millionaire. I went from nothing—no money, just ideas and a lot of hard work—to create a net worth that probably cannot be destroyed in my lifetime. The first step was making a decision and setting a target. Every day for years, I wrote down this statement: "I am worth over $100,000,000!"

Related: Seven Rules for Coping with Sales Rejection

No. 2: Get Rid of Poverty Thinking - There's no shortage of money on planet Earth, only a shortage of people who think correctly about it. To become a millionaire from scratch, you must end the poverty thinking. I know because I had to. I was raised by a single mother who did everything possible to put three boys through school and make ends meets. Many of the lessons she taught me encouraged a sense of scarcity and fear: "Eat all your food; there are people starving," "Don't waste anything," "Money doesn't grow on trees." Real wealth and abundance aren't created from such thinking. 

No. 3: Treat it Like a Duty - Self-made multimillionaires are motivated not just by money, but by a need for the marketplace to validate their contributions. While I have always wanted wealth, I was driven more by my need to contribute consistent with my potential. Multimillionaires don't lower their targets when things get tough. Rather, they raise expectations for themselves because they see the difference they can make with their families, company, community and charities. 

Related Video: Grant Cardone on Closing the Sale

No. 4: Surround Yourself with Multimillionaires - I have been studying wealthy people since I was 10 years old. I read their stories and see what they went through. These are my mentors and teachers who inspire me. You can't learn how to make money from someone who doesn't have much. Who says, "Money won't make you happy"? People without money. Who says, "All rich people are greedy"? People who aren't rich. Wealthy people don't talk like that. You need to know what people are doing to create wealth and follow their example: What do they read? How do they invest? What drives them? How do they stay motivated and excited? 

No. 5: Work Like a Millionaire - Rich people treat time differently. They buy it, while poor people sell it. The wealthy know time is more valuable than money itself, so they hire people for things they're not good at or aren't a productive use of their time, such as household chores. But don't kid yourself that those who hit it big don't work hard. Financially successful people are consumed by their hunt for success and work to the point that they feel they are winning and not just working. 

Related: How to Conquer Your Sales Fears

No. 6: Shift Focus from Spending to Investing - The rich don't spend money; they invest. They know the U.S. tax laws favor investing over spending. You buy a house and can't write it off. The rich, in contrast, buy an apartment building that produces cash flow, appreciates and offers write-offs year after year. You buy cars for comfort and style. The rich buy cars for their company that are deductible because they are used to produce revenue.

No. 7: Create Multiple Flows of Income - The really rich never depend on one flow of income but instead create a number of revenue streams. My first business had been generating a seven-figure income for years when I started investing cash in multifamily real estate. Once my real estate and my consulting business were churning, I went into a third business developing software to help retailers improve the customer experience.
Lastly, you may be surprised to learn that wealthy people wish you were wealthy, too. It's a mystery to them why others don't get rich. They know they aren't special and that wealth is available to anyone who wants to focus and persist. Rich people want others to be rich for two reasons: first, so you can buy their products and services, and second, because they want to hang out with other rich people. Get rich -- it's American.

Related: Inside the Mind of Your Buyers

Ref: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222718

5 Reasons Why Most Don’t Become Wealthy

“Why is it that people don’t become wealthy?”  In a country like ours, with the opportunities that we have, why is it that so few people retire financially independent?  And I eventually found the answers. Here are what I consider to be the five reasons why people don’t become wealthy.

Who Me?

First, at the top of the list, is that it never occurs to them.  The average person has grown up in a family where he has never met or known anyone who was wealthy.  He goes to school and socializes with people who are not wealthy.  He works with people who are not wealthy.  He has a reference group or a social circle outside of work who are not wealthy. He has no role models who are wealthy. If this has happened to you throughout your formative years, up to the age of twenty, you can grow up and become a fully mature adult in our society, and it may never occur to you that it’s just as possible for you to become wealthy as for anyone else.

This is why people who grow up in homes where their parents are wealthy are much more likely to become wealthy as adults then people who grew up in homes where their parents are not.  So the first reason why people don’t become wealthy is it never occurs to them that it is possible for them.  And of course, if it never occurs to them, then they never take any of the steps necessary to make it a reality.

Make a Decision!

The second reason that people don’t become wealthy is that they never decide to.  Even if a person reads a book, attends a lecture, or associates with people who are financially successful, nothing changes until he makes a decision to do something different. Even if it occurs to a person that he could become wealthy if he just did certain things in a specific way, if he doesn’t decide to take the first step, he ends up staying as he is. If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got.

The primary reason for underachievement and failure is that the great majority of people don’t decide to be successful. They never make a firm, unequivocal commitment or definite decision that they are going to become wealthy. They mean to, and they intend to, and they hope to and they’re going to, someday. They  wish and hope and pray that they will make a lot of money, but they never decide, “I am going to do it!” This decision is an essential first step to becoming financially independent.

Maybe Tomorrow

The third reason that people don’t become wealthy is procrastination.  People always have a good reason not to begin doing what they know they need to do to achieve financial independence.  It is always the wrong month, the wrong season, or the wrong year.  Business conditions in their industry are no good, or they may be too good. The market isn’t right. They may have to take a risk, or give up their security. Maybe next year.

There always seems to be a reason to procrastinate. As a result, they keep putting it off, month by month, year by year, until it’s too late.  Even if it has occurred to a person that they can become wealthy, and they have made a decision to change, procrastination will push all their plans into the indefinite future.

Pay the Price

The fourth reason that people retire poor is what economists call the inability to delay gratification.  The great majority of people have an irresistible temptation to spend every single penny they make and whatever else they can borrow or buy on credit.  If you cannot delay gratification, and discipline yourself to refrain from spending everything you make, you cannot become wealthy. If you cannot practice budgeting as a lifelong habit, it will be impossible for you to achieve financial independence. As W.Clement Stone said, “If you cannot save money, the seeds of greatness are not in you.”

Take the Long View

The fifth reason that people retire poor is perhaps as important, if not more important, than all the others. It is lack of time perspective.  In a longitudinal study conducted by Dr Edward Banfield at Harvard University in the 1950s and published in 1964 as The Unheavenly City, he studied the reasons for upward socio-economic mobility.  He wanted to know how you could predict whether an individual or a family was going to move upward one or more socio-economic groupings and be wealthier in the next generation than they were this generation.

All his research brought him to a single factor that he concluded was more accurate than any other in predicting success in America. They called it time perspective.  This was defined as the amount of time that you take into consideration when planning your day-to-day activities and when making important decisions in your life.  Time perspective referred to how far you projected into the future when you decided what you were going to do or not do in the present.

An example of long time perspective is the common habit of upper class families in England to register their children at Oxford or Cambridge as soon as the child is born, even though he or she will not be attending for eighteen or nineteen years. This is long time perspective in action.  The young couple that begins putting $50 dollars a month aside in a scholarship fund so that their newborn child can go to the college or university of his or her choice is a couple with long time perspective. They are willing to sacrifice in the short term to assure better results and outcomes in the long term. People with long time perspective almost invariably move up economically in the course of their lifetimes.

How To Become Rich – What’s Different Between Rich People and the Poor People?

Nearly everyone wants to learnhow to become rich, but not many are.Why do so few people have real wealth, even though everyone desires it?Certainly, there must be some fundamental differences between the rich and the poor that can account for the differing levels of success.

Rich people often seem capable of generating amazing things in their lives. And many with less money seem to be stuck and the hunt for the secrets ofhow to become rich. You wouldn’t be alone if you concluded that this is due to some difference in abilities or work ethic. But if you look closely at the rich people you know, you’ll likely find that most aren’t particularly lucky, intelligent, or hardworking.

Let’s uncover some insights on how to become rich by examining some of the actual fundamental differences between rich people and poor poor:

How To Become Rich Insight #1. Rich people attempt to create a specific life for themselves; poor people believe they have no control.If you don’t believe you can create the life you desire, why would you even try? But if you can envision what you want, you stand a chance to get it.

How To Become Rich Insight #2. Wealthy people dream much bigger.Tell your poor friends that you want to be a millionaire and see what they say. You’re likely to hear something like this, “No one needs that much money. You can live fine with a lot less than a million dollars.”

• Do you think that a person who says things like this is ever likely to be wealthy? People who are poor always tend to think small. People who are rich dream big.

How To Become Rich Insight #3. The rich play to win, and the poor play not to lose. This is significant. The rich are quite bold and are always searching for a way to win when money is involved. The poor are too busy worrying about preserving what little they have. They never give themselves the chance to become wealthy.

How To Become Rich Insight #4. Opportunities vs. obstacles.Those who are wealthy tend to focus on the opportunities and then simply deal with the obstacles as they arise along the way. The poor have a habit of focusing on all the obstacles.

• Focusing on problems makes it very difficult to find solutions.A problem-oriented mindset also can cause challenges in staying motivated. By keeping your eye on the prize and staying focused on solutions, you’ll find continually moving forward to be much easier.

How To Become Rich Insight #5. Commitment counts.The rich do an excellent job at staying committed to achieving their goals. The poor are good at dedicating themselves to dreaming about their hopes instead of making goals out of them.

• Although you may have fun thinking about how great it would be to be rich, that’s not going to make your desires happen.Set a goal and then fully commit to it.

How To Become Rich Insight #6. Peer group matters. We all tend to rise or fall to the level of our peer group. Have you ever noticed that the rich hang out with other rich people? Spend time with wealthy people if you want to succeed financially. You’ll be amazed at how your perspective changes when you hear people talking about how they made $2,000+ in a single day.

How To Become Rich Insight #7. The rich constantly learn.You’ll find that wealthy people are usually learning new things, especially when in regard to making more money. The poor frequently have an attitude that they already know everything they need to know. Don’t stop learning. 

Developing the habits and attitudes presented in this article will go a long way towards improving your financial situation.It’s never too late to start,and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can turn things around. Start today and you can change your financial life forever!

Whether you learn how to become rich or not, be happy in your life.