Tips for Time Management

TriVita’s Weekly Wellness Report

By Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”
– Benjamin Franklin

We speak of “time management” as if time were a commodity to be managed like lumber or DVDs. But as Mr. Franklin put it, time is the precious fabric of life. And once a moment has passed, it is gone forever. So, how can we make the most of time (and life)?

Think systematically

An overarching principle of time management was stated by Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He stressed that we need to “put first things first.” This means having a pretty clear idea of the direction of our life. For convenience’s sake, you could work from these three points:

• What is our purpose?
• What are our strengths, talents and resources?
• What do we desire or want? What are our goals?

So, working with these points, here is the systematic thinking process: Our work should be derived from our sense of purpose. Purpose, then, is a journey rather than a destination. It is the unique way we combine our natural abilities (our talents) with our education and expertise (our strengths) to meet our short term objectives and long term goals. Living a life of Purpose requires that we dedicate our resources (time, energy, health & wealth) in pursuit of a cause or mission that reflects our core identity. It is not dictated by circumstances; rather, Purpose dictates the way we approach every circumstance.  Situations change but Purpose does not!”

As for our desires, wants and goals, they should be harmonious with our values and sense of purpose. Steven Covey urges us to consider this “first thing” before our next step, which is to set goals in harmony with our sense of purpose. Goals are general statements of intent that are limited by time, distance, amount and other measurable quantities. Each goal comes with a series of progressive objectives: what needs to be done, by when and by whom? These systematic steps help us create mileposts as we engage in the enthusiasm of living a life of purpose.

Remember, happiness comes from setting and achieving worthwhile goals.

Prioritize

Mr. Covey developed a system for determining how to “put first things first” in almost any situation: the four quadrants of time management.

• Quadrant 1 – Urgent and important: crisis management
• Quadrant 2 – Not urgent, but important: time management
• Quadrant 3 – Urgent, but not important: distraction
• Quadrant 4 – Not urgent, not important: wasted time

Quadrant 2 is where the majority of our time should be spent: planning, learning, doing, relationship-building, recreation – all according to immediate objectives, long-term goals and our own, personal sense of purpose. The more time we spend in these activities, the more effective our time management will be. And this translates to a happier life!

As you can see, this is less about how we manage time and more about how we manage ourselves.

Use our strengths, talents and resources wisely

We all need to select the most purposeful use of our precious resources:

• Time: It can never be replaced. Each moment is the only one of its kind and then it is gone.
• Talents:  Fortunately, we can develop our talents with time and practice.
• Health: We can improve and maintain our health by the vigorous application of The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.
• Wealth: We can develop wealth appropriate to our spirit of service.

Nutrients can also play a role in building a life of purpose. Certainly, we cannot hope to build a life filled with public and private victories without a solid foundation in health and wellness. Our Healthy Aging nutrients provide a solid foundation for health. Sublingual B-12 can help fuel an energetic mind while Energy Now! can help fuel an energetic body. (Energy now! also personally helps me stay on task without giving in to distractions when doing my important work.)

Dedicate yourself to living a life of purpose. Set worthwhile goals as well as clear, measurable objectives. And both cherish and manage the time that you have – for time is the stuff life is made of!

Take Control of Your Health

1. Explore your most noble desires

1. Decide what you want your life to stand for.
2. Write your epitaph – how do you wish to be remembered?
3. If time and money were not factors, what would you be doing?

2. Write down your purposes. Often these fall into four categories:

1. Relationships/Love
2. Play/Recreation
3. Work
4. Worship

3. Decide the goals and objectives that you must reach along the way

1. Write them down specifically
2. Create measurements or milestones to assess your progress
3. Celebrate your successes
4. Re-assess your plans (but not your purposes) often

4. Use the 10 Essentials to create the perfect environment for success

Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.