Where do you want to invest your time to make the greatest contribution? There are so many good opportunities that present themselves to us every day. When we try to do them all we are stretched too thin so that we don’t do anything well.

• Set your priorities. A good tool for deciding which tasks are a priority is the Covey Time Management Matrix. CLICK HERE to view the matrix.
  • Quadrant 1 – Important and Urgent – Do – The tasks in this quadrant are priorities. They are worth doing and doing well.
  • Quadrant 2 – Not Urgent but Important – Plan – These items need to be done, but don’t require your immediate attention. Schedule a time to get them done when the priority items are out of the way.
  • Quadrant 3 – Urgent but not Important – Delegate – Just because these need to be done in a timely manner doesn’t mean they have to be done by you. Let someone else do them. I am always surprised at when I delegate to someone else, they do an even better job than I could have.
  • Quadrant 4 – Not Urgent and not Important – Eliminate – These items aren’t worth your time so don’t even give them a second though. Look at the time you just freed up by saying NO.
• Maintain control of your time. When new tasks come at you, place them in one of the quadrants to help you decide how best to tackle them.
• Avoid Perfection. Remember perfection is never our goal. If we are striving for perfection, it will paralyze us so that we don’t accomplish anything. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

Gaining control of your time allows you to invest in what matters most to you. Make every minute you have count so that when you look back on your life, you feel you spent it well.