The Good Book says, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he”. Proverbs 23:7
In case you have not recognised it there is a very direct connection between what you feed your mind (through what you see and hear) and what you say and do.
I don’t have time/space to explain the psychology or neurology of this, just take my word for it - it’s true and it’s how we are designed.
If you want to change your work habit (or indeed any habit) you need to change your “programming” and replace self-limiting beliefs with other positive, affirming beliefs. (You can do this through using affirmations – another future topic)
Awareness of what you are doing now
You may be thinking, so what? What does this have to do with using my time astutely?
Well, it is crucial because what you think about and put importance on will be the focus of your mind, and naturally you will talk about it and it will be reflected in your behaviour.
Don’t believe me …think about what you intend to do over the weekend. Attend that footy game, go out on the “Moto Guzzi” for a cruise around the country; enjoy a nice candlelit dinner with a loved one.
How does it come to reality?
You first must think about it, then talk about it (with self, mates, partner) and then take action.
You do this unconsciously.
The thing is, once a habit pattern is formed (whether good or bad), you do it unconsciously, which is why, to change, you need to take conscious steps to reprogram yourself at the unconscious level.
Relevance to your Time Management
Ask yourself better questions so you can become aware of where the issues really are.
For example:
• Do I tend to act before information is in?
• Or do I wait so long for all information that opportunities are missed?
• What information do I circulate and to whom? Why? Do they use it?
• What pace of change am I asking my business to tolerate?
• Is the pace appropriate or is it disruptive to daily business?
• How do my subordinates react to my management and/or leadership styles?
• Do I overwork? What effect does my workload have on my efficiency?
• Is there any system to my time management or am I just always fighting fires and in crisis mode?
• Do I know what time of day I am most productive?
• Should I decrease the amount of fragmentation and interruption in my work?
• Do I have an open door policy that is so open that I never get anything of substance done? Do I need to have my executive assistant screen calls/visitors better?
• Am I a slave to the immediate short term tasks and not taking enough time to consider the medium and longer term implications of my daily actions?
• Could I be more reflective? Should I be more reflective?
• Do I spend enough time feeding my brain (reading)?
• How do I manage the mix of personal, professional and business life? Do I do it well? Or does it need work?
Now that you have become a little more self aware:
• How important to you is it to make these changes? (On a scale of 1-10, 1 being not very important and 10 being super important.)
• What are the implications for you, your family, your business – if you do not make these changes?
• When will you start to make the changes required?
Reality Test:
If you answered this last question with anything other than Now, Today, Immediately or similar then you are in danger of doing nothing.
Need help?
If you are tired of working too hard for too little; tired of being the last one who gets paid in your business; or perhaps your business is doing great but you are working far too hard and want to learn how to make measurable, profitable changes that can give you back your life and rejuvenate the passion that you once had for your business - click here to drop me a line
This is the end of the current topic - a new series of articles will begin next week. | 
