Create Large Chunks of Time

This strategy requires a commitment from you to work at scheduled times on large tasks.nnThis strategy requires a commitment from you to work at scheduled times on large tasks. Most of the really important work you do requires large chunks of unbroken time to complete. Your ability to create and carve out these blocks of high value, highly productive time, is central to your ability to make a significant contribution to your work and to your life.nnThoughtfulness may be defined as a careful concern for the secondary consequences of each decision and each action. This is the essence of strategic thinking.nnStart Immediately on Number OnenSuccessful salespeople set aside a specific time period each day to phone prospects. Rather than procrastinating or delaying on a task that they don’t particularly like, they resolve that they will phone for one solid hour between 10 and 11 AM and they then discipline themselves to follow through on their resolutions.nnMany business executives set aside a specific time each day to call customers directly to get feedback.nnCreate Specific Amounts of TimenSome people allocate specific 30-60 minute time periods each day for exercise. Many people read in the great books 15 minutes each night before retiring. In this way, over time, they eventually read dozens of the best books ever written.nnThe key to the success of this method of working in specific time segments is for you to plan your day in advance and specifically schedule a fixed time period for a particular activity or task.nnYou make work appointments with yourself and then discipline yourself to keep them. You set aside thirty, sixty and ninety minute time segments that you use to work on and complete important tasks.nnCreate Preplanned PeriodsnMany highly productive people schedule specific activities in preplanned time slots all day long. These people build their work lives around accomplishing key tasks one at a time. As a result, they become more and more productive and eventually produce two times, three times and five times as much as the average person.nnAction ExercisesnHere are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.nnFirst, organize each day to create large chunks of time you can use for key task completion.nnSecond, make a written appointment with yourself to work on a key task at a specific time.nnTime Management For Resultsnn