“It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste time.” –Henry Ford

One of the best things I did 20 years ago was invest in a time management system by Frankin Quest. As a naturally unorganized person who is easily distracted and interested in a lot of things, I realized I needed something to keep me focused, on time, and as organized as possible.

As mentioned in my PowerUp Principles eBook, I HIGHLY recommend that everyone find a system that works for them and give it a try. There are lots of different systems out there and they all have their own approach to time management, but the best ones align you with your short and long-term goals rather than simply being a way to manage time and track tasks.

I’m currently using Simpleology, which I absolutely love and recommend, but it is web-based and you may prefer to have something analog that you can carry around with you (Franklin is good for that). Simpleology doesn’t have a built-in calendar so I actually schedule my activities in Outlook. What Simpleology does is really help me with how I choose to spend my time and what I focus on, which is the most important element of time management.

A Harvard Business Review article (Bruch & Ghoshal 2/02) reports that 90% of managers squander their time in all sorts of ineffective activities. Can you imagine if you could dramatically reduce your time-wasting activities and get more done in less time? Well, if you’re not using a system, maybe it’s time to go and try one…