1. Time Management…First Things First!
By Bruce Burke, founder One on One
When you are in the fitness business, you learn a lot about time. Specifically, how little everyone has! Intelligent time
management is critical to managing stress and excelling in all endeavors.
When it comes to time management, prioritization is the number one issue to consider and is important on multiple
levels.
On a macro level, you must first prioritize what is most important to you. Take your health and fitness for example. How
important is it? If watching an hour or two of TV, spending time online or working in the yard are prioritized ahead of
your fitness, you might have trouble finding time to exercise. Although some may question these priorities, at least you
are being real. What isn’t real is saying that your fitness is a priority, then participating in these other activities and
pretending you don’t have time to exercise. The bottom line is that, for the most part, we have time to do whatever is
most important to us.
Once you have prioritized the big things, you then must begin to prioritize your daily tasks. Start by looking at the
upcoming week. What is currently on the schedule? What do you need to put on the schedule? Consider what you must
accomplish, as well as what you would like to accomplish. Addressing important, but non urgent issues is a habit most
successful people have mastered. Then, create a daily “to do” list and put the important, time sensitive issues at the top
of the list. Don’t let time consuming, unimportant tasks monopolize your day.
Some other time management tips include:
 Think ahead: As you plan your day, always consider how one action or decision can affect another. Simple stuff
like packing your gym bag and lunch in the morning or keeping your laptop with you in case you get stuck with
some unexpected downtime. If you have a project due or an important meeting scheduled, consider what
resources you may need in advance so you are not scrambling last minute.
 Don’t over-commit: Focus on your big picture priorities and say “no” to anything that will significantly interfere
with them.
 Limit distractions: If you must accomplish something that takes some time and concentration, shut your door,
turn off your phone and forget about your email.
 Take time to do A+ work the first time around: The extra investment of time upfront can save a lot of time later
fixing things or dealing with the consequences of doing a poor job.
 Ask for help! There are many reasons we don’t ask for help…and none of them are very good! When we manage
our time well, it also benefits the people around us.
Consider taking a little time to list your big picture priorities. Then, start each day by preparing a “to do” list with the
most important, time critical issues on top. At the end of the day, inventory your performance. Did you get done what
you intended to? If not, what were the roadblocks? Did you let less important issues monopolize your time? If so, what
is your strategy to prevent that from happening in the future?
Being proactive with managing your time pays big dividends in both efficiency and peace of mind. Give it a try!