The Answer To Your Most Pressing Management Question

“To achieve life balance, be mindful of what you are giving up in pursuit of what you want.”

- Jim Rohn

When I was writing my ebook, I took a poll of to determine your most pressing time management concern. Based on the overwhelming feedback, it is clear that creating a life that is balanced between family and career is the top concern. If life balance has ever been a challenge for you, then you will be able to relate to the following poem by David L. Weatherford.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night? 

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last. 

Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply? 

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head? 

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last. 

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow? 

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
’cause you never had time to call and say hi? 

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last. 

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there. 

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away. 

Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.

Next week, I will share with you some specific strategies that will help you on your quest for life balance. 

Sincerely,
Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. In my ebook One moment in Time, I share specific steps that you can take to have more balance in your life. 

Which Game Are You Playing?

When I Turned 40, I had the following conversation with my friend Mike: “ Mike, I can’t believe I am 40. I am getting old! Eric, no worries, you are in the prime of your life. After all, 40 is the new 30!” I was feeling pretty good about my situation until I cam across an interesting statistic. 

According to a recent study from The Washington Post, the average life expectancy in the United States is 74 years. After doing a little math, I discovered something disturbing. Divide 74 by two and middle age is 37. 

Half of your time has passed before even reaching age 40. As you can see, we don’t have as much time as we think. What can you do to make the most of your most valuable resource? 

Be Proactive
On the game board of life, you are either playing chess or your playing checkers. The game of chess is designed for the proactive. The successful chess player is thinking two to three moves ahead compared to the checkers player that is only focused on the move that is in front of him. 

Which game are you playing? Here is a story from my past to help you decide. I was scheduled to give a speech for Toastmasters International. I knew about this a month in advance. My presentation was on Tuesday. When did I start preparing? On Monday at midnight! 

I was playing checkers. Waiting until the last minute is stressful. If you are always stressed out, you won’t have the motivation to pursue your dream. What can you do to avoid playing checkers? 

Recognize Your Power Time
You have a genetic clock that gives you high energy levels at certain times of the day and lower energy at other times. This “clock” is known as your circadian rhythm. The key to being proactive is to schedule your highest priority activities during your highest energy times. 

For example, I have the highest energy level early in the morning. I made the mistake of preparing my toastmasters speech late in the evening when I had low energy levels. This lack of energy was a big reason for my procrastination. 

If you are not sure of your power time, you can search for “circadian rhythm” on the Internet and access several online tests that will help you to find out. If you recognize your power time, you will be motivated to be proactive. On life’s game board, more chess equals less stress! 

Sincerely,
Eric M Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. To learn my 5-step plan to become more proactive, download my ebook.

One Moment In Time

“Give Me One moment in time, when I am more than I thought I could be, and all of my dreams are a heartbeat away and the answers are all up to me.”

Those are the words of one of my favorite songs by the late Whitney Houston. They remind of the following conversation between my friend Donell and I back from my college days:

“Donell, what do you plan to do when you graduate?" 

"Eric, my dream is to be an officer in the Marine Corp and to marry my girlfriend. What about you?" 

"I don’t know. I do know this; I am going to the frat party on Friday night." 

"Eric, you really need to get serious." 

"You're right but the good news is that we are still young and we both have plenty of time to figure it out."

Several weeks later I received a call from Donnel’s mother telling me that he had been killed in a car accident. In the midst of my tears and sorrow, I heard a voice that said, "Eric you don’t have as much time as you think.” 

Time is our most valuable resource. Think about it, you can lose all of your money and recover it tenfold, but once you lose time you never get it back. Today, you will learn a tip that will help you to maximize your time, minimize your stress, and be prepared for your defining moment. 

Be Positioned 
When I refer to being positioned, I mean to be positioned in your passion. A recent Gallup survey concluded that 70% of Americans hate their jobs. In other words, most people spend most of their time, to doing something they hate to do. For many years I was a part of that 70% number. On the outside, I was a young, BMW driving executive of a fortune 500 company. On the inside, I dreaded going into work every day. I was so unhappy; I was ready to quit my job without having a backup plan. Everything came to head one day as I was talking to my father about my situation.

“Dad, I am about to quit my job to find something else. I am coming over to work on my resignation letter." 

"Eric, what is your next move?" 

"I don’t know, but maybe quitting will give me the time to find out." 

"Son, moving back home with your Mom and I is not an option for you so before you quit, ask your self the following questions: 1. What are you passionate about? 2. What does success mean to you? 3. If you could make a difference for anyone or any cause, what would that difference be?"

After talking with my Dad, I decided not to quit. Several weeks later, my company offered me a corporate training position which introduced me to my passion of public speaking. This experience taught me that when you get clear on your vision, you will find your passion. 

Once you have indentified your passion, you have taken one step towards being ready for your defining moment. Next week I will share the next step so stay tuned! 

Sincerely,
Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. If you would like additional information on how to position yourself in your passion, read my latest ebook. 

Time Is the Only Thing You Can't Afford To Waste

This isn't a doom and gloom message. Doom and gloom messages have a moral tale to tell.

I don't. I just want to make you aware of a serious problem. It doesn't seem like a problem for you at the moment, but it truly is.

Here's the problem. Time is the one thing we can't get back once it's lost.

Your choices are increasingly limited and in other ways your choices are just increasing. Your decisions today could cost you time tomorrow.

You read Twiggs Time because you're interested in getting great information about managing your time. I hope I haven't disappointed you.

I strive to lead the industry in being on top of the trends, keeping an eye on the market shifts, and educating new business owners, seasoned executives and key members of their teams to ensure their success.

In keeping in line with my goals, I have recently published the definitive digital publication to help you make the most of your time.

I compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions from my clients and prospects. The questions from business owners, employees and corporate executives are consistently the same.

I decided to create a guide to answer these questions and more. This guide was designed to:

• Introduce you to the power of the list
• Show you how to plan and design a time management scheme
• Educate you on how to truly achieve success by prioritizing 
• Teach you the principles of effective preparation

Not knowing the lessons in this book could cost you the one thing that you can't afford to lose... time.

Download it to your tablet, or even your phone, and refer back to it as often as you need to, to begin building more effective time saving habits.

Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

The Biggest Time Management Mistake You Can Make

Most time management problems are really motivation problems in disguise. Procrastination, lack of balance and a failure to delegate are merely symptoms of a bigger issue.  From my experience, the biggest time management mistake that you can make is not being clear on what you value. 

This lack of clarity will cause you to procrastinate, and spend time with the wrong people doing the wrong things.  So, how do you become clear on what you value so that you have more time and experience less stress? 

Your 90th Birthday
Close your eyes and imagine that you have traveled forward in time to a 90th birthday celebration banquet being held in your honor.  Who is in the room and what are they saying about you?  You are asked to speak and you make the following statement:  “I have lived a great life because I achieved my dream to ….” Whatever comes after the word “to” represents what you value. The people that you imagine as being in the room and the words they use to describe your life are also a part of your value system. 

Your Personal Mission Statement
The next step is to create a written personal mission statement. Your personal mission statement is a statement that summarizes the core values and beliefs that you discovered in the 90th birthday visualization exercise. It can be as brief as three words or as long as three paragraphs. 

Taking the time to do this will imprint your purpose and values firmly in your mind and serve as the guide for future decisions. For example, my personal mission statement is as follows: “To serve God, provide for my family, and to inspire current and future generations through my writing and speaking.” My daily actions and priorities are a reflection of this mission statement. 

If you feel that you lack balance in your life, there are two possible root causes:

1. You have not clearly defined your personal mission.

2. You have made choices that don’t line up with your personal mission.

Completing the 90th birthday exercise and writing out your personal mission statement will give you a clear picture of what you value and keep you from making the most common time management mistakes.   If you found this to be helpful, please share this message via your social networks! 

Sincerely,
Eric M Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. I have written an ebook that will help you to maximize your time so that you are ready for your defining moment. Get your copy now.