Time Bandits

David M. Nelson, ACB, CLFDIC Toastmasters Club

Time Bandits Session Objectives

• Enjoy Life by Reducing Stress and Worry

• Show You a Simple Model to Plan Your Life

• Introduce Yourselves• Talk about Circus Life• Planning/Organizing• Prioritizing• Life Exercise

Confusing Introduction

• Everyone Has Something Clever To Say:– Life Is An Illusion, Time Is An Illusion– You Can’t Save Time, You Can Only Spend it..– If you Save Five Minutes Every Hour…– Life is What Happens When Your Busy…

• If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

• “Working too hard leads to burnout, illness, and frustration!”

Step One: Who Are You?

• And Where Do You Want To Be In 1, 5, or 10 Years?

• What do you do?• What is your situation?• What do you want in life?• Where are you?

Life is But a Stage…o Actually it is a Three Ring Circus!

1. Career/Work2. Relationships3. Self

Plan For All Three Rings Put The Best Acts into the Rings At the Right Time in the Right Ring Don’t Overload the Rings, Keep Balance

What Ring Are You In Right Now?

• Your Name• Why You are Involved in Toastmasters?– Part of Your Career Plans?– Relationship Goals?– Your Self Goals?– All Three?– Don’t Want to Say?– None of the Above?

Some Tips

• Keep Your Rings Separate: Be Here Now• Multitask Appropriately• Don’t Plan Major Projects Simultaneously or

too Close Together• Don’t Try to Jam too many Acts• Don’t mix the Dancing Bear, Jugglers,

Clowns, and Tigers• Need to Plan and Coordinate

Organizational Skills

• Best Acts, Right Time, All Three Rings Requires Planning and Organization

• The TO DO List - Zeigarnik Effect– Fixation on Unfinished Tasks– Florida State Study

• Thank You Microsoft– Outlook – All in One

• Franklin Planner

Prioritization

1. Important/Urgent - Emergencies, Key Projects, Angry People, Deadlines, Reports

2. Important/Not Urgent – Project Planning, Training/Education, Relationships, Self

3. Not Important/Urgent – Gossip, Interruptions, Unnecessary Communications, Others’ Priorities

4. Not Important/Not Urgent – Nadder, Whining, Mindless TV, Computer Games

Organizing / Prioritizing Exercise

1. Right Down Your Goals2. Review the stuff that has

backed up and is waiting for you.

3. Prioritize the Stuff.4. Organize a To-Do List.5. Make a list of Things You May

Want to Do Later.

In Summary

• Know Who You Are And Where You Are Going• Develop Personal and Professional Goals

Periodically• Organize Your Stuff Daily • Prioritize it Daily Use Lists, Calendars,

Reminders, and Relax• Ease You Mind By Having a To Do List and Plan• Get to Work: Yourself, Relationships, Career

References

• Juggling Elephants, Jones Loflin & Todd Musig• Manage Your Time to Reduce Stress, Rita Emmett• Getting Things Done and Making it All Work,

David Allen• Best Managed Firms: It’s about Time, Charles

Schwab• The Psychology of the to-do List, Tom Stafford BBC