Three Reasons Why Executive Time Management Is Like Losing Weight

Instead>Throughout this period of reflection and conversation, I was on my own mission to lose a few extra pounds that I'd picked up over the last ... 20 years. This was an effort I undertook in early November, so it doesn't count as a New Year's resolution, but it is exactly the type of commitment we're focusing on here - the self-improvement change that is both good for us (health-wise) and good to us (ego-wise). Moreover, it is a New Year's resolution, along with its cousin "getting in better shape," made every year by millions of people.
Moving Forward by Looking Backward - Patience
To explain this theory and to make it relevant to productivity, we'll start at the end. As of today, January 16, 2011, I've lost 11 pounds. That's productivity measured in pounds. It's taken approximately nine weeks for me to accomplish this feat. And that's the first ... er last ... point in the theory. It takes Patience to achieve lasting results. We must also understand that most results come incrementally - one step at a time - and that mandatesPatience.
We live in an immediate gratification society. We expect results right away. We want desperately to lose weight, but only if we can lose 30 pounds in 30 days! To achieve results we must first understand that immediate gratification must be checked at the door and to settle in and wait with Patience for the results.
Exercising Patience doesn't mean we shouldn't have goals. My goal is to lose a total of 15 pounds ... just four more to go. We need realistic goals married to realistic time lines to achieve success in our commitments.
When applied to executive time management, this means that we need to look for ways to do things better, give these mechanisms a chance and patiently weight to see if incremental improvement is achieved. It's not realistic to expect to clear your desk of every project by month's end, but it may be realistic to clear the right side of your desk as of that date. Focus on that goal and diligently work through the things that need to happen to achieve it. There will be bad days when more is placed on that side of the desk and there will be good days when much will leave it. Patience will provide you a boost of commitment when the piles are growing higher and the feeling of accomplishment will prolong the effort when a good day arrives.
Garbage In Equals Garbage Out - Integrity
The primary reason my commitment to lost weight has been so successful this time around (Yes, there have been other attempts.) is that I've been brutally honest with the food I've been eating. I've displayed a remarkable Integrity in the caloric data I've ingested. This has been helped along greatly by my iPhone app MyFitnessPal, which allows me to quickly and easily record all my consumption and exercise behaviors and map them against my daily goal. Yep, there's an app for that!

By: Paul H. Burton

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Paul works with clients who believe individual performance drives organizational success. As the creator of the QuietSpacing productivity method, he is a frequent speaker and recognized expert on getting things done. Paul works with individuals, groups and organizations to create more productive working environments. You can learn more about Paul's work and subscribe to his complimentary newsletter - Six Minutes to Success - at www.quietspacing.com.