Tick Tock ... Tick Tock ...

by Lanett Bennett

"Time is on my side" ... we have all heard the song; but is time really on your side? In today's busy world time is rarely on our side and it's moving too quickly for us to catch up. It is vital to your career success to get a handle on time and make it your friend instead of your enemy. Here are four things that can help change the way you think about your day:

Be Early

I'm not talking just for interviews, I mean every day and every where. You would not believe the opportunities you miss and the impression you create when you are "fashionably" late. Being late went out of style long ago; it communicates to an employer, associate, or friend that they are not your priority. You set back their day and waste their time by being inconsiderate. There are emergencies that occur but when these are the exceptions, they are more readily forgiven. Attendance is one of the top reasons people are released from a position. Being good at what you do doesn't help your office if they can't rely on you to be there.

That is the negative side of being late but here are the positives of being early. My personal favorite is the quiet before the phone rings to get myself settled. During this time I can drink a cup of fresh coffee, check my emails, read the business section of the paper to get a handle on what clients I will call and be prepared for the first emergency of the day. When you rush in the door at the last minute you can barely shrug out of your coat before you are answering the phone to react to the first angry customer. That interaction sets the tone for your whole day; it is a great stress reliever to be prepared.

Be Prepared

Nothing can set you back more with time than not having things together before hand. The time to get ready for a big presentation is not the night before; it can lead to spelling errors and nervousness because you are unsure of the quality of your work. Everything that you can prepare for in advance...take care of it! There are too many situations in which you will have to react...be proactive for all the rest!

Be Focused

It's a great stress reliever to show up early, mentally prepare and by ready before that phone starts ringing.

Our industry is very busy and requires constant multi-tasking but it is still necessary to stay focused. You waste more time by half finishing tasks and jumping from fire to fire. While there are the occasions when your attention needs to shift, most of the time you can discipline yourself to finish what you start. I call this "Event-Centered" time management. Try not to think of time in minutes and hours, instead focus on accomplishments no matter how small. This will also improve the quality of your work and decrease the time it takes to complete the task.

Be Centered

Focus and Center are not the same, being centered is referring to knowing where your priorities lie. The best time management tool is the question "What needs to be done first?" if you are asking this question, you've already started to mentally organize your day. This is not just a career exercise, it's a life discipline. If your family is your center then make it a priority to accomplish tasks so you can leave at the end of your work day on time. Make late nights and taking work home an occasional occurance and not the routine. According to a study in October's Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (Vol. 10, No. 3), people who take work home (either physically or mentally) are often more tired and grumpy during their time off the clock. In fact the heavier the workload the more mental recovery time is needed to prepare you for the next day. Whatever your center is...prioritize so that you will be personally satisfied and positive.

Your career, while important, is not your life, just your livelihood. You need to be fulfilled on a personal level to be successful in whatever career you pursue. If you've ever heard the term "Race against the clock"...then you know time has been around longer than we have and it normally wins. You have the power to change your situations by changing your mindset to believe that you can handle anything...by treating time as your ally and not your opponent.

Lanett Bennett was a Staffing Manager with Headway Corporate Resources in Virginia Beach, Virginia.