Time Management Quotes

If you wait, all that happens is you get older.

I urge people to go through the house once a year and get rid of everything they haven’t used in the previous 12 months. I’m not talking about beautiful antiques or keepsakes with sentimental value. I’m talking about the stuff we buy that doesn’t add to the fullness of our lives.

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying.

Free up one hour a day for 30 days, and use that time to reflect on a simple question: What is it that’s most complicating my life? Am I working too hard? Am I working at a job I don’t like? Then start thinking about how and what you can cut back.

Each of us is given a pocketful of time to spend however we may. We may use what we will. We waste what we will. But we can never get back a day.

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.

Don’t get D-Railed: Set and achieve your goals by applying one of these four “D’s” to anything that gets in your way: Drop it Delegate it Delay it Do it

Don’t lose Your head To gain a minute You need your head Your brains are in it.

A man who owns only one watch … knows what time it is, But a man who has two watches … is never quite sure.

There was an expert on the subject of time management. One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of the answered. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” “No, ” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all! As you review the priorities in your life there are many demands on available resources. Are you paying attention to putting emphasis on making sure that the big important things in your life (the big rocks) are being put first? Or are you trying to force them in after all your resources have been drained by the many smaller, less important things?

Interruptions: The average worker gets interrupted five times each hour. It takes an average of 5 minutes to handle each interruption and 1 minute to get back to what you were doing. This adds up to 30 minutes each hour or 50% of your time!!

What comes first, the compass or the clock? Before one can truly “manage time” (the clock), it is important to know where you are going, what your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed (the compass). Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what’s urgent, learn to focus on what is really important.

A magnifying glass, sun and a dry pile of leaves and easily be used to make a fire. However, if you keep the “hot stop” moving around, a fire will NEVER get started. Have to focus on ONE SPOT to start a fire. Many people spread their energies and efforts over so many things that they never really accomplish ANYTHING really important.

TIME MANAGEMENT: Think of a big jar (represents time in a week). Fill it with large rocks – is jar “full”? No Fill it with pebbles – is jar “full”? No Fill it with sand – is jar “full”? No Fill it with water – is jar “full”? Yes What is the proportion between rocks, pebbles, sand & water? Who is in control of what goes in your jar? Do you just wait for things to fall in? – or Do you plan to make sure the important things (large rocks) get handled?

Interruptions: The average employee gets interrupted five times each hour. It takes an average of 5 minutes to handle each interruption and 1 minute to get back to what they were doing. This adds up to 30 minutes each hour or 50% of their time!!

Six ways to simplify your life: 1. Resign from any organizations whose meetings you dread. 2. Learn to live with less information: Stop watching TV news. Cancel half your magazine subscriptions. 3. Work where you live, or live where you work. 4. Be in bed by 9 p.m. one night a week 5. Live on half of what you learn, and save the other half. 6. Keep asking, “Is this going to simplify my life?”

THE VALUE OF TIME To realize the value of one year: – Ask a student who has failed a final exam. To realize the value of one month: – Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of one week: – Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper To realize the value of one hour: – Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of one minute: – Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane. To realize the value of one second: – Ask a person who has survived an accident. To realize the value of one millisecond: – Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Have you ever run across a “firefighter” – you know, one of those people who seem to thrive on running from one fire to another? Actually, firefighters only spend 3% of their time fighting fires. The rest of their time is spent in proactive activities that include preparation and preventative measures. If you are spending all your time fighting fires, perhaps you need to reassess your priorities!