You start your day running to your first appointment. When you get there you find that you don't have what you need. It's time for you to slow down, and plan what you're going to do before you take action. It seems counter intuitive, but you'll get more done faster with less stress if you set aside proper planning time. You love action and you would rather be doing than thinking. You're confusing activity with progress.

All that unfocused activity is making you tired and stressed because it isn't helping you to do the things that produce the best results. Start the day by planning your day the day before so get organized. Take 15 minutes before you end your day to plan the first thing you'll do the next day, and what you'll need to do it so you can start your day right and get better results.

When you're planning how you'll start your day start with the most important thing you could do that day. If possible schedule your most important appointments, phone calls, and actions for first thing in the morning. Make sure whatever action you'll be taking has a clear objective. If you have an appointment know exactly the outcome you expect from the appointment. The same holds true for phone calls. Know exactly who you will call, have an agenda for the call, and identify what you want to accomplish as a result of that call. Whether that be an appointment, an agreed upon next action, a referral, or a closed sale.

Without clear objectives you waste valuable time and you get poor results. You're running around working harder than you need to and you aren't getting the results you want. If you don't know exactly what you want from your actions you can't expect someone else to know.

Even though you like to solve problems and make things happen you need to stop and think before you take those actions. Just because a customer or prospect calls doesn't mean you should drop everything and immediately respond. That isn't a demonstration of good time management skills. It just demonstrates that you'd rather be reactive than proactive.

Develop a planning habit so you can better serve your customers, prospects, and yourself. Reacting is a habit that causes you to receive poorer results than you could be. Enjoy greater success and more free time by planning before you act and having a clear understanding of your objectives before you take action.

About the author

Cheryl A. Clausen can help you get where you want to be. To find Time Management Tips get her free analysis. Enhance your Time Management Skills, check this out. 

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