MAKE THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME 

All great achievers understand the value of controlling their time. They know that we human beings have been created equal in this respect: every one of us is privileged with twenty-four hours a day. What we do with each day matters.

Give your best time to your most challenging situation. It’s not how much you do that matters; it’s how much you finish. Here’s a key: Say no. Saying yes when you should say no is one of the biggest reasons for wasting time. One of the most valuable sayings ever coined was, “Don’t spend a dollar’s worth of time for ten-cents’ worth of results.”

Make sure to take care of the two most vulnerable times in your day—the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. It’s amazing how much these two times influence the whole day. Be sure to fill them with productive words and actions.

I often hear people say, “I’d give anything to be able to…” If you have said this, you should adopt the “6 x 1 = 6” leadership principle. If you want to write a book, learn to play a musical instrument, become a better tennis player, or anything else that’s important to you, then devote to it one hour a day, six days a week. Sooner than you think, your desire will become reality. You can accomplish many things in 312 hours a year! Just a commitment of one hour a day, six days a week is all it takes.

We all have the same amount of time each day. The difference between people is determined by what they do with the amount of time at their disposal. Don’t be like the airline pilot flying over the Pacific Ocean who reported to his passengers, “We’re lost, but we’re making great time!” Remember that the future arrives an hour at a time. Gain control of your time, and you will gain control of your life.

An Enemy Called Average by John Mason