SEVERE TIME MANAGEMENT

Good for what ails you.

Since this Blog is about chess you can take the info from Dan Kennedy's No B.S. Marketing Letter (March) and apply it to chess study, chess authoring, chess research, chess improvement, your daily reading habits, and tons more. It will be in the March Tip Sheet. (See below.)

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate hearing excuses from people. If you are late, and it's a courtesy thing, just admit, "I didn't budget my time to get here. My mistake." Now if that includes reading or watching CNN until the cows come home, you haven't been honest. The real reason the time wasn't budgeted properly was because you were spending wasted time on your computer monitor. 'Fess up.

People, in general, really love clarity and they forgive your "sin" almost immediately (let's not get started with the meaning of "forgiveness" okay?)

I've had people park in front of my shop for a 2 o'clock appointment and sit in their car talking on their cell phone. My appointment was agreed at 2 pm but now I have put my business on hold waiting for them to ring the bell. (My work is in another room so I don't always hear the buzzer... so around 2 pm I am alert for the buzzer.) I haven't heard yet, about a cell phone call that was really so important that it couldn't wait.

People waste tons of time, every day. I waste some, but not too much as I can't afford to. Really, neither can you.

If you respond, frequently, with "I don't have the time" is that true or a brush off? Can you just say, "I don't want to"? Are you afraid if you said that you won't be liked? Here's the news. If you lie, you won't be liked anyway--the other person most likely just won't say anything. (Young people are remarkably adept at B.S. lying)

The tip on time management will be published as the March Tip in all orders/packages I send out. I started doing this in January and several people have told me they like the freebie with their order. The first two were taken from books, this is from a newsletter I've always deemed "very valuable."

Personally, I don't know most of you, so this isn't about chastisement at all. It is about making the most of time for you and others to make that life you are living even better. Does TV, constant news junkeying, visiting 20 different chess web sites help you or just while away the day until it's time to hit the hay and then start over the next day?

I will be typing up the March Tip in a few moments.

Don't forget, I think we change over to daylight savings time tomorrow night. You have an extra hour to send me $19.95 to open up your mini-subscription (if you had one) to The Chess Reports.

NOTE: The TIP is very funny, true, and workable. The author is a multi-millionaire because of successful time management and he knows what he is talking about. He doesn't do email, blogs, tweets, Facebook, web sites, or even own a cell phone. He does accept fax messages! He's not against people controlling their day or their business lives with those tools--personally, he doesn't use them. He has a secretary (only employee)--but he does work with a business partner who handles all the OTHER stuff. (While I have a Facebook page you will hardly ever see me on it. My fax is: 563-322-8001.)

Here's how the TIP starts:

"Really, How Productive Are You?

I recall Iacocoa telling me he fought for an hour a day of productivity when at helm of Chrysler. According to analysis published in The WalL Street Journal (1-15-10), the average broadcast of an NFL game breaks down to..."