We spend our time in certain ways because we choose to. We have the choice to work or not to work, to write that report or not, to take the phone call or to wait. Each choice is based upon a reward received or anticipated. Rewards are what you expect to gain from undertaking or postponing a certain task. If you didn’t receive rewards, you would not continue that behavior. What rewards do you get for managing time the way you do now? Learning to manage your time better will free up some time to do the really important things. Rewards come from good time management habits.
What does a reactive day look like? You arrive at work in the morning with no clear idea about the day’s activities. Things begin to happen—the mail arrives, the phone rings, people drop by. With a flurry of activity, you respond to these various demands. You put forth considerable effort, but at the end of the day, you haven’t accomplished anything significant. This approach is often referred to as FIREFIGHTING. If you don’t determine what you want to achieve, you will experience frequent changes in your plans. You will experience a decision dilemma – ”What do I do next?” If you don’t determine what you want to achieve, others will be perfectly happy to fill the time for you.
Thus, Steven Covey calls planning “sharpening the axe.” You have to take time to make time. Planning is the difference between being reactive and proactive. When you don’t plan, you end up responding to the day’s events as they occur.
