GOLDEN TIME SAVERS

Welcome to the doors of your new life. As you step through them you'll never be the same. There was a lumberjack who was told he needed to saw down 20 trees that day to qualify for bonus pay. Upon hearing that, he rushed out and started sawing. He sawed and sawed all day long. He barely finished by sundown. Soaked with sweat, he started feeling the triumph of meeting the goal but within seconds turned very angry and began to shout. He shouted and cussed so loud that the nearby town's folks could hear the distant cry of "..@#&*#!!..I forgot to sharpen my saw today!!"

Even sharpening the saw takes time and energy. This material will take some of your time and energy. If you quickly read through this material just once and never look at it again, it will still save you many hours of your time. We feel each time you read through this material, there will be a subtle long-term return on your investment of at least fifty to one hundred hours for each hour put in. This information can save you literally years of life.

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FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION - This material should be thought of as the software required to upgrade your brain for optimal results in life. There are exercises of writing and visualization included in the list. Time management is a skill that takes time and effort but can be mastered. The payoffs are worth the time invested many times over. Please don't take these exercises lightly. They're the fastest way we know of to upgrade your brain by downloading the pertinent information you need for reaching your life's goals. Your knowledge, beliefs, and circumstances directly affect your thoughts and decisions. Your thoughts give birth to your actions. Remind yourself of this. Your thoughts always produce your actions. Your actions show what you've done with your life within your given set of circumstances up till now. It all boils down to finding out what you want and being realistic with yourself. Next, pursuing it in spite of the long hours of sacrifice required. You'll eventually get the key results you've desired and have plenty of time to do what you really want to. No pain, no gain is true for time managers as well as bodybuilders. Realize if you can take the pain of discipline you'll also plant flags at the tops of the mountains in front of you.

QUALIFIERS - Sift the information to best fit your life. We don't expect you to agree with all the material. Some of this information is quite simple and some you already know. Some overlaps but helps with reinforcing the principles. In order to benefit from this material, invest as many hours as your schedule allows.

TIME SAVER SUBTOPICS - A) MENTAL CLARITY AND PERSPECTIVE B) PHYSICAL HEALTHC) LOGS / WRITTEN HELPSD) MISCELLANEOUS TIPSE) SHORTCUTSF) MOTIVATIONALS & VISUALIZATIONS

TIME SAVER LIST -

A) MENTAL CLARITY AND PERSPECTIVE - 1. What's Your Purpose?2. Upgrade Your Brain 3. Work Smarter Not Harder4. Concentration5. Develop a Laser Beam Like Focus6. Always Ask Yourself Questions7. Great Ideas8. Avoid "Dumb Knowledge"9. Monitor Alertness Levels10. Monitor Your Emotions11. Break the Negative Tapes12. Reflect on Your Past13. Put a Price Tag on Each Hour of Your Time14. Law of Reciprocity

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15. Wherever You’re at....Be There16. Everything Counts17. One Step Closer18. Watch the Decisions You Make19. Be Decisive20. Setting Deadlines21. Deadlines with Accountability22. Habits for a Lifetime23. Develop Long Term Perspective 24. Psychology of Fun25. The Cushion26. Purge Purge Purge27. Getting and Staying Organized28. Juggling Blocks29. Upgrade Your Memory30. Throw Some Money Away

B) PHYSICAL HEALTH -

31. Breathe Deeply32. Sleep Time33. Exercise34. Eating Habits

C) LOGS / WRITTEN HELPS -

35. Time Wasters36. Wish List37. Motivational Index Cards38. Memory Cards39. Marker Boards and Bulletin Boards40. Networking and Rolodexes 41. Write down Daily Goals42. Write down Monthly Goals43. Write down Yearly Goals44. Poster Boards45. Record Logs46. Success Logs47. Your File System

D) MISCELLANEOUS TIPS -

48. Do it Now49. Reward Yourself50. Commute Time51. Procrastination

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52. Spare Cash and Keys53. Meetings54. Phone Power55. Phone Hints56. Just Say No!57. Prayer58. Banking Hints 59. Less Kitchen Time60. Less TV61. Office Aids to Productivity62. Clarify Instructions

E) SHORT CUTS -

63. Delegation64. Tap into the Right Resources65. Mentors and Role Models66. Plan Your Breaks67. See Tasks to Completion68. Momentum Chains69. Batch Your Tasks70. Downtime 71. Using Interruptions72. Kill 2 Birds with One Stone73. Timely Purchases and Low Maintenance Living74. Handling Papers75. Reading Methods76. Bottlenecks and Constraints

F) MOTIVATIONALS & VISUALIZATIONS -77. Your Brain & Visualization 78. Positive Thinking and Taking Action79. Positive Affirmations80. Visualize Yourself as an Excellent Time Manager 81. See Your Worst Outcome82. Visualize Your Wish List83. Visualize Yourself with Unlimited Time and Money84. Visualization to Closure85. Be Your Own Producer and Coach86. Positive Competition87. A Motivational Picture File88. Timers and Stopwatches89. Listen to Motivational Music90. The Penny Jars91. Play Detective92. Don't Let Failures and Setbacks Get to You

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93. Package Yourself Better 94. Practice and Repetition95. Waste Some Time on Purpose96. Periodically Review this List

A) MENTAL CLARITY AND PERSPECTIVE - A major key to saving minutes throughout the day is in having mental clarity and right perspective

1. WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE? - Develop a road map for your life. You should know your purpose in life. If you don't, then start now to develop a purpose. There's nothing wrong with best guessing your purpose. Short and long term goals are a must. Moving fast isn't the answer. Vital ingredients to your daily success are; finding out and charting your purpose, taking action, monitoring your progress, and making adjustments along the way.

2. UPGRADE YOUR BRAIN - Invest in yourself. Spend 2 to 3% of your annual income on materials you feel will best upgrade your brain with the information you need to get you where you desire to go. Key information in your brain will help you reach your goals quicker.

3. WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER - Keeping busy isn't the answer. Many people develop satisfaction when they keep busy. Those who accomplish the most are those who stay busy with their highest priority tasks. Also, don't reinvent the wheel. Don't make the same mistakes countless others have already made. Right resources are critical for your success. Plan each day ahead of time. Use your imagination to mentally see your day in fast-forward. Keep modifying it until you see the day as you want to live it.

4. CONCENTRATION - Learn to focus and stay focused. Right concentration is the key for time savings. We already know that. But let's wake up to the power of this truth on a higher level and let it take us to our newest upgrades. The more you determine what it is you really want, the easier it is to go after it.

5. DEVELOP A LASER BEAM LIKE FOCUS - We live in a very specialized society more than ever as we're about to enter a new millennium. Too many irons in the fire can cause loss of desire and focus. You can't have everything. But you can have selected things. Continue to choose wisely what it is you really want and daily move toward it. Optimal focus is powerful like a laser beam cutting through steel.

6. ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF QUESTIONS - When you ask yourself questions to determine how to do things faster, more efficient, or smarter, you are mentally taking inventory on your past results.Always ask yourself questions such as: "What's the most important thing I can do right now ?" "How can I do this task better or make this task easier ?" "Is what I'm doing now going to show for anything 5 years from now ?" When you ask these questions your mind will automatically go to work on supplying you with the answers.

7. GREAT IDEAS - One great idea can save you many weeks. Don't underestimate the power of your mind to give you an idea that will revolutionize an area of your life. Always stay open to new ideas. Periodically brainstorm for new ideas.

8. AVOID "DUMB KNOWLEDGE" - Dumb knowledge is defined as knowledge that doesn't really move you toward your goals and has little or no value in your life. It's knowledge that won't really show for anything more

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than small talk. Dumb knowledge isn't wrong to have, but there's a place for it. Just don't have too much of it or you might regret it later in life.

9. MONITOR YOUR ALERTNESS LEVELS - Take a break from your work when your alertness level drops. Save tasks which require less thinking to do when you're tired or drowsy. The key is monitoring your alertness levels and using peak alertness times to your advantage.

10. MONITOR YOUR EMOTIONS - Don't let your emotions steal your time. Become a master of your emotions. Don't suppress them but assess things logically. Ask yourself in a crisis situation what productive things could you do to minimize the problem. See emotions for what they really are. Emotions are often nearsighted. When fighting worry or fear, try to see the "big picture" so life doesn't feel like a roller coaster ride. If you see planet earth as a small bluish ball, then your problems might not seem as big. Develop productive and optimistic thoughts each day.

11. BREAK THE NEGATIVE TAPES - Negative thinking is like a tape cassette playing negative things over and over in your mind. Break those negative tapes that play in your mind. Take inventory of your thoughts. Some of those tapes have been playing for years. Throw out what you don't need. Those are brain viruses. They need to be completely purged. Purging is done by taking thought of your thoughts and not letting past problems and regrets slow down your results in life. What you set before your mind's eye is what you gravitate toward in life. Guard against any negative emotions or feelings which can steal hours from your week by distracting you from your goals and causing you to make bad decisions. If something is bothering you, then make a written note of it and deal with it at the right time.

12. REFLECT ON YOUR PAST - Look in life's rearview mirror. See the big screen of life before you. Play on the big screen your past up to present. Get a feel for where you're at right now. Realize how hard and how smart you've had to work to get where you're at today. Remember that as you chart your future goals and specific deadlines.

13. PUT A PRICE TAG ON EACH HOUR OF YOUR TIME - Start to realize how priceless and important your time is. Become time conscious in everything you do.

14. LAW OF RECIPROCITY - Don't underestimate the power of being nice to others. When you put into others' lives, they will usually desire to put back into yours. Use wisdom in what you do for others since your time and resources are limited.

15. WHEREVER YOU'RE AT.... BE THERE - Give whatever you're doing your undivided attention. Give who you are speaking with your undivided attention by maintaining eye contact. Stay "on purpose" with your actions wherever you're at. This will help you become more time conscious which in turn will increase your results in life.

16. EVERYTHING COUNTS - Everything is cumulative. Small differences are additive and over time amount to big differences. This simple truth is often forgotten.

17. ONE STEP CLOSER - When large projects look like mountains, then try taking just one step or a few steps toward the top of the mountain. Then rest. Break large projects down into small attainable goals. Before you know it, the next small and final action you'll have is planting the flag at the top of the mountain.

18. WATCH THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE - Think through the ripple effect your decisions will have upon others, yourself, and your future.

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19. BE DECISIVE - Watch what you decide but be decisive. Get comfortable in making smaller daily decisions with more speed. Making choices takes time and energy. Don't spin your wheels on smaller decisions. But when it comes to major decisions, take all the time you need and then some. Only a handful of decisions you make in life should be viewed as major.

20. SETTING DEADLINES - Setting deadlines helps compress work into time blocks while forcing out wasted time. Deadlines help keep energies focused on getting the job done.

21. DEADLINES WITH ACCOUNTABILITY - Setting deadlines and telling others about your deadlines is even better. Some call it accountability. I call it "saving face". Call it what you wish. It's positive peer pressure and works quite well.

22. GOOD HABITS FOR A LIFETIME - The average American life span is just under 80 years. Remember the brevity of life as you set your goals. Develop habits that will benefit you in the long haul. Longevity is directly related to your habits of exercise, eating, and thinking. It's been said youth is a terrible thing to waste on the young because so many good habits are neglected by the young.

23. DEVELOP A LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE - The more long-term perspective, the more you pace yourself in life. Life is like a marathon. Long-term perspective yields better decisions and brings more discipline and happiness. I have a calendar which displays the entire year. I place a line through the days as they pass. This helps give me a long term perspective of time which makes it easier for me to choose important things of life over the urgent things of the moment.

24. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FUN - You can only do one thing at a time. You are also choosing not to do everything else in that given time period. Money and fun have similarities. The more money a person invests at a younger age, the higher the compounding interest will be in later years. Building discipline and diligence skills early in life at times isn't much fun. But foregoing some fun now can mean the greatest returns of it in the years to come. Then again, discipline and diligence can be a type of fun also.

25. THE CUSHION - Life is full of unexpected turns and setbacks till the day you die. Develop a cushion where you have alternative plans and reserves when things go awry. When plan A doesn't work, then always have a plan B to fall back on. Learn how to best use time when plan A blows up in your face because every so often it will. Expect events to go into a tailspin from time to time. Life is not a straight, flat race track. It's more like a winding obstacle course. When you're falling backwards, just make sure you have your cushion in place to soften your fall. The cushion allows you flexibility you wouldn't otherwise have.

26. PURGE PURGE PURGE - Purge files of any junk papers. Purge your closets and drawers of any clothing, etc., you don't need. Give it to charity. We promise most of you will feel like a speed swimmer who just had his head shaved to the skin or like a jogger just after having the ankle weights removed. Bottom line is you'll have less clutter which means more order. As your life becomes more streamlined from clutter, you might feel like your days contain 27 hours. No matter what your spiritual beliefs, it's safe in saying "you can't take it with you" so if you don't need it...then, purge, purge, purge.

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27. GETTING AND STAYING ORGANIZED -  It's been said everything has its place. Whether its your work station area or any room of your home, being organized saves you time in finding things. It also works as a motivating atmosphere toward yielding greater productivity. Use space to your advantage.

28. JUGGLING BLOCKS - Your life can be thought of as juggling blocks you've selected from off a table in front of you. Life is a juggling act. Choose your blocks very wisely. The more things you're currently juggling in life, the more energy it takes. I made a decision to completely give up learning to play a music keyboard. I really wanted to learn to play the keyboard, but decided to give it up to concentrate on juggling other priority blocks. Purge lower priority things from your life so you can be successful in things that really matter to you.

29. UPGRADE YOUR MEMORY - Everyone has a good memory. They just need to learn how to unleash it. The right side of our brains are very powerful with visualization, color, 3-dimensional images, etc.. Learning information with mental picture associations is used by most high achievers. Picture associations and other memory aids can be utilized by anyone. Ridiculous picture associations are more easily remembered than ordinary pictures.

30. THROW SOME MONEY AWAY -  This exercise may sound ludicrous but take a handful of small change and slowly let the coins slip through your fingers into the wastebasket. As you are doing this, say to yourself "My time is money and this is exactly what happens to my money when I waste my time". You may choose not to do this but those of you who do will probably save countless dollars in the long run by doing this ridiculous yet unforgettable, visual symbolic exercise.

B) PHYSICAL HEALTH -

31. BREATHE DEEPLY - Learn to take in a full breath of air and hold for a few seconds, then slowly exhale. This will do wonders for your alertness and energy levels. It's a good stress reliever. Try this every few hours throughout the day.

32. SLEEP TIME - About 30% of your life is spent sleeping. Each person needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night. The main thing is to be consistent with the time you go to bed and get up each day. An extra half hour of sleep might mean an extra hour of productivity the next day. Experiment with sleep and find your optimal amount for optimal results.

33. EXERCISE - Being in shape is a great time and energy saver. Especially by not getting sick as much. Exercise gives a higher return in respect to time invested by increasing productivity and alertness levels. People who exercise live longer and healthier lives and also look better. Exercise causes the brain to release chemicals which help fight depression and negative thinking. Exercise is a great stress buster.

34. EATING HABITS - Monitor them. Control your coffee, sugar, alcohol, and fat intakes. Become more aware of how certain foods affect you. Take vitamins. Target all food groups. Eat lighter in the evenings. Eating lighter lunches can easily give an extra 20 to 30 minutes of productivity each day. Avoid eating larger meals by snacking on fruit throughout the day. Fruit takes little to no time to prepare and is healthful. Sacrificing some taste bud pleasure brings more long term pleasure and more productive days.

C) LOGS / WRITTEN HELPS -

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35. TIME WASTERS - Make a list of about thirty time wasters or common interruptions you have in your life. Each day pick items from the list and replace them with priority tasks.

36. WISH LIST - Make a separate wish list of things you desire to accomplish. Each day do a few things that will help cause your wishes to become reality.

37. MOTIVATIONAL INDEX CARDS - Write motivational sayings on 3x5 or 4x6 index cards. Personalize these sayings with the word "I". Write down anything that jazzes you or stirs you up. Motivational cards make great time savers because you will be reminded and motivated to take action. Keep your favorite cards where you can see them every day or carry them with you. Display them on the bathroom mirror, refrigerator, bedroom, car dash, etc..

38. MEMORY CARDS - Use 3x5 or 4x6 cards containing powerful and pertinent information you wish to commit to memory or for frequent reminders. Committing information to memory using this method can be fun and even addicting. Those who have large files of flash cards are probably in the top 5% of their fields. How thick would you like your flash card file to be?

39. MARKER BOARDS AND BULLETIN BOARDS - Marker and bulletin boards can easily display motivational information, goals with deadlines, or any other information you wish to be reminded of on a regular basis. Keeping motivational and reminder information before you will help you reach your goals sooner.

40. NETWORKING AND ROLODEXES - Develop a working list of people's names, phone numbers, and addresses and use them for networking. People are your greatest resource. Doors of opportunity will open you never dreamed of by keeping your networking and people skills sharpened.

41. WRITE DOWN DAILY GOALS - Make a daily "do list". Then prioritize it with numbers. I use a basic computer template which gives time intervals for the day. I find it useful to carry this sheet of paper with me wherever I go. It's handy to jot notes and reminders on throughout the day. I just copy what I don't finish for the day on another template time sheet for the next day. I've been doing this for years now. It works great for me. There's a real sense of accomplishment in crossing off what gets finished each day. Find what works best for you.

42. WRITE DOWN MONTHLY GOALS - Make a list of goals you wish to accomplish within each calendar month. Check off items as you complete them. Take notes on your progress. As the months go by, place your monthly goal sheets in a file or store them on your computer so you can easily review your monthly progress.

43. WRITE DOWN YEARLY GOALS - The same applies here as for the monthly and daily goals. You may wish to do these every December for the next calendar year. Give the new year a title which corresponds to one of your highest goals for the new year. I give myself a percentage score and a letter grade at the end of each year.

44. POSTER BOARDS - Office Max stores as well as other stores carry poster boards (large white cardboard) about 20 x 26 inches in size. Take one of these blank posters and chart out how your 168 hours are used each week. You might wish to draw a circle in the center of the poster which designates your sleep each week, then draw spoke lines that connect to other circles. Each circle lists information regarding a task and the amount of time allotted weekly to that particular task. The poster board doesn't have to look neat. The purpose of your poster board is to give you a big visual picture of how you currently spend your life in weekly chunks. This poster board will be of great interest to you for reviewing five or ten years from now.

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45. RECORD LOGS - Your life's is too priceless not to journal the major events in it. I keep a record log for maintaining daily habits. I also have a reflections log, experiences log, etc.. I don't always stay current with these logs but I haven't regretted any time spent logging. As time passes, any logging you do will become priceless in charting your life's progress. You need to make notes of where you're coming from to chart your future better.

46. SUCCESS LOGS - Keep a log of your successes both large and small. They make great confidence and self-esteem builders when facing future challenges or temporary setbacks. You might start listing instances when smart planning saved you a good chunk of time. Your success log will cause your successes to spiral upward.

47. YOUR FILE SYSTEM - Keep a simple, neat file system with tabbed labels. Highest priority papers should be in easiest access while old files can be moved out-of-sight.

D) MISCELLANEOUS TIPS -

48. DO IT NOW! - Always ask yourself throughout each day "what's the most important thing for me to do right now?". Coach yourself to do it now. This saying makes a great index card reminder.

49. REWARD YOURSELF - Reward yourself after doing 10 minutes or so of a task to stay motivated. You might have a sip of coffee, a bite of food, or hug a family member. Be creative.

50. COMMUTE TIME - Most Americans waste literally hundreds of hours a year during their commute time. They would better fill the time by listening to audio cassettes. I listen to about 150 to 200 cassettes each year during my drive time. These cassettes are carefully selected and contain information to help me get closer to achieving my goals in life. Motivational cassettes are well worth the investment. A battery charger and rechargeable batteries for the cassette player are worth the investment. You might also wish to invest in a high-speed tape recorder with variable pitch control for taking out the "chipmunk" sound while playing cassettes at high-speed.

51. PROCRASTINATION - Learn to procrastinate things that should be procrastinated. Procrastinate on the smaller less important things of life that won't amount to anything 5 years from now. Procrastinate on the things that will have no effect on getting you closer to your goals. Live each day as if it were your last because one day it will be.

52. SPARE CASH AND KEYS - Many hours of inconvenience have been saved by those who have kept a spare 20 or 30 dollars in their car's glove compartment. A spare 100 to 200 cash taped in a book or other safe place will on occasion save you time. The same principle works with house keys, car keys, etc..

53. MEETINGS -  Always have at least a rough written outline to follow at all meetings. Think through meetings ahead of time and stick to the outline.

54. PHONE POWER - Many hours can be saved when you call about store hours, product information, instructions, etc.. Lots of free information can be provided to you by experts as a result of phone book contacts. It's all just a phone call away. Some grocery stores will deliver grocery items to residences via phone ordering for a few extra dollars.

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55. PHONE HINTS - Don't waste time on the phone. Say "I'd like to talk but I've got to get some things done right now". Don't feel you always have to answer your phone. The answering machine is a useful tool for screening calls.

56. JUST SAY NO! - The best time saving word of all is "NO". Learn to say no to those who seek to control and use you for their own purposes. Discernment is needed when saying the word no. You might also say "I'm not sure but I'll get back to you" (concerning what was asked of you). Don't let on-the-spot pressure cause you to commit your time or money.

57. PRAYER - Those who pray know it makes a difference in their quality of life. We believe prayer helps. We also respect all differing viewpoints and the freedom to believe as one wishes.

58. BANKING HINTS - Direct or automatic deposits and withdrawals and other mailings can save much footwork, postage, time, and hassle in the long-run. Most monthly bills can be paid this way.

59. LESS KITCHEN TIME - Fix larger food servings and refrigerate or freeze the rest for later.

60. LESS TV - Try watching TV less by replacing the time with visualizing on your mental screen what you would like to be doing 5 or 10 years from now.

61. OFFICE AIDS TO PRODUCTIVITY - Try using post-its, highlighters, and other office helps if you aren't already doing so. They're worth the investment. But don't rely on post-its for keeping track of your most important tasks. Most important items should always be listed on your daily do list.

62. CLARIFY INSTRUCTIONS - Maximize your time by clarifying instructions to avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings. It may seem a bit like overkill, but it's worth the extra time it takes.E) SHORTCUTS - Shortcuts can save time. There are many timesaving shortcuts just waiting for your discovery. But use caution because some corner cutting can cause more problems than it's worth.

63. DELEGATION - Delegate out to others when you can. Try to spend your time on what you do best. You might consider paying someone to do work for you even though you may enjoy doing the work yourself. You have to decide what you are willing to do to reach your goals. A jack-of-all-trades can end up becoming a master of none.

64. TAP INTO THE RIGHT RESOURCES - We must continually network with people and things around us. We must continually update our brain software with the best and most current knowledge. Tap into the best information by staying open to a variety of knowledge sources such as people, books, cassettes, videos, computer software, etc..

65. MENTORS AND ROLE MODELS - Find those who are getting the results you would like, then pattern your actions after them. Spend time around them. Your goal is to avoid making the same mistakes they did. That's what this time saving material is all about. Don't reinvent the wheel! Invent your future from the results of others who've gone before you.

66. PLAN YOUR BREAKS - Taking breaks from your work is essential. Decide when you will take your breaks. Stick to the amount of time you plan to break for. Periodically schedule lower priority work during your break times.

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67. SEE TASKS TO COMPLETION - Finish tasks you've already started before starting new ones. When you have many irons in the fire, it causes loss of motivation and dilutes your efforts to focus on specific jobs. Focusing on one or two tasks at a time will give more order and clarity in your life. Remember to stay busy with tasks that will make the most difference in your life.

68. MOMENTUM CHAINS - Momentum is best sustained when one is driven with burning purpose. Momentum chains are defined as the chaining of pertinent tasks along with taking appropriate breaks back-to-back in the most productive way you can think of. These momentum chains can be fun maintaining when you try to see how long you can go in an unbroken momentum chain through the day or even several days. When your conscience feels almost every minute of your time has been constructively used toward pertinent work or deserved rest, then that is considered unbroken momentum chaining. The question is how long can you go?

69. BATCH YOUR TASKS - By batching or grouping similar tasks together, you'll develop speed through familiarity and repetition. There's a learning curve for everything and batching your tasks will minimize the learning curve time.

70. DOWNTIME - Seemingly unproductive time during the day may be waiting in a line, waiting to meet someone, etc.. Put this downtime to use by pulling out your daily do list or journal and updating it. Always try to have the next several hours planned with flexibility for interruptions.

71. USING INTERRUPTIONS - Interruptions can frequently be redirected by good planning. Interruptions can take you by complete surprise. Most interruptions can have a learned response. When someone enters your office, you may greet them and state you have a couple of minutes to spend with them. You can also ask the person to stop by for a few minutes later in the day. Foresight and planning are great tools for minimizing the impact of interruptions.

72. KILL 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE - Determine when you can do multiple tasks at the same time. When I exercise at the health club, I enjoy listening to upbeat music while on a recumbent exercycle and reading all of my mail, newspapers, and other literature. I get physical exercise, mental relaxation, and learn new information all at the same time.

73. TIMELY PURCHASES AND LOW MAINTENANCE LIVING - Buy things that can offset their cost with the time they can save for you. Almost everyone takes advantage of dishwashers, microwaves, cordless phones, and home computers. Continue to search for new softwares, home appliances, or any other purchases that have timesaving potential.

74. HANDLING PAPERWORK - Develop a system for handling paperwork as little as possible. Use labeled trays to sort paperwork. Use the waste basket often. Keep your life as streamlined as possible.

75. READING METHODS - Ask key questions before reading the material. First, overview the material. Target the information you wish to extract. Always use highlighters for marking key information. Much of the material people read should be skimmed. We often end up reading for pleasure's sake. There's nothing wrong with leisure reading but many of us lose focus of our goals by reading too wide a range of material.

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76. BOTTLENECKS AND CONSTRAINTS - There are usually two or three main areas that hold each of us back from explosive breakthroughs in life. It might be fear of public speaking which a speaking club like Toastmasters International (or another group) might remedy. The constraint might be depression, a phobia, or lack of motivation in life. These constraints or bottlenecks must first be identified and then overcome. It takes time, but these walls must be broken down for one to enter into uncharted territory.

F) MOTIVATIONALS & VISUALIZATION - Here are some motivational and visualization exercises for upgrading your brain. As you do these exercises, you will find more enthusiasm and strength in taking action toward fulfilling your goals. As your focused visualization increases, your desire goes up. As desire goes up, your life will yield more results. CEO's of major corporations in America use the power tool of visualization in charting the future of their companies. Each of these exercises will save you more time in your life than what you now realize. This mental programming is vital for reaching your highest levels of success. Please take notes as you make your way through this important final section.

77. YOUR BRAIN AND VISUALIZATION - The right side of our brains are very powerful and aren't tapped into like they should be. The right side controls much of our visualization, 3-D, color, imagination, etc.. Use your right brain more with visual tools such as exaggeration, bright light, distortions, etc..Visualization is a learned skill like imagining a pink elephant. Everyone has the ability to do this. Can you see a glowing rainbow colored elephant? With some effort, you can get good glimpses of one. Try to use your right brain as much as possible in these visualization exercises.

78. POSITIVE THINKING AND TAKING ACTION - Positive thinking is powerful. It creates intoxicating and euphoric feelings. The brain responds by starting to believe what it sees. It's been said success is 98% perspiration and only 2% inspiration. But the way to succeed faster is by getting inspired and then immediately taking action. Do this again and again and again. Create future dramas and scenes in your mind. It's important to see the end result. Feel the end result of obtaining what you're going after. Then, go after it. Possess your future visually in your mind before it becomes reality in the natural. When you wire your brain for success, you're wiring your very future for success.

79. POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS - You are affected by your self-talk. What you think about affects the way you feel. The way you feel affects your decisions and actions. Master your thoughts and you master your life. Make a list of positive affirmations and keep them in daily sight.

80. VISUALIZE YOURSELF AS AN EXCELLENT TIME MANAGER - See yourself as an excellent time manager. Say to yourself "I manage every hour of this day wisely and I'm meeting my goals every day. I'm disciplined and each of my thoughts have purpose and clarity in getting the most out of life." Over time, your brain starts believing what you tell yourself.

81. SEE THE WORST OUTCOME - As you visualize your day ahead of time, anticipate what could go wrong. What can you do to avoid or minimize problem situations? Planning and preparation helps reduce your setbacks while en route to making your dreams come true.

82. VISUALIZE YOUR WISH LIST - Select the top several wishes you would like to have and then visualize 100+ picture scenes which will help make your wishes come true.

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83. VISUALIZE YOURSELF WITH UNLIMITED TIME AND MONEY - What would you do? Where would you live? How would you live? Take at least 10 minutes meditating on this.

84. VISUALIZATION TO CLOSURE - Try seeing the end result or closure you desire and then work backwards to the present. Visualizing things to closure takes a good amount of discipline. The living legend golf pro Jack Nicklaus visualizes every single one of his shots before he swings. He mentally sees the path and resting place of the golf ball before he swings. With some concentration, let's do with our days from start to finish what Nicklaus does with each of his golf shots. See the day from start to finish or from finish to start. It takes some time for your brain to develop these pictures, but it's well worth it.

85. BE YOUR OWN PRODUCER AND COACH - Be the "producer and coach" of your future. In one scene, you might see yourself driving down the street doing your errands in a sequential order. See yourself smiling as your car disappears and your body flies through the air at jet speed to your destinations. Since there are no speed limits, can you fly 200+ miles per hour?

86. POSITIVE COMPETITION - If you can maintain a "good sport" attitude, positive competition can be a great motivator in saving time. Competition is what brings out the 110% in athletes. Many compete with their yesterdays for better todays and best tomorrows. Enjoy the process of becoming all you are meant to be from this day on.

87. A MOTIVATIONAL PICTURE FILE - This may sound strange but it works. Start a file with any pictures or phrases that motivate or trigger you to action in accomplishing your daily and long term goals. Whatever things stir you or jazz you to take action are the keys to unlocking the doors to your full potential. The key to success is in staying motivated along the way.88. TIMERS AND STOPWATCHES - Use a timer or stopwatch for seeing how much work you can get done within a given time limit. Try limiting newspaper reading with a timer. Time your breaks down to the second. Use your imagination and have some fun with this.

89. LISTEN TO MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC - People will always be emotional creatures. Our emotions have so often led us away from our goals. But they can also lead us to our goals. Listen to music that stirs you to action. While you are listening to motivational music, visualize the steps needed to complete a given task. This can be a most powerful tool in programming yourself for success.

90. THE PENNY JARS - People receive a certain satisfaction from being able to see their results. I use one visual motivator which I call the "penny jars". I place pennies (brand-new uncirculated shiny pennies) in transparent plastic or glass jars. Each penny designates five, fifteen, or sixty minutes spent on various projects. As the pennies begin to fill up the jar, your sense of accomplishment goes up as well along with your motivation to fill the jar faster. This technique works well for those who want to visually see their progress.

91. PLAY DETECTIVE - Play detective for finding and applying time savers in your life. Don't leave any stone unturned. Picture yourself with the stereotyped detective's long overcoat and magnifying glass looking for clues, tipoffs, and other helps in squeezing the most out of your days. It's been said becoming aware of a problem is often half the solution of that problem.

92. DON'T LET FAILURE AND SETBACKS GET TO YOU - Life is full of setbacks and failures for all of us. Life is a "skinned knee" learning experience. Accept this fact in its fullness. In order to succeed at anything, you

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will experience failure along the way. Become expert at "getting back up". Expect more from yourself than anyone else would but be forgiving on yourself as well.

93. PACKAGE YOURSELF BETTER - When you can, wear nice clothing. Nice clothing costs a bit more but it's a good investment for building confidence and self-esteem. You'll feel like being more productive and efficient. This also holds true in keeping a neat work environment. Effectively packaging yourself also involves the way you come across to others. Your communication skills are important. Some of the best communicators have improved their people skills by practicing and getting feedback right in their own homes with tape recorders and video cameras.

94. PRACTICE AND REPETITION - Practice and repetition help develop lasting habits that produce the best possible results. Any great achiever did not arrive overnight. Great accomplishments are produced by practice, practice, and more practice. Mastering anything requires practice and repetition.

95. WASTE SOME TIME ON PURPOSE - Every now and then, you may wish to take extended breaks of several hours up to a week-end or longer. Life is meant to be enjoyed. No one on their deathbed ever said that they regretted not spending more time at the office. Relationships are everything. Ultimately, things cannot make you happy. Only you can truly make yourself happy. Make sure you have the right people around you for reciprocating happiness and joy. The greatest happiness you can ever have comes from giving your life to others who respect and love you.

96. PERIODICALLY REVIEW THIS LIST - Print out this list. Mark it up. Highlight what makes your adrenaline rush. Cross out what doesn't apply to you. From studying this material, you'll accomplish more now than ever before. The key is staying motivated and focused while modifying your goals along the way. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest.

In closing, Omega Group thanks you for taking time to study this material. May it add color to your world. May it bring results to your life you wouldn't otherwise get. May it bring you peace on the inside even when the storms of life rage around you. Again, thanks for allowing us to coach you to a higher level than ever before. And finally, may your dreams come true.

Copyright, 1997 Omega Group (Stan Wenninger)

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