Three Resources You're Managing Badly (and what to do about it)

The first two quarters of the calendar year are now behind us and we need to be talking about three resources that you’re managing badly. My readers are leaders, so whether you’re running a business, keeping your family together, or stepping up as an employee, the potential that you are managing these three things badly is huge. 

THE NUMBER ONE RESOURCE that most people mismanage is what? 

 

It's time. 

 

Most people blow it managing their time. “Oh, I don't have time for this. Oh, if only I knew better time management….”   

Here's a secret about time management: there's no such thing. 

We are all given 24 hours in our day today, the sun comes up, the clock spins and we have 24 hours. It is up to us how we spend it, what we put into it. And so there's no such thing as time management. What we need to look at is project management.

I didn’t accidentally grow a business while holding a full-time job, raising kids, writing and launching best-selling books, while starting media tours.  Look at what you’re working on. What are the goals you have and what are the projects that each goal contains? Most people think they need giant blocks of time to get anything done. Start with 20 minute blocks. Even as I write this for you, it’s early in the morning. I’m taking a chunk of time when the house is quiet. (Okay, the cat has found her way next to me and is purring pretty loudly, but otherwise, the house is quiet.) The chances are that it won’t be for long. And, I will have had a small block of time to get a small block or writing done. Later, I’ll carve out another block of time. And then another. Each project gets a series of blocks dedicated to it. And that’s how Wednesdays With Wayne has been going for almost four years with no interruptions. This is a “project” that I’m dedicated to.

What about the other “stuff” that needs attention – stuff like email? I treat email like a project, checking my multiple accounts sporadically during the day.  Give dedicated time to each specific project.

The resource of time is the first that most people mismanage. There are two others that top my list. You've got to manage and guard your time closely. We’ve been shut in, sheltering in place. Review your habits and how you’re managing your projects in your day.

 

The next one is money. Most people have a made-up target for what they want or need. It’s not a bad thing to have dreams and goals. The problem is that when there’s no foundation for them or plan of action to accompany them, they’re vacant wishes. Even when I’ve worked with business leaders and entrepreneurs with loads of spreadsheets, most people don’t have a great plan for their target goals and what investments need to happen to get there. Most people consider investing in coaching or consulting a frivolous expense. High performers aren’t most people and they know that garnering an outside perspective almost always pushes them further.  

Set your targets and recognize that you’ll need to invest in yourself and your organization to get to those targets. The concept of cash-flow is fairly easy to understand. We’d all like a positive cash flow. Track what’s coming in and plan for what’s going out. It’s easy, but most people use a budget instead of what I call GoalCasting. What goals do you have? How are you going to get there? What money will you spend on your business and yourself to get there. (Again, I invest heavily in my personal and professional development. It keeps me sharper for bringing the absolute best to my clients. Most people miss that and think that investing in personal development or professional development for their team members is something to do last. For me, it’s like heating up a pan or pre-heating the oven so you can cook. Don’t prep everything and then decide that you might need some heat to get it done.)

And that leads to the final of the top three resources – people. Are you engaging with the people in your life, those at home and those in your organization? Or are you simply moving down a checklist?

Acknowledge each of the people around you specifically. Each… specifically….  Let them know you see them. Ask how you might help them; find out what they might need from you. Then follow through.

Time – Money – People   

• Manage time by managing projects.
• Manage money by being on top of your expenses and your income, and be sure that you're setting aside some of your income to invest further in your development.
• Manage the people in your life by creating an environment that supports their growth, including yours, as well as acknowledging them for who they are and how they show up. And ask what they need more of because that's a great human interaction.

If you’d like to show up more greatly in your world, now is an amazing time to do that! To step into your life with a little more confidence, to feel more fulfilled, to speak with others knowing that you’ve been heard and understood – all of these are available.

 

I invite you to my free (that’s right!) masterclass this Friday. It’s from 11am to 2pm pacific time and you will learn how to leverage your values and your super-hero traits. (You have ‘em, you just haven’t let them shine.) 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE POWERFUL PRESENCE™ MASTERCLASS