A Stitch in Time

The essence of time is something all of us have a love and hate relationship with. At times it seems we are in control of it and other times it becomes a task master that drives each of us to our limits. In the business world, timeliness can be profitable and being careless with time can be the ruin of the bottom line. There is a saying in a nursery rhyme that relates, “a stitch in time, may save nine”. What that means in a nutshell is a timely effort will prevent more work later. There are many things that can be done in our personal life and business that can and should be done in a more efficient manner.
I am amazed each year when thousands of Americans wait until April 15th to prepare their taxes and get it in the mail. No doubt many will file for extensions which will only serve in pushing the date of reckoning a little further away to buy more time. In order to be successful in business and reach your full potential, it is imperative to make the best use of time. Being a good steward of time will pay dividends many times over the initial investment. Listed below are some things that can be done to manage your day:

1) Put First Things First or prioritize your to do list. There are certain aspects of your business that are more important than others and you must make sure that they are taken care of in a timely manner.

2) Have a Master Plan for the day or at least a map in mind of where you want to go and what you wish to accomplish. Remember the old carpenter’s rule: “Measure twice, cut once”. Taking a little time to map out your day is never wasted time!

3) It pays to be Proactive rather than reactive. There are many business issues that can be compensated for and acted on before being pressured by a deadline.

Success depends largely on how time is managed and great efforts must be made to be a wise investor of the time we have. Remember: "A stitch in time, may save nine." I wish you much success today and always.

“Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves”
~Lord Chesterfield~