X47 Time Management Philosophy

The pivotal question in time management is: “What is important to you?" Here are three approaches to help answer this question:

1. Prioritise on instinct.
   The quickest way to make decisions is the spontaneous reaction to your instincts. Some people have a special talent for this and are quick and confident as you can ever be. This instinct is there and you can train it to a certain degree.

   But this gift also has its down side. On the one hand it is pretty rare and very few of us have it to the extent required. On the other hand, instinct can be influenced by external circumstances and is seldomly completely "reliable".

2. Prioritise using a value plan

   The second fastest chance to make decisions is by using a value or objective plan.

   The dimensions of a value plan can be found:
   

   1. Within yourself
   2. in your corporate philosophy
   3. in your boss’ decisions.

   The following corporate value approaches are common:

   1. “Client first” - the customer is most important
   2. “Employee first”
   3. “Profit first” – profit orientation
   4. Profit margin, costs, turnover, …

   As well as important personal values:

   1. Children, partnership, family
   2. Health
   3. Avoidance of stress
   4. Friends

3. Prioritise the value of money

   The most involved and safest way of making decision occurs on the basis of numbers. Here using monetary units per time unit. It is based on the previously menttioned value plan and refine the value system with monetary units.

   It is important to note that each employee lives by two monetary value systems:

   1. The value system within a company, based on full costs per hour
   2. the private value system, based on net wage per hour.

   This often leads to conflicts between objectives. While an employee thinks: “I’m just going to take a 5 minute cigarette break, that’ll just cost me a cigarette”. His boss is thinking: “He’s smoking again and there goes another five minutes, that costs me 5 Euros (because the full costs per hour for his position costs 60 Euros)".

   More on this topic in the book “Use Time Optimally”.