18 Minutes to Tame Your Busy Hours
“The secret to surviving a buffet is to eat fewer things. And the secret to thriving in your life is the same: Do fewer things,” Mr. Bregman writes in 18 Minutes.
Nov 08, 2011
Globe and Mail
By, Harvey Schachter
November 3, 2011
Peter Bregman loves buffets. And like many of us, when the New York-based consultant gets there, he tastes everything in sight. He inevitably leaves the buffet uncomfortable, exhausted, and regretting his consumption.
The challenge he faces (and fails) at the buffet table is the same challenge most of us face when managing our time. There’s so much we can do, so many inviting opportunities, that it’s hard to choose. Instead, we try to have it all.
Time management systems don’t really help with this problem, he notes, because they are focused on how to get it all done in less time. And as happens at the buffet, we end up overwhelmed.
“The secret to surviving a buffet is to eat fewer things. And the secret to thriving in your life is the same: Do fewer things,” Mr. Bregman writes in 18 Minutes.
He focuses on five things over a year, three work-related and two personal. They are large, important catch-all categories – not goals, but wide areas of focus, and of course they would vary from person to person.
The author’s three work categories are: Do great work with current clients; attract future clients; and write and speak about his ideas. On the personal side, his aim is to be present with family and friends; and to have fun and take care of himself.
These aren’t measurable notions, but Mr. Bregman makes sure that 95 per cent of his activities fit his slots. He’s going to the buffet table with a smaller plate, and selecting the nourishing and tasty offerings.
His daily to-do list is a series of six boxes, in which he slots the intended activities into his five categories. If they fall outside, they go into a box labelled “the other 5 per cent” (such as changing the oil in the car or buying a new printer).
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Nov 08, 2011
Globe and Mail
By, Harvey Schachter
November 3, 2011
Peter Bregman loves buffets. And like many of us, when the New York-based consultant gets there, he tastes everything in sight. He inevitably leaves the buffet uncomfortable, exhausted, and regretting his consumption.
The challenge he faces (and fails) at the buffet table is the same challenge most of us face when managing our time. There’s so much we can do, so many inviting opportunities, that it’s hard to choose. Instead, we try to have it all.
Time management systems don’t really help with this problem, he notes, because they are focused on how to get it all done in less time. And as happens at the buffet, we end up overwhelmed.
“The secret to surviving a buffet is to eat fewer things. And the secret to thriving in your life is the same: Do fewer things,” Mr. Bregman writes in 18 Minutes.
He focuses on five things over a year, three work-related and two personal. They are large, important catch-all categories – not goals, but wide areas of focus, and of course they would vary from person to person.
The author’s three work categories are: Do great work with current clients; attract future clients; and write and speak about his ideas. On the personal side, his aim is to be present with family and friends; and to have fun and take care of himself.
These aren’t measurable notions, but Mr. Bregman makes sure that 95 per cent of his activities fit his slots. He’s going to the buffet table with a smaller plate, and selecting the nourishing and tasty offerings.
His daily to-do list is a series of six boxes, in which he slots the intended activities into his five categories. If they fall outside, they go into a box labelled “the other 5 per cent” (such as changing the oil in the car or buying a new printer).
Read More