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ATD Blog

9 1/2 Secrets Successful People Use to Get the Most From Their Time: Part 3

Thursday, October 27, 2016
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In my first blog post, I wrote that to get the most from your time, life, and career, one of the critical talents you need to develop is time management.

The first secret is to start with what you control. You just need to focus on one thing, your current action. But what is the value of that action? The value comes from the reason why you do it.

That answer leads us to the second secret: The most successful people get what they want by writing down what they really want and reviewing it regularly so that they stay focused. This activity is within your power; you can clarify in writing what you want from your life and career (see Exhibit A for an example of how you can get started with this process). You don’t need permission from anyone.

Exhibit A: How to Clarify What You Really Want

Secret 3: Connect the Only Thing You Control to Your Passion

Many people have trouble with the third secret. But there is a simple solution that makes it easy. Let me illustrate with a story about two people I have coached in the last couple of weeks.

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Pat and Joan were surprised by secret 2. Neither had written down a personal or professional mission. Yet even after they had clarified in writing both their personal life purpose and professional mission, they still found it difficult to connect their actions with what they wanted.

They asked me for some hints that would make the connection easy. Here is the suggestion I gave them: Because the only thing you control is your next action, how do you get the most from that action? First focus on optimizing the what of your next action. Ask yourself, “How will I decide what to do next?”

When I discussed this with my clients, Joan admitted that she was often impulsive. She sometimes ate too much, drank too much, and even slept late at the wrong times. Pat admitted that she often just did what the last person asked her to do. After much searching, we agreed that they needed to focus on the action that was most important now (MIN)—but it needed to be based on their personal and professional missions.

What is most motivating, satisfying, and valuable to you? What your boss wants, what your significant other wants, what your friend wants—or what you want in life and work? The obvious answer is what you want, although at times the wants and needs of others can take precedence. Think about the why of this next action: Does it take you to what you really want in life?

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Enter the 5-Second MIN Secret 

But this was still not a quick method they could use to consistently optimize the what and why of their next actions. So, when you are deciding what to do next, ask yourself this simple question: “What’s my MIN, related to what I really want?” “What’s my MIN” optimizes the what, while “related to what I really want?” optimizes the why. I asked Joan and Pat to use this for a month and report back.

Pat was the first to describe her results: “I’m doing more, and more of the important things. I still have to do things I don’t especially enjoy, such as dishes at home or reports at work, but I now see them as necessary to get what I really want. And that makes doing them easier. This gives my life more meaning because I’m consistently aligned to what I really want.”

Joan followed with, “Because I can see how this next action relates to what I really want, I’m more motivated and focused. This increased my satisfaction with little or no stress. I’m with Pat. I still don’t like doing dishes or reports. But focusing on the why gives them and life more meaning. I’m surprised it all happened because of a nine-word question!”

Suggested Take Home Steps: 1. Draft your personal and professional mission and review them daily. 2. When deciding what to do next ask, “What’s my MIN related to what I really want?”

About the Author

Jim Steffen founded SSA International in 1974. He wrote the international bestseller Aligned Thinking: Make Every Moment Count. He would be glad to offer you the opportunity to become a Certified Trainer/Coach, learn the Aligned Thinking Secrets, and teach it to your clients; the program is free if you are an ATD member. For details, visit www.LivingtheSecrets.com or contact him at [email protected].

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