Talk with most anyone and ask them what they think are the top issues in time management and you're sure to get a multitude of answers. All are valid responses, but what are the top four time management issues that can keep from doing or being what you want and deserve?

They are: ineffective relationships, a poor attitude, being flat out tired, and the weather.

Ineffective relationships

Probably more than 50 percent of your personal productivity success has to do with effective relationships with other people. Friends and allies will open doors for you that would take a considerable amount of your effort on your own. They can give you words of encouragement that lift your spirits during down, unproductive times. They can teach you lessons that would take too much time otherwise to learn.

I'm not suggesting that one who does not have the good cooperation of other people can not be productive. They can, but not as productive as those who enjoy positive, effective relationships with others.

A poor attitude

It has been said that your attitude will determine your altitude in life's successes. With a poor attitude you become discouraged and demoralized and your performance goes down. Moreover, a negative person tends to repel positive people, whom you need to boost you up, and they tend to attract other negative people who will bring you down with their stories of misery and failure.

Being flat out tired

Three out of four people claim that they are flat out tired all throughout their days. Some do not get a sufficient quantity of sleep. They simply stay up too late and get up to early, burning the candle at both ends. Some have medical issues. And many may be getting a sufficient quantity of sleep, but not the quality. Their days are filled with so much stress and distress.

The weather

People all over the world are committing “productivity suicide” each day fussing over the weather and using it as a reason to reduce their productivity. Too cold, hot, and rainy. In actuality, there are very few perfect days in most regions.

Being aware of the weather is important, of course. If locally it is to be icy you may choose to stay indoors and a threatening hurricane may persuade you to evacuate to a safer place. But to be obsessed with the normal ranges of weather conditions is to only steal away from the opportunity to have a good and productive day.

Published: May 17, 2006

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