What is both free and priceless?

Here are some riddles that apply to all of us:

• My value is more significant than you think, but if you lose me, I'm gone forever.
• I am easy to waste; I am unstoppable. What am I?
• Until I am measured, I am not known yet how you miss me when I have flown.
• What flies without wings?

Managing time is a struggle for most of us, but successful people have learned they cannot manage time. They can only control what they do with their time. The end of the month will come no matter what you do! We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Successful people have learned that what they need to manage are their priorities. You cannot manage time, but you can manage your priorities. I’ve always been partial to this quote by Harvey Mackay: “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.”

Prioritize your tasks based on two criteria – importance and urgency. First, determine what is more important and what is less critical. Then determine what is urgent. Below is a method to successfully manage your priorities:

• Do important and urgent tasks first.
• Delegate urgent items that are less important.
• Set deadlines for completing critical tasks that are not urgent. Use the task option available on your calendar to set deadlines for less urgent and vital items. Block time on your calendar to work on important but less urgent tasks.
• Delete or decline tasks of low importance and urgency.
• Leave a third of your day open for urgent and vital items that arise.

Successful people use this method to manage priorities, thus using their time wisely.