We all hate to get those telemarketer phone calls. The Don't Call Lists help, but these rascals still find a way to bug you at suppertime or just when you are about to sit on the toilet (which, I hope, are not simultaneous events in your household).

Some of these folks just don't take no for an answer, either. I have discovered the most effective technique is to say, "Hold a moment, please." Then, set the phone down and walk away from it. The telemarketer will sit there and fume until s/he finally hangs up. And you will likely be added to the telemarketer's Don't Call List.

Now, that's a mean thing to do. But, it works.

The real trick to time management is not how much faster you can file papers or how much multitasking you can do. The real trick is to keep other people from wasting your time. In my time management seminars, I show how to control those outside influences on your time.

Many people use a forest and trees metaphor. Don't forget about termites and aphids--that's the trick to being in control of your time. I say it's "the trick" because it's the one area few of us ever address.

You do not have to be mean with people, as in the telemarketer example, to get folks to respect your time. In fact, if these are folks you are dealing with regularly, you don't want to be mean. For the most part, if you will just let folks know what your limits are ("I'd love to talk, but I have too much to do right now"), they will respect both you and your wishes. Especially if you are respectful when you tell them that.