Time: friend or foe?

"Use time as your ally." This is a mantra that I started using over 20 years ago. Let's look at some ways to do this.

• Look long range. Everything from "start saving now" financial practices to your health practices comes under this concept. Many things in life are cumulative. Even love is that way, so take care what you say to those around you. A little barb here or there may not seem like much, but over time those add up. So, then, do kindnesses. Use time as your ally to build your relationships through small kindnesses over time.
   
• Understand lead times. For example, you may need to buy something for a trip. Waiting until the day before means you might not have it in time--perhaps the store is out of stock. I operate one manufacturer's largest online retailing presence: http://www.easytranslators.com. Folks often are leaving on Monday and they want a translator shipped to them before the go--and they order on Friday. Ain't gonna happen. And, even if it go there, what if it had a problem? The lesson here is to predict the "baking time" various items need and then schedule them accordingly. In electrical projects, it takes about 9 weeks to build the gear for new power to a large facility--if you are on the fast track. So, ordering that gear a couple weeks before starting means you will be starting 7 weeks late. If you had to bring a cake to a party, and you started mixing the ingredients 10 minutes before you had to leave, it doesn't matter how hot you get your oven--that cake will not be done in time. Baking time--important concept. And not just literally.
   
• When coordinating projects with other people in a "I do this, then you do that" fashion, do your "turnarounds" as fast as possible. Then, give the other party a shortened "deadline" for response. This gives you extra time you would not have otherwise had.
   
• Understand what you can multi-task and what you cannot. I put clothes in the wash while I am doing my weight training regimes. The washer does its thing while I go off and do something else. Most folks probably catch this one, but occasionally I hear someone say, "I have to stay home and do the laundry." Well, if you let the clothes wash while you are answering e-mail, making and eating a meal, cleaning house, reading a book you need to read, or whatever--such a statement need never cross your lips.
   
• When something is coming up, start preparing for it in little pieces. For example, suppose you are going on a trip. Start getting trip itineraries in spare moments, jot notes, keep an area just for trip items. When I write an article, I often do one section at a time over several days. Then, when I am ready to publish, I go through the whole thing--but much of the work is done. This is far less stressful for me than trying to cram it all in just before the due date, and the product is noticeably better than it would be with a rush approach.