15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management summary

“Time is money!” “Lost time is never found again!” These turns of phrase may be clichés, but that doesn’t make them any less true. Time is one crucial asset that you cannot regain once you’ve lost it.

You can find new friends, earn more money, even find a new husband or wife. But you’ll never get your wasted time back. There are 1,440 minutes in every day, and you’ll keep losing them if you can’t say no when people ask you if you’ve “got a minute?”

That’s why the author has a large printout of the number 1,440 hanging in his workspace. Keeping this relatively small number in sight and mind has helped him realize that he hasn’t got a second to waste.

If you too want to make the most of all the minutes in your day, there’s one thing you’ll need to learn: focus. But what to focus on? Well, you’ve got to find your own personal MIT, or Most Important Task for each day, each week and each month.

Your MIT should be concrete and measurable. Finishing an article you’re working on or clearing out your inbox are good examples of effective MITs. After defining your MIT, the next step is scheduling its completion as early as possible. This will encourage you to get your tasks done quickly and efficiently.

Another aspect of good focus is the ability to say “no” to requests that don’t move you forward. Steve Jobs himself declared “Focusing is about saying no.” So don’t be afraid to be ruthless when it comes to tasks that aren’t relevant to your goals.

Finally, remember that nobody can be the best at absolutely everything. We all have strengths and weaknesses, so put your time into the things that you’re good at. The Pareto principle tells us that 80 percent of our results stem from only 20 percent of our actions. So, find that 20 percent that you’re brilliant at, and give it all your attention!