Have you ever looked at other people and admired their focus, effectiveness and drive? Have you wondered how they seem to be so organized and in control and how they always seem to the right thing at the right time in the right way?

Have you ever felt that you work too hard, but even then still struggle to complete your work? Or, maybe you sometimes have a look at what you have been doing and it doesn’t seem to count at all; you feel as if you have done it all in vain and there’s no visible progress to be proud of…Many people experience these same problems, feeling over-busy, disorganized, stressed and out of control of their lives. Yet they know there’s a better way – if only they could find it!

You must have heard this before: ‘We all have the same 168 hours per week: You, me, Bill Gates and the President.’ Then why is it that some people accomplish so much, while others accomplish so little? There must be some secret they know and the rest of us just don’t. It’s a bit frustrating, isn’t? Are there any time management tips that we weren’t taught in school only because some people were meant to be successful and others were not? (Just kidding!)

So, what on earth can we ordinary people do to get things moving right? Well, here’s my tip to YOU!

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the story of Charles Schwab. A consultant came in one day and asked Charles Schwab if he was open to a suggestion that might change his business. ‘I’m always open, what have you got?’ he replied. The consultant told him: ‘This is what you need to do: take out an index card, every single day, write down six things that you are going to do tomorrow, six things that you know are feasible, that you can do, that are going to greatly benefit your business. Write down six things and, the next day, don’t do no.2 until you finish no.1.’ And using this principle, Charles Schwab became a multi- multi- multi-millionaire, taught it to the rest of his staff and the consultant said: ‘Don’t pay me for a year, pay me what you think this advice was worth’; and a year later he got a cheque which in today’s economy was the equivalent of millions of dollars, just for this one tip.

Are you, by any chance, surprised? You shouldn’t be. It’s all about having goals and taking the right steps to achieve them; it’s all about getting organized and abiding by some common sense rules that turn chaos into order!

Why don’t you start re-organizing your life by doing this simple exercise? Napoleon Bonaparte seems to have done it (and did it right) as he was preparing to conquer the world (you ought to have guessed that already). So, let’s make this a little easier; write down five things that you can do tomorrow, five things that are simple and easy towards your dreams. Now somebody might be thinking: ‘Wow, towards my dreams!’…Yeah, towards those things that you need, that you are passionate about, that you want to get into your life! Simple things – they could be as simple as going onto a website to get some information, maybe something as simple as a phone call or going to the library to look out for a book, maybe it’s reading the Financial Times or watching the Discovery Channel for half an hour or, why not reaching out to a friend? Simple things that you know you could do if you made some time for it. The list may go on but five things will do to make a point here. They are your ‘daily goals’, the right kind of practice you need to achieve your big life goals. The greatest painters of the world began by drawing sketches on notebooks, they paved their way to success by trying their hand on pieces of paper before their brushes touched canvas. They all strived to achieve their little daily goals while keeping in mind the big picture of their dreams.

By getting organized you will simplify your life. You will see everything getting a little more speed, then moving faster and faster and at the end of the day you will find that you have managed to do one, two … five things that you were not able to do a week before. Why? Because you simply made up your mind to, you wanted to. Then you will realize it’s not TIME that manages you; it’s YOU that manages time! When there’s a will, there’s a way! they say.

Those five things that you are supposed to write down and do every day in pursue of those big goals of yours are not going to eat up the whole day. You’ll see; there will still be plenty of time for a hobby, or seeing a friend but in the end, you’ll get a taste of what satisfaction of completed work means; you’ll be proud of yourself for having completed a little task. Just imagine what you will feel like when you have made your dreams come true!!!

Getting control of your time is the first step in getting control of your life. It’s true that managing time requires self-discipline, planning and personal structure. The daily ‘to do’ list is a good starting point for setting goals, prioritizing the many things that need your attention, and determining what you can realistically accomplish in a day. When you take the time to plan your activities, you actually have more time for them, and you will learn to be flexible to changing priorities. How does that sound?

Making lists is an easy thing if you are committed to managing and controlling your time. It’s up to you to determine when unscheduled visitors, phone calls or meetings should be postponed or eliminated. No one knows the demands on your time better than you do, and no one else is in a better place to manage those demands.

In reality, time management is self-management and your success depends on commitment to building those time management techniques that fit you in your daily routine. Once you do you will be amazed at what you can achieve in a day and at the time you get for the personal pursuits you just haven’t been able to get to.

So, don’t just sit there waiting for ‘gifts’ to fall from the sky; organize your day, month, year and soon you will see the fruit of it all!

Oh…and one more thing: when you start on time you are sure to finish on time!

About the Author

Sam Santiago, CTM is a speaker and trainer with Rising Above LLC, a training and development company which offers keynotes, on-site training, and executive coaching. He is a Certified Human Behavior Consultant in association with Personality Insights. Sam has been featured in Toastmaster Magazine and The Daily Record.

Sam is known for his communication skills and has been recognized as an award winning speaker by Toastmasters International where he achieved the designation of CTM, Competent Toastmaster. Sam’s passionate, relatable yet humorous style empowers people around the world to develop and improve their business, communication and leadership skills.

Sam has over 10 years experience as an Information Technology professional who has successfully bridged the gap between the traditional stereotypes of introverted IT geeks. He has provided computer consulting, leadership, and project management services to corporations, non-profit organizations, and small businesses.

From his real-life transformation from being a low paid blue-collar worker to highly paid white-collar Fortune 500 consultant, Sam shares success principles that will skyrocket your team’s productivity.

Sam Santiago’s powerful presentations continuously evolve to offer greater insights into enduring principles for understanding self and others.