In Sandler, we have the concept of pay time versus no-pay time. It can be very powerful in managing the activities you have to perform and make better use of your time. Of course, the awareness really comes into play when you modify your behavior to fit the reality of your situation.
So what is pay time versus no-pay time? Perhaps oversimplified, it's the idea that some activities have to be done at specific times, while others can be done during whatever your off-hours are.
A good exercise for you to go through is to categorize all the activities you participate in as either pay time or no-pay time. Figure out all the different things you do, and essentially prioritize them.
I've asked many clients to go through that exercise, and most of them found it difficult.
When applying the concept of pay time versus no-pay time, there tends to be a difference from organization to organization, and from person to person. Some can perform their pay time from 8-5, Monday through Friday, and their no-pay time outside those hours.
For others, it's not as simple. Your home life or personal life may allow you more limitations than that, or maybe more freedoms than that. You may have to meet clients in the evenings or weekends. You may have to talk with clients in different time zones.
The lines can quickly get blurred!
You have to figure out how to apply the concept to your own situation. When you're doing something, is that activity something you should be doing right now? Or are you just doing it to avoid what you should really be doing?
And if you're performing a no-pay time activity, make sure it either supports a pay time activity or will lead to a pay time activity. Otherwise, quit doing it.
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