The time management gurus frequently give contradictory, impossible to implement advice that causes people to live their lives for their bosses, all the while feeling stressed and inadequate. I think there's a better way to get more important things done, and to be happy all the while. Watch the presentation that goes along with the slides at http://vimeo.com/16645366

1. TIME MANAGEMENT FOR COOL
PEOPLE
By Noah Dyer, MBA

2. AGENDA
 Feed my narcissism
 Why are you here?
 The gurus
 The delayed life plan
 Paradigm shift
 Time to think about your time

3. YOU CAME HERE FOR A REASON
 What is it?

4. CHALLENGE ME
 I’m not infallible. More importantly, I’m not you.

5. THE GURUS
 Modern gurus have created a culture of time
management hypochondriacs and self flagellators.
 They tell you they want you take control of your life,
but the tips that they give often make you feel
controlled.
 Check out the The Pleasure Principle and other
books by Paul Pearsall.
 Check out the The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy
Ferriss

6. THE DELAYED LIFE PLAN
 The story of the fisherman and the retired man

7. GURU PREMISE - GETTING MORE DONE IS
DESIRABLE
 “Do you spend too much time 'Net surfing, reading
email, or making personal calls?”
 “Establish routines and stick to them as much as
possible.”
 Set aside time once or twice a day to respond to
email and phone calls
 Don’t go to the proverbial water cooler, wherever
that actually is in your office
 Close your office door
 If someone comes into your office, stand up as
though you are about to leave.

8. THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
 If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, how much
time would he spend on the Internet, watching The
Discovery Channel, etc.
 Have you ever heard your coworkers talk about
someone like this? “She keeps her door shut. She
only responds to email in the afternoons. She
never talks about sports or sitcoms. She’s going
places!”

9. RESPONSE TO THE GURUS -
RESPONSIVENESS
 Get back to people quickly and personally
 You don’t have to provide an immediate answer, but
let them know when to expect it.
 Responsiveness allows you to charge a premium
for services, and will increase your referral
business.

10. GURU PREMISE – SEEK BALANCE EVERY
DAY
 Physical
 Spiritual
 Intellectual
 Family
 Friends
 Business
 Creative

11. THE RESULT
 Stress
 Feelings of inadequacy

12. RESPONSE TO THE GURUS – BALANCE OVER
TIME
 One example – 1 week of vacation per month…
 A weekend of reading once per month
 Take classes

13. GURUS – MAKE LISTS
 Daily
 Weekly
 Monthly
 Yearly
 In Quadrants
 In Spreadsheets
 In Software
 On Paper

14. RESPONSE TO THE GURUS – WIN!
 Set aside as much of your day as possible for WIN.
 Practice constructive procrastination.

15. SUMMARY
 Don’t feel like you have to live by anyone else’s
value system
 Responsiveness is superior to productivity.
 Make times to do the things you enjoy NOW!
 Say no to anything and anyone that doesn’t help
you reach your goals.

16. ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY TASKS
 How do you spend your typical day?
 If you could only keep 20% of those activities, what
would you keep?
 If you could only do revenue producing activities 2
hours per day, what would you do?
 If you could only do revenue producing activities 2
hours per week, what would you do?
 Who in your life do you see on a regular basis?
 Who in your life do you WANT to see on a regular
basis?