People often ask me how I get so much done every day. Part of it is developing good work habits, balancing work and personal life, and time management. Although you can’t really manage time (we all only have 24 hours a day), you can make your time more productive. One way I do this is converting idle time to learning time.
If you’re short on time, it can seem impossible to add anything else to your packed schedule – even positive and needed things such as reading helpful books or attending a seminar about time management. But it is possible to make it work – you just need to think creatively.
Take advantage of time that would normally be wasted, such as time that you spend commuting or driving around on errands. If you normally listen to music, you could use this time to listen to audiobooks instead. Or, download a time management book to your iPod – you can buy equipment inexpensively that will play the book through your car speakers.
Even if you aren’t able to focus completely on the book while you’re driving, just having it on in the background will let the information soak in. Listening to those positive influences will help motivate and inspire you.
By integrating inspirational resources into your everyday life, you’ll begin to make the principles and techniques involved second nature. Even though you’ll be listening to these resources in bits and pieces, you’ll also be listening to them multiple times (about 5 times per book is recommended). This will make more of an impact than a single seminar.
Don’t stop with your commute – think about the rest of your daily schedule. There may be other times that you can listen to audio books, such as when you’re working out or cooking dinner. With a little creativity, you can fit informational and time saving books into your daily life – no matter how busy you are.
I have recently started using Audible to download audiobooks to my computer, iPod, and Kindle. I listen to audiobooks sometimes when I am listing, shipping, walking at the park, or at night instead of reading.
Some I have listened to recently:
The Facebook Effect (Free download!)
The Walmart Way – The Inside Story of Success – Don Soderquist
Success and Leadership – Zig Ziglar
Awake the Giant Within – Tony Robbins
Click here to check out Audible’s special offer and start using drive time and idle time as learning time! A few minutes here and there really adds up. For example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, adds up to 130 hours a year. Why not use that time to listen and learn?
Related articles:
#1 Excuse for Failed Businesses – I Don’t Have Enough Time
How to Work More Efficiently when Selling on eBay
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