Ruthlessly Guarding the Valuables: Time and Attention

Ruthlessly Guarding the Valuables

Recently, I’ve become starkly aware of how demanding our culture has become. One day last week, within the span of a just a few short minutes, I was randomly assaulted by literally dozens of phone calls and text messages.

I will certainly admit that that exact scenario is very uncommon. But since I was desperately trying to get something accomplished at the time, and since some of those texts and phone calls were from people who had made repeated attempts at reaching me already, I became particularly frustrated. (Let’s just say it’s a good thing there weren’t any sledgehammers, ponds or toilets close by… because my phone might not have survived.)

This isn’t to mention the daily onslaught of emails, Facebook messages, Twitter DMs, instant messages and face-to-face interruptions that bombard so many of us today.

In my business, large uninterrupted blocks of time are required to produce the kind of output it takes for our work to get done. I’m increasingly cognizant of the fact that this doesn’t mix well with a culture that expects a response within a matter of seconds, minutes or hours from any given interaction. It’s forcing me to recognize that two of my most valuable assets—time and attention—require bigger and better defense systems today.

Coincidentally, just as these thoughts were taking shape in my brain, I bumped into two very insightful posts today: one on “Pest Control” from Seth Godin, and the other on our “Culture of Distraction” from Matt Mullenweg. These are two of my favorite authors these days, and these posts don’t disappoint.

Matt Mullenweg actually shared a poignant 15-minute video clip featuring a talk from Joe Kraus on this topic. I’m including it here for you to enjoy.

Great Event!

A gigantic “Thank You” to Jeff Timpanaro of Oberata Consulting in Houston, Texas and all the people who worked so hard to make the “Eliminating Time Debt” event such a success. For those business owners and business leaders who participated, you have work to do! You received some powerful new tools and a preview of some of the other systems and tools available in the Total Integration Executive Program.

As a follow-up to this and other recent Total Integrationâ„¢ events, Epiphany Consulting has scheduled a “JumpStart” in partnership with Justin DeStoppelaire of C Service Consulting, Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida. This is a one-hour phone call that gives you access to an actual Total Integrationâ„¢ module and a taste of what a real call is like. It is done in a group setting, however, so we are able to affix a low cost per participant. We’re also offering a free download of the “Eliminating Time Debt” interview with Eric Beck and Bill Sanders, which is a phenomenal resource that sells on CD for $49 in and of itself.

The next JumpStart will occur on Tuesday, October 17th at 1pm Eastern. Registration is required. The investment is a mere $47. You can access the registration page here.

Eliminating Time Debt

Ever had the feeling that you had so much to do that you could never possibly catch up?

I have.

Isn’t it amazing how similar that feeling is to the feeling of being in debt up to your eyeballs? Making minimum payments or interest only payments . . . never getting ahead . . . only creating more debt . . .

If you’re walking around under the load of an impossible task list, with no hope of ever catching up, then you’re in “time debt.” Even if you’re not that far behind, but keep moving your “to-do” list from one day to the next, then you’re in time debt. You’re probably also not aware of how much this really affects you – mentally, emotionally and even physically. These effects add up. Your productivity will be lower. Creativity is reduced. It can even result in depression.

What can you do about time debt?

Eliminate it!

My good friend Jeff Timpanaro (President of Oberata Consulting in Houston) and I are conducting a seminar in the Houston area on Tuesday, October 10th, 2006. The seminar is a 2-hour event, during which we will provide you with the tools you need to strategically change how you approach your “to-do” list and your calendar. These life-changing principles are being used by top executives and business owners across the country with some amazing results.

Visit the Time Debt Event site for more details! I hope to see you there.