Nothing takes a minute
If you think one minute takes sixty seconds you are wrong! Don’t believe me? Then why is it when there is only a minute left to a football game, it takes 15 minutes. And when your wife needs “just a minute” to put on her make up to get ready, why is there enough time to watch a football game!?!
How long does it take you to walk to your corner? A minute? I’m sure you think so, but it’s not true. First you need to find your keys then find your jacket and put it on. Now you’re on your way right?!? No, your neighbor stops you and chats. You see my point, one minute can take much longer.

Now that you see your minute can take much longer, here’s how to apply this knowledge:
• Be conservative in your estimates– It may only take you a minute to respond to the email the customer sent- but don’t tell you boss you’ll send it out in a minute. What happens if you can’t find the original email or if you get an urgent phone call? I’m not suggesting that you mislead your boss, just factor in some obstacles.

• Do it now– Don’t wait till later thinking “it will only take a few minutes to do”. Get it done now so you are sure it will be ready on time.

• Prioritize your tasks– Get rid of the “minute” tasks first because they may take longer. Then you’ll also have less items on your list.

In Part II, we’ll look at how to get extra minutes.