Time Management - Marc Mancini
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94<br />
<strong>Time</strong> <strong>Management</strong><br />
Keeping Abreast of the <strong>Time</strong>s<br />
It may seem an obvious point, but the truth is that anticipating<br />
the future involves knowledge of both the past and<br />
the present.<br />
You can dramatically improve your ability to predict upcoming<br />
events (and your chances of forestalling future problems) if you simply<br />
keep your eyes and ears open.The more you know about what’s going<br />
on around you, the more likely you are to recognize when events are<br />
moving in a direction that might impact you.<br />
For instance, gossip isn’t always useless. If you’ve heard that your<br />
boss may be up for a promotion, you anticipate the possible changes. If<br />
she gets it, you may also be promoted. On the other hand, you may<br />
stay where you are and get a new boss. Either way, it’s smart to make<br />
sure that you’re ready and stay alert to signs of changes.<br />
and pesky: cell phone calls disconnect, computers crash, people<br />
you need to talk to fail to return your calls. Confusion not only<br />
reigns, it pours. Murphy was probably an optimist.<br />
But there’s another, very old saying that embodies the tactic<br />
for defeating chaos: “A stitch in time saves nine.” Foresight is<br />
indeed one of the most precious talents you can possess.<br />
How Well Do You Anticipate?<br />
Here are some examples of behaviors—some important, some<br />
trivial but telling—that characterize people with foresight. How<br />
many of them apply to you?<br />
• They make a copy of every document they write or sign.<br />
• They reconfirm appointments made some time ago.<br />
• They keep a pad and pencil beside their phones.<br />
• They keep maps in their cars.<br />
• They keep service manuals for home appliances in a<br />
place where they can be quickly found.<br />
• They have their cars serviced regularly.<br />
• They’re prepared, in case of sickness, to have someone<br />
at work cover their responsibilities with reasonable efficiency.