Decide

STEVE McCLATCHY is an international speaker, trainer, consultant, writer, and entrepreneur who has spoken before thousands of audiences who have been delighted with his entertaining style and powerful stories. He leaves each and every participant with a wealth of knowledge delivered in a fun and interactive fashion. Steve founded Alleer Training and Consulting out of his passion for adult learning and for the field of training and development. He has worked in sales, sales management, training, and consulting for such organizations as The Pillsbury Company, Broderbund Software, and Forte Systems. To learn more, visit www.SteveMcClatchy.com

• Preface xvIntroduction 1Chapter 1 Two Forms of Human Motivation: Gain and Prevent Pain 5Prevent Pain: I Have to Do It! 9Do I Really Have To? 11Attributes of a Gain Task 13Management versus Leadership 18The One and Only Exercise I Will Ask You to Do in This Book . . . Brainstorm! 20Chapter 2 It’s All up to You: Avoid Burnout and Create Balance 23So Why Take on Gain? 25The Paradox of Balance 26Gain Is the Answer to the Balance Crisis 29Gain and Prevent Pain Must Work Together 33Chapter 3 Prioritizing Tasks in Relation to Results 35A New Way to Prioritize 39Why Is Prioritizing Important? 42Focus on Results 44Survival Instincts 49Breaking Down Gain: Creation versus Consumption 51Chapter 4 Energy and Motivation: Decide How You Will Get Yours 55What Can Your Brain Do for You? 58Energy from Desire: Creation and Consumption 62Energy from Fear: Procrastination 66The Final Judgment on Procrastination 72Chapter 5 What Understanding the Value of Time Can Do for Your Life 75The Value of a Minute 79Understanding Where Our Time Goes 81Make Better Decisions about Your Time 83You Accomplish Gain by Getting Your Goals on Your Calendar 84Why Does This Work? 86Getting Your Goals on Your Calendar: The First Steps 88Need Some Examples? 90Leap of Faith 93Don’t Squeeze It In 95Chapter 6 Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Planning 97No Time to Plan? 101Benefits of a 5-Minute Plan 102Make It a Habit 108Chapter 7 Managing Interruptions 109Stick to the Work Involved 113Steer It Back by Interrupting Yourself 115Set Expectations 115Recover and Get Back to Work! 116Work Interruptions into and out of Your Schedule 118Return the Favor 118Chapter 8 How to Manage It All: Time Management Implementation 121Organizing Your Information Resources 123Why Get Organized? 125Decide and Commit 127The Keys to Using a Time Management System Effectively 129What Your System Needs to Do 130Task Management System: To-Do Lists 131Calendar 138They Work Together 139Being on Time versus Being Late 140Information Management: Contacts and Notes 143Touch It Once 145Chapter 9 Take Action 147The Power of Your Decisions 149Decisions Are Like Rules 150Your Decisions Determine Who You Are 150Do You Make Leadership Decisions? 152It’s Not a Competition 153Building Your Identity as a Leader 156Don’t Just Think about It. Do It! 157You Work Too Hard Not to Get the Great Results You Deserve 158Notes 161Acknowledgments 163About Alleer Training and Consulting’s Work with Clients 167About the Author 169Index 171