Flamingo Time

I looked down at the couch then up at the crammed moving van.

I had given myself the packing job because of my planning abilities and keen intellect.

“There’s no way that’s fitting in there, genius.”

My bride has always had a special way of keeping me grounded.

We lugged her favorite couch to the curb and drove away.

The couch didn’t survive but this leadership lesson did: If something is a priority, make it a priority.

Time is our most precious commodity yet we often treat it like that couch—we fill our days with everything but our growth and development.

Here are some prioritization tips with examples from my latest pursuit of self-mastery:

CLARIFY YOUR WHY
I seek to advance my understanding of talent optimization and increase awareness of its virtues.

TIMEBOX IT
I carved out 1 hour each workday for this investment.

SCHEDULE IT
I created a recurring meeting in my Google calendar.

MAKE IT SPECIAL
I used the pink color—named Flamingo—to make this appointment stand out.

PROTECT IT
I can accept a critical meeting that stomps my “flamingo time”, but I have to keep myself whole by rescheduling it.

Using this technique, you can create 250 hours to invest in yourself this year.

What could you achieve with that sizable investment?