January 18, 2006

Dear Jim,

One of the most widespread myths "Aligned Thinking: Make Every Moment Count" busts is the myth that we control time.

If you are going to get the most from your time and life, it is critical to know what you really control.

The Challenge of A Client Changed My Outlook

I had just started my company. It was about the third week of the first corporate program I ever did when Dr. Bob Barreis invited me into his office.

He asked this question: If you can't make something go faster; and you can't make it go slower; and you can't save it; and I can't give you any of mine and you can't give me any of yours; can we say we control it?

More than a little mystified, I said, "I guess not."

I think you time management people need to get your act together. That was the beginning of Aligned Thinking.

Time is the way we measure the turning of the earth. No one can make it go faster or slower.

At midnight tonight all of the time this day will be gone. We can't save it. I can't give you any of my time. You can't give me any of your time. You will have more immediate success if you figure out exactly what we do control and focus on that.

What Do You Really Control?

The past is gone. The future is not here yet. So what do you really control?

This is a critical question if we are ever going to get the most from our "time" and our life.

The simple answer is, we only control our action in the here and now. The interesting thing is, only you control your action in the here and now.

The huge question is this: If all I get from life depends on some here and now action, how can I get the most from this moment?

How Do You Get The Most From This Moment?

To get the most from this moment, you must optimize the what, why and how of this moment.

How Do You Optimize the What of This Moment?

One way to mess up the what of this moment is to focus on what you feel like doing. If you were to believe freedom comes from always doing what you feel like doing, you might never get out of bed. Or you might need a number of wonderful anonymous organizations like drugs, overeaters, smokers, beaters etc. anonymous.

After much thought, the simplest answer is you optimize the what of this moment when you do your Most Important Now. This is not a feeling, this is a decision. By definition, there is nothing more important than your Most Important Now, your MIN.

How Do you Optimize the Why of This Moment?

Where is the greatest value, meaning and motivation for you? Doing what I really want, or what you really want. Obviously, what you really want.

You optimize the why of this action when it is motivated by, and take you back to, what you really want. Recall the definition of the Aligned Thinker.

Because what you REALLY want is the critical key to getting the most from this moment, and because this moment is all you control, that is why we began in Aligned Thinking Secrets #1, 2 and 3 to clarify and review daily what you really want from life and work.

How Do You Optimize the How of This Moment?

There is a great headline in the WSJ; "Multitasking Makes You Stupid." Multitasking, like dialing a phone when you are driving, can also get you killed.

In answering this question, we must recognize that we have a limited amount of mental energy.

When you are doing anything creative, being totally involved in your MIN (Most Important Now) with vigor is the key to your greatest productivity.
How Do You Make It Simple To Use?

You now have the right answers. You know how to optimize the three critical things to optimize this moment, the what, why and how.

However, here is a huge problem. If, before you decide what to do next, you have to stop and figure out:

How do I optimize the what of this next action?

How do I optimize the why of this next action?

How do I optimize the how of this next action?

Would you do it? Certainly not!

If enjoying all the benefits of being an Aligned Thinker depends on stopping before each new decision to answer all three of these questions, there would be very few people enjoying all the benefits of Aligned Thinking.

To be very useful you need not just a simple method, but a very simple method to decide what to do next that takes into consideration all of the above.

In the book, Aligned Thinking, Ray and Carol are challenged to come up with a method that is so simple it takes fifteen seconds or less and once you hear it you never forget it. I challenge you to do the same for tomorrow.

This is the MIN (Most Important Now) Secret -- the very simple central focus of all of Aligned Thinking.

Coach Eric tells Ray and Carol they will appreciate the MIN (Most Important Now) Secret when they discover it themselves. This is true for you also.

Think about this question for tomorrow: How can you optimize the what, why and how for your next action and do it consistently and easily in fifteen seconds or less.
Tomorrow is D-Day. I'll have the MIN Secret for you then.

The Power of The MIN Secret

The MIN Secret is so powerful, if you remember nothing that we have discussed the last six days and use nothing but the MIN Secret, you can change your life.

Proverb or Promise of This Today

If you can give yourself three gifts:

Once a quarter, 30 minutes

Once a day, 5 minutes

And 15 seconds to decide what to do next,

You can become an Aligned Thinker.

That's a promise!

I hope you will purchase many books tomorrow, for yourself and those important to you - family, friends, employees, clients and colleagues.

A Huge Thanks in advance.

I'm excited about what we can do together by sharing this with those we care about.

Coach Jim

PS Remember to share this with those who want to purchase books for those they care about..

Jim Steffen - Time Myth Buster
SSA International

email: rjsteffen@ssainternational.com
phone: 203-740-8400
web: http://ssainternational.com

Author's Bio: 

The $1,395.00 Bonus Gift Bonanza for Just $13.95 Bonus Gift Bonanza #5 is a 60-minute teleseminar busting the myth, "I Could Never Get Rid of All Interruptions!" In the book, Aligned Thinking, both Ray and Carol do not believe that they can get rid of all interruptions. Coach even admits in his earlier years, he also did not think it possible to get rid of all interruptions. But it is possible as this 60-minute teleseminar will show you. And you can do justice to family, friends, clients and employees in the process. To check exactly what you will receive and how you will receive this Bonus Gift Bonanza, visit http://www.ssainternational.com/1.19BonusBonanza.htm