The truth may be that only probably about half of us live life from the 
perspective of the models of traditional “clock time,” use of the standard 
calendar concept, setting goals, prioritizing, or the framework of “to do” 
lists. The other half of us may have minor to major cases of lock-jaw when it 
comes to saying “No!” because we are more highly committed to a belief we will 
have more time tomorrow, no new crisis to manage then, or that there is a 
better way than the standardly accepted more linear ones to manage life by and 
follow than calendars, clocks, and lists. We are also the ones who may think 
“boundaries” pertain mainly to football or soccer -- such as “in or out” of 
bounds rather than to guidelines important to us in the living of our life. 

Everyone’s intention is to be better, do better, and to do more -- soon. So 
it’s not about intentionality. It’s more about style and gift. 

Bigger truths are there are natural laws governing much. Natural laws that are 
very powerfully effective are used by Hyrum Smith, one of the founders of 
Franklin Quest. Franklin Quest currently produces one of the most in demand 
time/life management paper and software systems and seminar series. Smith says 
this about human behavior: 

 “Natural laws are fundamental patterns of nature and life. They describe 
things as they really are, as apposed to how we think they are or how we wish 
they were.” 

Smith goes on to say, “These natural laws can help us gain control of our 
lives, improve our relationships, increase our personal productivity, and 
experience inner peace. “The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life 
Management” - Proven Strategies For Increased Productivity and Inner Peace” is 
available by Hyrum Smith (c) 1994, Warner Books, Inc. 

There are two sets of approaches to learn self-management based on 
understanding and applying natural laws: 

1. Understanding and applying certain natural laws can help us better manage 
our time. 
2. Others can help us manage our life. 

All require an important set of elements -- that we know what our values are 
and how we want to prioritize these. (For an article on Values, watch this 
site for the posting of this.) 

Several of those identified by Smith that may seem particularly relevant are: 
Managing your TIME natural laws: 
- when your daily activities reflect your governing values, you experience 
inner peace 
- to reach any significant goal, you must leave your comfort zone 
- consistent daily planning leverages time and increases focus 

Managing your LIFE natural laws: 
- your behavior is a reflection of what you truly believe 
- negative behaviors are overcome by changing incorrect beliefs 
- your self-esteem must ultimately come from within 
-give more and you’ll have more 

Something I think about, write about, and frequently discuss with my coaching 
clients is the process of developing a mandala or a visual, circular 
representation of your life. A way to do this is draw a large circle. In the 
very center of it, draw a small circle -- this is the essence of you. You have 
100% of your time -- allocate between 1% and 5% for this center circle -- 
that’s the least you can afford to allocate to your own essence -- your time 
to just be with you. The all around the larger circle, section off areas 
(maybe in the shape of pie-pieces or possibly as spokes on a wagon wheel) of 
all the other essential elements of your life: family, intimate relationships, 
friends/acquaintances, primary career, secondary career (if applicable), 
hobbies, communities or organizations, rest and recharge; wellness/fitness, 
health/medical, travel/transportation, finance/money management, 
education/training, and so on. Apply a percentage (%) that is relevant to each 
of these sections you have labeled. It becomes crystal clear with this process 
why there may not be enough of YOU to go around in your day/month. 

Here’s were Values become really important -- and knowing your values and 
having your day reflect how you live through them is one key to satisfying 
life management. Think of your own life mandala and apply the natural laws 
mentioned to this and see how your use of your time stacks up and if this has 
relevance to your happiness. If so, do more of what’s working. If not, make 
some changes pronto -- and go to your Values to determine where to start. 

I recently had a chance to live out this process as I was writing this article 
as I traveled through part of Texas. The materials for this went with me to a 
business trip for a training seminar in Dallas on the topic of “Compelling 
Life Path” on a Friday eve/Saturday. Immediately at closure at 4pm I drove to 
Austin to meet my son and his fiancee who had arrived there from Chicago for 
dinner and to see my other son through Sunday morning, ending up at a $10 
Million Dollar Camp For All groundbreaking ceremony in Burton, Texas outside 
Brenham at a good friend’s new non-profit project for camping facilities for 
the handicapped or specially challenged children and adults. Dinner was at a 
client’s restaurant in Roundtop, Texas, and then I arrived home about 9pm 
Sunday night in Houston. While the fully-packed and highly scheduled weekend 
including driving alone over 600 miles, it didn’t feel ‘busy” or overloaded at 
all. This was because all steps along the way and reasons for the trip for me 
were "on purpose" and very much a piece of my “life plan” and my weekend as I 
wanted to live it. Coordinating and planning was important -- and all the 
reservations, the multi-legged car trip, and the meeting times were pre- 
arranged. But the whole time I had a sense there was enough of me and of time 
to work all this in comfortable -- so it was a pleasurable, profitable, and 
productive way to spend three days. 

I’m an advocate of looking at life much as if it is a tapestry -- the public 
sees and enjoys the visible, beautiful front of this work of art only because 
the crucial underpinnings beneath and behind the work are soundly in place. 
Planning has occurred. Materials or supplies gathered. Groundwork lain, a 
framework prepared. When the step for step is taken, a series of results can 
be produced. This can help lead to the living of a “seamless life” -- one that 
is part of a resonating whole. 

This is the primary reason to commit to a life that includes stages that are 
very much about goal setting, managing the timing of life events, 
prioritizing, learning a lot about saying: “No,” “not now,” and “Later,” maybe 
even “Never.” This is the reason to begin to unlearn what we believed in the 
past that’s no longer really useful or serving us in the present -- letting it 
go forever. We know where to find that belief should we ever need it again. 
When these things can happen, life can be as much about release and detachment 
from outcome -- the truest path to peace -- as it is about management and 
order. 

Leaving our comfort zone requires a step out in trust and into the unknown or 
the unfamiliar. Planning and preparation are the safety net. Consistency in 
planning, collection and maintenance of skills and materials are tools for 
this purpose. They are our insurance and what shifts the odds in our favor. 
They help us create meaningful form out of the scattered parts and pieces. 
Much of success in life is the result of diligent attention to some form of 
detail and good timing. Intuition plays a big part also, and learning what 
innately works best for us in terms of style and procedure of approach to the 
time and events of our lives. 

So by building in elements of natural laws, we also build in greater chances 
for success. And as I’ve mentioned often before, Ben Franklin had a great 
handle on this: “Successful persons are willing to do what unsuccessful 
persons are unwilling to do.” A challenge and a request -- will you spend the 
next month looking at the way you spend your day based on your knowledge of 
these natural laws and through the lens of your values? 

Sometimes it helps to have examples of people who have done this successfully 
who have created various strategies to help them maximize and use their 
natural tendencies and styles more effectively. In Part #1, I went into some 
detail on how convergent or linear, more left-brain dominant people use the 
more traditional time/life management methods of clock, calendar, and 
scheduling/prioritizing and “the list” methods. Below are some ways divergent 
or global thinkers who are more right-brained dominant have come up with that 
work for many of them: 

- approach planning from a big picture perspective with a visual layout of 
moveable symbols (colored index cards, objects, drawings) of each related 
task. A mind map works well for this purpose. 

- give up linear attempts to prioritize on a “to do” list. Instead, identify 
the most important results wanted. (Ex: a more profitable bottom line for 1999 
and 50% increase in gross revenues by July of 1998.) THEN select tasks to do 
first in accordance with relevance to the specific results. A business choice 
comes up -- measure it against this result. If it won’t lend itself to 
increasing your profitability, put it on hold for now. Decision is made for 
you. This is decision-making by putting into context of the bigger picture. 

- use colors to help determine the priority of each task and assign from the 
perspective of which is dependent upon which. Example: The mailing list has to 
be created and tallied for totals before you can determine the # of envelopes 
to purchase and time to allow to prep the mailing process. Mailing list 
becomes the priority #1 color and item calendared first. 

- don’t create more new tasks until there is an order for pre-identified ones 
identified. (the divergent mind’s joy comes from generating more and new; the 
convergent mind’s satisfaction and happiness derives from completing the 
existing tasks.) 

- stay in regular contact with the key people and circumstances involved when 
a lot of change is the very nature of the work. Email, voicemail, and FAXed 
updates and exchanges are key so people are not waiting overly long for still 
needed information or confirmations. 

- productivity and trust are interrelated. Only involve people you trust and 
can count on. Eliminate those you cannot from key positions for your projects 
or deadlines. 

- use experts when they can save you both time and money. Ex: there are teams 
of retired people trained to work together to tap in the community, and it’s 
amazing how available mentors are simply when you make the request for their 
help. 

- rethink your processes. Rather than burning out someone who does only one 
part of a procedure or task over and over, arrange it so each person can 
complete one whole cycle from start to finish for the satisfaction and also 
the responsibility of producing a finished and workable result. 

- seek constant feedback as you go to prevent problems from arising. We think 
of this as moving toward becoming a ‘problem-free’ zone in the Coach 
University environment -- a great place of operation. (Eliminate problems 
before they occur. A great way to begin to do that is ask your customer 
service people what doesn’t work -- they know -- and pass on their ideas to 
the people designing the service or production process.) 

- survey all tasks to be done. Ask: 1) can I work on any two or more 
simultaneously?; 2) which overlap and can be combined into one? Ex: return 
phone calls from the car on that long drive to work; prepare proposals on the 
airplane; carry a bookbag filled with things you WANT to read so no delay is 
lost time; have a working lunch (occasionally only!); get design feedback for 
the new bookcover at the meeting already scheduled for the final chapter 
discussion; what parts of an already completed project can be reworked or 
plugged in ‘as is’ to the current one? 

- keep a way to make visual notes in your car, at your desk, and at key 
pleases wherever you spend time. 

Most of all, realize even if you are brilliantly successful as a 35-hr a day 
woman some days, candle-burning at all ends is going to eventually be a 
challenge vs a gift. Be kind to yourself and schedule in 'a life' also! 

(c) 1997, Sherry Lowry, The Lowry Group/NexusPoint