I remember my boss stopping by once saying he had some good news. What could it be? Are they giving me a raise? Letting me hire another staff member? Painting my office?
“We’ve decided to send you the Franklin Covey time management class!â€
Oh. Wonderful. Thanks. I didn’t actually have to say those things out loud, because I’ve always had a tough time working the poker face. He seemed disappointed that I wasn’t excited.
I rallied. “No, that’s great. Who couldn’t use some instruction on how to write things down on a calendar?â€
When someone sends you to time management class, they’re trying to tell you something. It’s like sending you to anger management class. It’s not because you’re great at managing your anger.
So I smiled and thanked him, all the while thinking, “Yeah, right. Like I can’t keep my calendar straight.”
So maybe a month rolls by, and one day I’m sitting at my desk. Suddenly I jumped up in the air. “Holy, sh*t! The Franklin Covey thing!â€
I dug through the papers on my desk and found what I was looking for, a flyer about the class. Not only was it that day, but it had started two hours earlier.
I didn’t tell anybody that I’d missed my $200 training, but instead quietly rescheduled for another date. I eventually took the class and learned to be a highly effective time manager.
Now it’s time to share with you the secret: write things down on a calendar and look at it all the time. There. I just saved you $200.
Better yet: Get one of those programmable gizmos that beeps at you and won’t stop until you look at it. Old fashioned paper calendars can be ignored, or lost under piles of junk. Don’t ask me how I know this.
Classic. Definitely sounds like something I might have done… once upon a time. Now I have my written desk calendar as well as my Microsoft Outlook. If I can’t keep my crap together then I have failed my species and there’s no hope for me…. well, except a time management class. LOL.
Who said “grits”?? Where are they??? Mmmmmmmmm . . . . salty corn kernels with their skin blanched off by lye, dried, ground, then boiled and reconstituted, seasoned with more salt and butter and maybe some bacon and cheese (but never, EVER sugar) . . . that’s good eatin’!!!
I have to have a Blackberry these days, alas. Work uses shared Outlook calendars for all scheduling, so most days, I just go where the machine tells me to go, when it tells me too.
Saves paper, though my sense of free will is greatly diminished . . .
Google Calendar has been a lifesaver.
Eye,
Looks like your boss enjoys stake-horsing Conservatives.
Per OpenSecrets.org, here’s a list of campaign contributions made by the employees of FranklinCovey:
Contributor
Address
Occupation
Date
Amount
Recipient
COVEY, JOHN M MR
PROVO,UT 84604
FRANKLINCOVEY/ADMINISTRATOR
10/5/04
$300
Republican National Cmte (R)
COVEY, JOHN M MR
PROVO,UT 84604
FRANKLINCOVEY/ADMINISTRATOR
8/9/04
$200
Republican National Cmte (R)
DAY, TRISH
BROOMFIELD,CO 80021
FRANKLINCOVEY COMPANY
3/6/03
$300
National Republican Congressional Cmte (R)
EVANS, MARGUERITE
CEDAR HILLS,UT 84062
FRANKLINCOVEY/EXECUTIVE
1/18/08
$250
Romney, Mitt (R)
EVANS, MARGUERITE
CEDAR HILLS,UT 84062
FRANKLINCOVEY/EXECUTIVE
5/15/07
$250
Romney, Mitt (R)
MARGUERITE, EVANS
CEDAR HILLS,UT 84062
FRANKLINCOVEY/MANAGER
6/29/07
$250
Romney, Mitt (R)
MCCHESNEY, CHRIS N
CUMMING,GA
30041
FRANKLINCOVEY/GENERAL MANAGER
10/13/08
$500
National Republican Trust PAC
SIMPSON, MICHAEL MR
PROVO,UT 84604
FRANKLINCOVEY/MANAGEMENT & LEADERSH
6/1/07 $250
Romney, Mitt (R)
WHITMAN, ROBERT A
ARLINGTON,TX 76016
FRANKLINCOVEY/CHAIRMAN & CEO
2/20/07
$2,300
Romney, Mitt (R)
That’s just individual donations. If you want 527s or 501(c)4s, I’ll need a bit more time.
Almost forgot. Here’s the link to the above information.
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=&state=&zip=&employ=FranklinCovey&cand=&all=Y&sort=N&capcode=qqghh&submit=Submit
Whenever I see “Utah”, I get nervous…
Kevin: I love Google Calendar, but I’m a sucker for anything Google puts out there.
ErinsMom (a 2 time attendee) has the FC Binder and Laminated Time Management Cards, yet is still 15-20 minutes on up to several days late for nearly everything. Sometimes, the training just doesn’t take hold.
I probably spent $150 on the FC binders and related paraphernalia before I figured out it didn’t work for me. I looked very well organized, though…
Uh, I have to admit, those gizmos that beep can be shut off. What really does without fail, though, is having a boyfriend who is a Punctuality Nazi.
I’m nuts about being on time. 23 years later, I still can’t get my wife to cooperate…
We have more to do! Hair, makeup, nails, and the shoes and purse have to match the clothing… all of that stupid uncomfortable s**t. Believe me, I’d rather be comfortable, especially after that wedding I attended last weekend. Turns out I needed to be able to handle some drunken punks, which would have been easier if I weren’t wearing a dress and sandals.
Still got the better of them, though. I hate kids.
Hey Rob! Just sat down to catch up on your blog after a busy summer… of living under a rock apparently. I’m a fan- and wish you and your family well.
(By the way- if memory serves me correctly- you did kinda suck at time management.)
Hope all is well, Kristen…
I’m much better at keeping a calendar now! 😉
My husband is the tardy-party in my home… why is it he has to go visit the porcelain throne right when we’re ready to walk out the door?!
Most appointments/meetings can be eliminated altogether. Now, that’s real time management!!
Hopeful, you are a genius. Keeping track of time is only one aspect of managing it. Putting the time we have to good use is another! Get rid of meetings!
Grits: I’m sure your husband will be happy that you shared that!
Hopeful: I’m with you, but lets start with the afternoon meetings. I have a hard time staying awake during those.
grins are a frequent occurrence @ “keyboard..:” -love it
ljb
Hi, ljb! 🙂 <— special grin for you
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