I recently delivered my new coaching keynote address to the top-producing agencies of a major franchise group. Entitled “Look Up!” this group coaching program focuses on the secrets of achieving even-higher levels of success and happiness. One obstacle facing all entrepreneurs is the ubiquitous time-management concern. We never have enough time to complete our work.

I could speak volumes about improving your operating efficiencies, but in this column I will focus instead on effective mental strategies you can adapt to the sales process. I hope you will enjoy these refreshing coaching tips for achieving time-management success.

First, accept that the day is not expected to get any longer. We’ve had a 24-hour day for a long time. Achieving time management success is largely an adjustment of our mental state. The passing of time won’t change, so we must. Be conscious of what you’re doing and how much time you’re spending doing it. Make better choices. You can achieve greatly every day as you create smarter expectations of yourself and the external forces affecting your life. Expecting time to slow or the day to grow won’t work!

Second, expect the “Big Surprise” (it will come every day). Big surprises are a daily jolt to all businesses. Some are welcomed (like a complex large-group lead that sends you into an exhilarated panic), and some are not (like having to collect a fuel tax). If you wake up every day expecting a change or challenge, the jolt won’t be as bad.

I suggest that you make this a permanent part of your Things to Do List (TTDL). Label it the “Big Surprise.” It’ll eat up 20 percent of your day, whether it’s a fabulous new sales opportunity or a massive industry event. Expect 20 percent of your work time to be consumed by the “Big Surprise” and your day will remain balanced (and so will you).

Focus on achieving 80 percent of your TTDL (and consider that a “Big Success”). This should make perfect sense to you now that you’ve accepted the 20 percent “Big Surprise” factor. So, if you have 10 TTDL items, expect to accomplish eight and feel victorious. The 20 percent you didn’t accomplish today will slide to the top of tomorrow’s list. Perhaps the “Big Surprise” doesn’t come. You’ll achieve 90 or even 100 percent of the essential tasks on your list. This gives you a jump on tomorrow.

Write your TTDL tonight (not tomorrow morning). Caution: If you write your TTDL list in the morning, you’re headed for disaster. I urge you to begin the business day with the TTDL already complete. Emails, phone calls and other events begin occurring immediately, which leaves you little clarity to recall what must be done. Write your TTDL tonight for tomorrow and avoid being harmfully distracted. Practicing this tip will have a more profound impact on your life, too, and you will sleep better!

Stop multitasking (it makes you stupid). If you believe that your advanced multitasking abilities help you to accomplish more, you’re wrong. Each task completes at a slower pace, contrary to what you might believe. Quality is compromised, too. Your head spins and you exhaust yourself.

I’ve been saying this for years, and so has Sue Shellenbarger of the Wall Street Journal: “A growing body of scientific research shows one of the jugglers’ favorite time-saving techniques, multitasking, can actually make you less efficient and, well, stupider,” she wrote. Stop multitasking by staying entirely focused on your TTDL. Fight distractions!

Stay inside your Love Circle. Have you ever completed a work day and hated some of what you did? Do you bristle at the thought of dealing with certain customers, products or tasks? If so, then you need to use my Love Circle technique. It helps eliminate things that bring you down, clearing more time for things that bring you up.

Ultimately, living inside your Love Circle allows you to achieve much higher levels of success and happiness. This is the key to successful time management, too. You will excel in quality and speed when dealing with customers, products or tasks you enjoy. So, eliminate doing the things you don’t love. As you take steps toward Love Circle mastery, you become not only a stellar time manager but also super successful in business.

Fellow motivational speaker Michael Altshuler once said, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” So partner with the 24-hour day, set realistic expectations and achieve higher levels of success and happiness! @