Want to get more done in less time, without working harder? Go from feeling frustrated and burned out to feeling invigorated, with the absolute certainty that you know what to do next and next after that? What if this could happen for you, without you spending money or learning some complicated new "system?" If that sounds good to you then let me introduce you to the way I work.
I call it the DBV Time Management Method.
This plan is the heart of simplicity itself.
I've used it for years and it works.
But first, I have two confessions to make.
First, I used to be a time management system junkie.
I was a very faithful Day Timer user, and I tried David Allen's Getting Things Done.
Great system, just not for me.
I've tried many time management systems over the years.
Each of them had merit, and worked for me, in part.
But nothing brought focus and direction like DBV.
Second confession - this is not my own original idea.
I use it and have refined it to my own life, but the original idea came to me from the one and only Zig Ziglar.
If you don't know Zig, you should.
Even though I've never met him, and won't meet him until Heaven, he has meant more to my career and life than any other figure.
Now let's get into the DBV method.
What does DBV stand for? Day Before Vacation! Almost all of us have worked at jobs, and had vacations before.
So, think back to the day before your last vacation.
Were you focused? You bet you were! Did you move with purpose? Your coworkers almost had to dive out of your way! Did you get more done in less time? If you are like most people, the answer is a resounding yes! Why is that? I'm no psychologist, and I don't play one on TV, but I would say this.
On the day before vacation three things are true...

1. You know you have finite time - You have one day to get it all done.
   
2. You don't try to do too much - It's vital that the important things get done, so you naturally prioritize what is important.
   
3. You have something to lose - Most of us have felt the fear of not getting that project finished and having to delay or cancel our beloved vacation.
   

Now how about this thought...
Do you know more on the day before vacation than you did the day BEFORE the day before vacation? It's likely you didn't sit up all night studying, just to get things right at work.
You used your natural ability to prioritize to focus on those things that matter most.
I believe that we all know what to do.
It's just hard sometimes to actually do those things.
Hard to...

• Write that article or blog post
• Not check email every 15 minutes
• Not glance at our cell phones right before going to bed, etc.
  

Here's another thought...
What if every day could be like the day before vacation? It can be! Here are five steps to make it so: One - Get a sheet of paper or open a note taking document (I like Evernote) Two - Write down the things that must be done tomorrow ( not *could*) Three - Prioritize the list - what gives you the most return? Four - Do the hardest one first! After that, it's all downhill.
What a feeling! Five - This is my twist - Open a second document.
When thoughts of what you *could* do come to you during the day write them down and forget them.
If you do this for one week I believe you will never go back.
Never.

• You will get more done in less time.
  
• You will become the "go to" person because you get things done.
  
• You will have more free time and more peace of mind.
  

And those are all beautiful things indeed!