Time Management

Nearly 20 years ago, Alan Lakein published these words: "Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it."Those were the opening sentences to his book "How To Get Control of Your Time and Your Life," which went on to sell over 3 million copies. It made Mr. Lakein the guru of time management, a much sought-after corporate consultant and adviser to busy celebrities like Gloria Steinem and Neil Diamond.

When he started to run competitively as a freshman - going out for cross country to prepare for the basketball season - Perry Hall senior standout Vince Ciattei said he didn't have much success. But there was something about running that simply had him. By his sophomore year, Ciattei was competing in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. "It was, 'Well, if I wanted to be really competitive, I need to go all in,'" he said. The best advice Ciattei received came from his coach, Marilyn Bevans, who told him you only get out of running what you put into it. Ciattei has put in the time, and the results are showing.

We've all been there: It's already 3 p.m., and we still have 101 tasks to complete. Time management is nearly impossible when interruptions and distractions are everywhere. Whether it's the constant stream of e-mails and phone calls or office colleagues wanting to chat about their weekend plans, we never seem to have enough time at work to work. Browsing online can begin innocently enough, but that five minutes usually turn into 20 minutes. (OK, I admit it, I looked for Suri Cruise's pictures at work last week.

Jonathan Thomas spent his first two years at the University of Maryland consumed by his studies in mechanical engineering. From his current vantage point, Thomas now realizes there was a void. A former basketball star at Tuscarora High, where he was Frederick County's Player of the Year as a senior, Thomas is one of five walk-ons who made the team this season after a series of open tryouts in the fall. "You try to do stuff to get your mind off of not playing, [and] you're busy so you try not to think about it," Thomas said before a recent practice at Comcast Center.

When he started to run competitively as a freshman - going out for cross country to prepare for the basketball season - Perry Hall senior standout Vince Ciattei said he didn't have much success. But there was something about running that simply had him. By his sophomore year, Ciattei was competing in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. "It was, 'Well, if I wanted to be really competitive, I need to go all in,'" he said. The best advice Ciattei received came from his coach, Marilyn Bevans, who told him you only get out of running what you put into it. Ciattei has put in the time, and the results are showing.

Jonathan Thomas spent his first two years at the University of Maryland consumed by his studies in mechanical engineering. From his current vantage point, Thomas now realizes there was a void. A former basketball star at Tuscarora High, where he was Frederick County's Player of the Year as a senior, Thomas is one of five walk-ons who made the team this season after a series of open tryouts in the fall. "You try to do stuff to get your mind off of not playing, [and] you're busy so you try not to think about it," Thomas said before a recent practice at Comcast Center.

Traditional time-management methods make sense to only about 50 percent of the population. The other half finds filing, making lists and honoring the clock's dictates both mind-boggling and frustrating.These people are often labeled as unorganized procrastinators, while their "better halves" get a pat on the back for efficiency. But some time-management experts say it's time to ditch those judgments. They encourage viewing the two groups as operating from right-brain- and left-brain-dominant spheres.

When time-management consultant Jeffrey J. Mayer's latest book hit the market, it joined the growing group of some 17 million Dummies."Time Management for Dummies" was sold out before the first printing of 35,000 was shipped. Now in its second printing of 30,000, the book and its author can hold their spines straight next to IDG Books' popular series that includes "DOS for Dummies" and "Windows for Dummies."Mr. Mayer is no stranger to success. Through Mayer Enterprises in Chicago, he has taught some of the country's top business leaders how to be efficient.

In an era before many modern conveniences took hold in Howard County's agricultural households, homemakers clubs offered rural woman what amounted to home economics tips on time management and kitchen technique. One event took place through Aug. 20, 1928, a contest in which "home management agents" advised housewives on how to better arrange kitchens to eliminate wasted time in the preparation of meals. A vintage photograph shows a "rest and beauty corner" in one such kitchen - an indoor sink and stool, taking the place of bare table and water bucket.

Rare is the person who will baldly claim to be organized, time-efficient, in control of life's kadillion demands.But the fact is most people use or develop some time-saving behaviors. We just don't label them as such, because in the heat of the daily battle to conquer the must-do's on our menacing schedules, we think of them only as survival techniques.Every person contacted for a tip to contribute to this column laughed nervously and proclaimed him- or herself hopelessly adrift in the field of time management.

Time can be a small-business owner's best friend or worst enemy. It all depends on how you use it. There just never seem to be enough hours in the day to get things done. Time is extremely valuable to business owners - especially if you bill for time. Wasting time can be harmful to your bottom line. To operate efficiently, your business might need systems for managing time and keeping track of who's working on what and for how long. Most successful small-business owners are also successful time managers.

Leslie Shreve Productivity consultant and chief executive officer Focus Consulting, Baltimore Salary $90,000 Age 40 Years on the job Five How she got started After 14 years in contract management, purchasing and supply chain management for major health systems, Shreve said, she needed a change from the stresses of those jobs. She discovered there were full-time posts in professional organizing, something she had a passion for. She began working with a friend in residential organizing but quickly found that she missed the corporate world.

For the past decade, the definition of the new "Oriole Way" has been up for debate. Here's a stab at it: managerial instability. If Sam Perlozzo gets fired this season, his replacement will be the club's sixth manager since 1997. Only the Toronto Blue Jays (who have had seven, including a five-game interim stint by Mel Queen in 1997) have had more managerial flux in the past 10 years. The Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals also have had six - including interim managers - in the past 10 years.

We've all been there: It's already 3 p.m., and we still have 101 tasks to complete. Time management is nearly impossible when interruptions and distractions are everywhere. Whether it's the constant stream of e-mails and phone calls or office colleagues wanting to chat about their weekend plans, we never seem to have enough time at work to work. Browsing online can begin innocently enough, but that five minutes usually turn into 20 minutes. (OK, I admit it, I looked for Suri Cruise's pictures at work last week.

When Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and starting pitcher Ted Lilly charged into the home dugout tunnel Monday night, they also walked into a peculiar area of baseball history. It doesn't happen too often - at least not publicly - but physical skirmishes between a manager and one of his players have dotted baseball's landscape for decades. The altercation between Gibbons and Lilly - which happened after Gibbons removed his pitcher in a seven-run inning and Lilly complained and then cursed at his manager while walking off the field - was not an all-timer.

In an era before many modern conveniences took hold in Howard County's agricultural households, homemakers clubs offered rural woman what amounted to home economics tips on time management and kitchen technique. One event took place through Aug. 20, 1928, a contest in which "home management agents" advised housewives on how to better arrange kitchens to eliminate wasted time in the preparation of meals. A vintage photograph shows a "rest and beauty corner" in one such kitchen - an indoor sink and stool, taking the place of bare table and water bucket.

As the economic downturn takes its toll, many a company is reducing its work force -- seeking to accomplish the same tasks with fewer employees. And time management experts say that without stop watches and other severe measures, employees can be taught to use their time far more effectively.By the same token, employees seeking to preserve their jobs can use time management techniques to make themselves more competitive, says Michael Bryant, a consultant and president of Career Transition Services in Baltimore.

Time can be a small-business owner's best friend or worst enemy. It all depends on how you use it. There just never seem to be enough hours in the day to get things done. Time is extremely valuable to business owners - especially if you bill for time. Wasting time can be harmful to your bottom line. To operate efficiently, your business might need systems for managing time and keeping track of who's working on what and for how long. Most successful small-business owners are also successful time managers.

Jim Leyland was enjoying his leisurely life working as a major league scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 60-year-old could've been content with his managerial career that included a World Series title, two National League Manager of the Year awards and three division championships. But he wasn't - so Leyland accepted the challenge of trying to turn around the Detroit Tigers. Detroit signed Leyland yesterday to a three-year contract to replace manager Alan Trammell, who was fired a day earlier after three seasons.

We are the victims of a boss with grossly inefficient work habits. Most of us don't mind pitching in and are willing to help one another to make this business a success, especially since she is the owner. But her weird work habits often cause her to miss deadlines and wreak havoc in the office. She is talented and knowledgeable but so disorganized and without any concept of time management. We resent it when she digs in her heels at the last minute on a project and says that 45 hours or more a week are expected since we are salaried.