Time Management Tip: Returning Calls, Emails, and Text Messages on Your Schedule, Not Theirs

I'm offering up one of my greatest time savers here, today, just for you, Dear Reader.  I only return messages left for me at 10 am, 2pm, and 4 pm.  My phone's ringer is turned off, and my cell phone sits in my purse.  I call it my "Dr Pepper Rule," because of the old 10-2-4 logo on the Dr. Pepper bottles.  Remember those?  (I still love me a Dr. Pepper, real not diet.  Yum.)

Right off the bat, if you choose to do this, too, get ready for some backlash.  There are those who will be annoyed, perhaps even offended, that you aren't picking up your phone every time it rings, or jumping right on their text message or e-mail in reply.  That's okay, because this isn't about them.  It's about you, and your schedule.

I do try and let everyone know that I do this.  New clients are informed in a standardized email that I send out as part of my introduction.  Loved ones grin and bear it, too - some still grumble, but they love me anyway. 

How does this help?  Why follow the Dr. Pepper 10-2-4 Rule?

It keeps you on schedule with what you've set out to do for that day.  As a writer, I've got to have blocks of time to focus on my work.  Writing is tricky, you want to be in this zone where things are flowing out of your mind so fast that the words aren't popping up fast enough on the screen -- and that zone if fragile.  It takes awhile to get there (a pal said I should research the "alpha state" of the brain, it's involved here, somehow), yet you can lose it in a second.  So, I need the lack of interruption to get my stuff done, to make a living.

However, the rule isn't just for writers.  It's for anyone who values their time.  When they created answering machines, they were intended to be time-savers.  Messages are meant to be left, and returned later. 

One of the most important things in leading a simple life, is keeping things simple.  Constantly reacting to your phone - voicemail, text, email - can have you bouncing through a day like the small white ball in a pinball machine.  That's not a joyful, peaceful, productive way to live. 

At the end of the day, ask yourself:  what have you accomplished that YOU set out to do?  How did you spend your currency of time?  Follow the 10-2-4 Rule, and you'll be pleased with your answers.

Warning: Are Toyotas Dangerous??? Sometimes, The Answer is Yes.

First, it was sudden acceleration problems caused by faulty gas pedals in Toyota vehicles (Toyota, Lexus). 

Then, there were reports about brakes malfunctioning in 2010 Prius hybrids, and now I'm reading about fingers being pointed at the electrical systems in Toyota cars, SUVs, and trucks (Lexus included here, too).

If you have a vehicle manufactured in the past few years by Toyota, then you need to take precautions here.  Seriously, when the Secretary of the Department of Transportation says don't drive these cars till they're fixed, then take heed. 

Additionally, I'm watching out for Toyota makes and models out on the roads, too.  May sound paranoid, but if a 2010 Prius hybrid is right on my tail, I'm changing lanes. 

Free Museum Admission (Zoos Too) with Bank of America Card

This is a nice deal, if you live near a participating museum -- Bank of America has a program called Museums on Us, where you get free admission into museums or zoos or botantical gardens, etc. -- lots of cool places.

Catch?  It's only good on the first full weekend of the month.  You've got to be an active Bank of America customer, with a card to show at the door.  And, you've got to have participating zoos, etc. in your area that are part of the Museums on Us package. 

For example, four cities in Texas have participants: Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and La Porte.  Live outside driving distance to these communities, and it's not a bargain for you (yet). 

It's a good idea, let's hope it grows.