Decide Work Smarter, Reduce Your Stress, and Lead by Example

What shapes a person's career and life, and defines them as a leader? Their decisions. We all want to be more productive and deliver our best results. But doing this effectively?and consistently over time?is a significant challenge. Managing it all is hard, and leading in today's hyper-paced world is even harder.

The good news is that leadership expert Steve McClatchy makes it easier. In Decide, McClatchy?who works with Fortune 1000 people every day to help them achieve outstanding levels of performance?shows you how to cut through the complexities and excuses to start realizing real gains simply by changing one thing: the way you make decisions. With McClatchy's help, you can quickly begin to:

• Use the time you have each day to move your business and your life forward
• Make decisions that yield better results
• Waste less time, reduce stress and regain balance

Again and again, McClatchy has helped people learn for themselves how great decision-making habits yield a lifetime of accomplishments. Follow McClatchy's no-nonsense and practical approach, and you'll soon manage?and even lead?at your highest level of personal performance.

Preface xv

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Two Forms of Human Motivation: Gain and Prevent Pain 5

Prevent Pain: I Have to Do It! 9

Do I Really Have To? 11

Attributes of a Gain Task 13

Management versus Leadership 18

The One and Only Exercise I Will Ask You to Do in This Book . . . Brainstorm! 20

Chapter 2 It’s All up to You: Avoid Burnout and Create Balance 23

So Why Take on Gain? 25

The Paradox of Balance 26

Gain Is the Answer to the Balance Crisis 29

Gain and Prevent Pain Must Work Together 33

Chapter 3 Prioritizing Tasks in Relation to Results 35

A New Way to Prioritize 39

Why Is Prioritizing Important? 42

Focus on Results 44

Survival Instincts 49

Breaking Down Gain: Creation versus Consumption 51

Chapter 4 Energy and Motivation: Decide How You Will Get Yours 55

What Can Your Brain Do for You? 58

Energy from Desire: Creation and Consumption 62

Energy from Fear: Procrastination 66

The Final Judgment on Procrastination 72

Chapter 5 What Understanding the Value of Time Can Do for Your Life 75

The Value of a Minute 79

Understanding Where Our Time Goes 81

Make Better Decisions about Your Time 83

You Accomplish Gain by Getting Your Goals on Your Calendar 84

Why Does This Work? 86

Getting Your Goals on Your Calendar: The First Steps 88

Need Some Examples? 90

Leap of Faith 93

Don’t Squeeze It In 95

Chapter 6 Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Planning 97

No Time to Plan? 101

Benefits of a 5-Minute Plan 102

Make It a Habit 108

Chapter 7 Managing Interruptions 109

Stick to the Work Involved 113

Steer It Back by Interrupting Yourself 115

Set Expectations 115

Recover and Get Back to Work! 116

Work Interruptions into and out of Your Schedule 118

Return the Favor 118

Chapter 8 How to Manage It All: Time Management Implementation 121

Organizing Your Information Resources 123

Why Get Organized? 125

Decide and Commit 127

The Keys to Using a Time Management System Effectively 129

What Your System Needs to Do 130

Task Management System: To-Do Lists 131

Calendar 138

They Work Together 139

Being on Time versus Being Late 140

Information Management: Contacts and Notes 143

Touch It Once 145

Chapter 9 Take Action 147

The Power of Your Decisions 149

Decisions Are Like Rules 150

Your Decisions Determine Who You Are 150

Do You Make Leadership Decisions? 152

It’s Not a Competition 153

Building Your Identity as a Leader 156

Don’t Just Think about It. Do It! 157

You Work Too Hard Not to Get the Great Results You Deserve 158

Notes 161

Acknowledgments 163

About Alleer Training and Consulting’s Work with Clients 167

About the Author 169

Index 171

STEVE McCLATCHY is an international speaker, trainer, consultant, writer, and entrepreneur who has spoken before thousands of audiences who have been delighted with his entertaining style and powerful stories. He leaves each and every participant with a wealth of knowledge delivered in a fun and interactive fashion. Steve founded Alleer Training and Consulting out of his passion for adult learning and for the field of training and development. He has worked in sales, sales management, training, and consulting for such organizations as The Pillsbury Company, Broderbund Software, and Forte Systems. To learn more, visit www.SteveMcClatchy.com