Today's TQ

Daily Lessons in Intentional Excellence
Saturday, January 17, 2026

Who's In Control Here Anyway?

"We've met the enemy, and he is us." Recognize that your major time waster is not someone or something else...it's you!

Value every precious minute in your day today.

Today's TQ Challenge: Put a Value on Time Invested.

Choose to be VIGILANT! How much time have you spent off task so far today?
Choose to be ACCOUNTABLE! Is there something else more useful that you could spend your time on right now? Why aren't you?
Choose to be WATCHFUL! Is today's schedule clear and complete, and are you sticking to it?

Time is the most precious gift of all. Ask anyone facing a serious accident or illness, or an important deadline. Ask any parent watching their little girl all grown up and graduating from high school. You must learn how to become accountable for every minute in your day, because each day spent, is a day gone forever. Concentrate your time on only those things that produce the greatest reward and satisfaction to you.

"Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think about it. How well and how often do you actually DO Optimize Factor 9A?

"I value every precious minute in the day."

A high commitment (9A rated 8 or better) suggests you are someone who reaps the greatest value possible from every passing minute. Realizing that when it's over -- it's over, you're always aware of how much time is left on the clock. This awareness of the fleeting passage of time keeps you accountable for each minute in your day. Because you are committed to your roles and focused on compelling goals, you clearly know where to invest your time. This helps you put every hour to its highest and best use. It also helps you eliminate activities that steal time away from more desirable, more rewarding activities.

On the other hand...

A lack of commitment suggests you are someone who takes time for granted. It is only too common for your day to be over well before you realize it. You have trouble pointing to any progress from last week, and have no idea if your time was spent wisely or not. Entire days can be wasted on activities of only minimal interest or value to you. Opportunities are lost, because you think you can get to them tomorrow -- or you're always scrambling to complete projects at the last minute. On occasion, you are struck by the precious value of time, but the feeling is gone before the day is over. And you're too soon old -- and too late smart.

What happens when you CHOOSE to do Factor 9A a bit more frequently?

You get a greater return on your time when you squeeze maximum value out of every minute in the day. You accumulate performance positives like "Vigilant, Accountable and Watchful" -- immediately moving you towards the results you expect.

What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 9A?

Huge chunks of time are lost when you stop valuing every precious minute in your day. Negatives like "Unmindful, Unconscious and Inattentive" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.

Now Ask Yourself This...
Is Factor 9A Causing You Problems?

If you believe this factor is a key performance obstacle -- and that it's preventing you from realizing your personal dreams and goals -- then you need to improve it.

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