The 45-Minute Work Hour by David Justus

THE 45-MINUTE WORK HOURTM
David W Justus

The 45-Minute Work Hour © II
This book is affiliated solely with
Northcoast University Publishing and its partners
and is not officially endorsed by or affiliated with
any other institution, organization or company.
THE 45-MINUTE WORK HOUR:
For People Who Want More Out of Life
But Can’t Find the Time
A Northcoast University Publication
Copyright  2014
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-578-14012-4
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or digital, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission from Northcoast University, with the exception of quotes for a review. Requests for such permission should be emailed to admin@northcoastuniversity.com

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Special Thank You to My Mom, Ellen Justus, and to my amazing group of reviewers: Amy Saylor, Andrea Gibbons, Annette Foster, Ben Robie, Bill Metzler, Bob Perkins, Bruce Klinger, Cecelia Jacobs, Dane Theisen, DeAnn Baker, Debby Peters, Ed Plocek, Heather Weitzel, Kimberly Surovchak, Kirsten Pickle, Lisa Zilbauer, Mark Greenblatt, Pat Altvater, Phil Henderson, Ron Erdmann, Shane Marzullo, and Sheryl Markowitz.
Plus all of my other family and friends who helped along the way! I greatly appreciate all of you!

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INTRODUCTION
Time is our most valuable resource; when used effectively, people achieve better results and reach their goals faster. They live happier lives at home, are more productive at work, and gain a stronger sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Yet, 90 percent of people squander their time.
The 45-Minute Work Hour is for people who want more out of their life, but can’t manage the time. As you read the story about Ben and his desire for better time management, you will learn four simple steps for taking control of your time. We strongly encourage you to apply what is taught, even in the smallest of ways, because when properly cared for, time becomes easier to manage; thus, improving the overall quality of your life.
Why did author and motivational speaker David Justus write this book?
At age 21, David came face to face with the limits of his time when he was diagnosed with cancer a second time. With a prognosis that he had six months at best to live—every hour became more important— every minute more treasured.
Luckily for David, God blessed him with the gift of time and a second chance at life. Now, as he approaches 50, he is reflecting back on his life and

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how he used his gift. He graduated from college, has a family, wrote several books, gave back to numerous non-profit organizations, and helped set a Guinness World Record!
Yet, throughout his life’s journey, David has known people that were not so lucky. His father died as the result of a car accident, he lost his eight-year- old stepson to cancer, and a friend’s daughter, age 30, died suddenly from a brain aneurysm.
For the last 30 years, David tried to be conscious of how he used his time. He read books and took courses on time management. He applied new techniques and methods to better manage his time. And through all this, he discovered a PLAN to not only better manage his time, but to get more out of his life. Now he is sharing that PLAN in this book.
Remember, when time is used effectively, people achieve better results and reach their goals faster. They live happier lives at home, are more productive at work, and gain a stronger sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Yet, 90 percent of people squander their time.
So we ask, do you have time to squander? Or are you ready to discover how to take charge of your life by better managing your time? If yes, read on…

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1: TIME OUT
Time is the one thing that always seemed to get away from Ben. There just never seemed to be enough hours in the day to accomplish all of his tasks at work and to spend time with his family, let alone to pursue his personal goals.
Ben felt like he was a good husband and father. He married his wife Amy just after graduating from high school. The two were inseparable their first years of marriage. Then he started classes at the local university and she went to work full time as a receptionist. Finding time to study and spend with Amy was becoming more and more difficult.
In Ben’s sophomore year of college, Amy became pregnant with their first child, Joshua. Before Ben could graduate, Amy was pregnant again with their second child, Jennifer. If Ben thought it was difficult to find time with a wife and one little child, having two little children seemed impossible!
Ben’s first job after college was at a local bank. He helped generate new accounts. Since he had a

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knack for helping people, he made a good living—or so he thought.
Ben’s job required him to attend at least one dinner or event each week, which took away time from his family. He wasn’t complaining because chasing toddlers around to change a poopy diaper was not his idea of fun. And although Amy never complained, he could tell she wasn’t happy.
“How was your day?” Ben would ask upon arriving home. Most days Amy didn’t even have to answer as she would immediately hand him a crying child and dart into the kitchen to stop their dinner from boiling over. Before he knew it, it was 9:00 and she was fast asleep on the couch.
Ben sighed. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had a meaningful conversation.
The years passed and as time would have it, Ben was promoted to supervisor. Six months later however, the bank was bought out by an out-of-town super bank and his job was eliminated. Now unemployed, he had all the time in the world, but the stress of having two small children and no job made spending time with Amy even more difficult.
Ben’s persistency landed him a job in the business development department at Richmond Brothers, a full-service accounting firm. The hours were long but

the pay was good, and he liked helping people. His relationship with Amy was getting better, which in his life was all relative. He liked to think he was spending enough time with her and the kids, but she never seemed to be satisfied. They had fallen into the same old dull routine.
The year was coming to an end and Ben had made a resolution for the New Year to better manage his time. He watched the ball drop and at exactly midnight, he kissed Amy and gave her a promissory hug that this year would be better. He was determined to get more out of his life—if he could just better manage his time.

2: THE YEAR OF BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT
It was supposed to be the year of better time management. The results would be in the details, obvious for anyone to see if they knew Ben. That was the plan anyway, Ben would be more productive at work, while having more time to spend with his wife and two children. Mostly, though, it was the opposite—the more he tried to manage his time, the less productive he seemed to be—at work and at home.
“Franklin,” came the jolting shout from the boss’s office. “Get in here.” Ben jumped, barely avoiding spilling coffee down the front of his shirt. His legs felt rickety as he crept into the boss’s office and collapsed into the arms of a waiting chair.
A meeting was the last thing Ben needed. Amy had already sent him three text messages reminding him that their daughter had a band concert at 6:00 and that he better not be late. It was already ten minutes to five.
“Yes, Mr. O’Bannon,” came Ben’s mousey reply.

“Franklin, how long have you been with this company?” O’Bannon barked.
“Just over two years,” Ben said.
“Your productivity is down for the fourth straight week,” he said. “What is going on? What are you doing with your time?”
Ben’s head dropped into his hands.
“Son, look at me. What is going on here?”
“Honestly, I don’t know … I’m trying to use my time wisely, I mean, I don’t think I am wasting it. Time just seems to get away from me.”
O’Bannon glared from behind the large, oak desk.
“I mean,” Ben continued, “I want to be more productive. I really do, it’s just…”
“Just what?” he demanded.
“It’s just…” Ben took a deep breath and said, “It’s just that I have never been taught how to properly manage my time. I’m not trying to make excuses but at college I took cooking classes, psychology 101, and calculus. You would think for all the money they charged I would have been required to take a class on time management.”
O’Bannon stared blankly.

“I know that in the two years I have been with this company,” Ben ranted, “I have had customer service training, sensitivity training, even how to properly record my work hours. However, at no point was I ever given a class on time management.”
Now O’Bannon had his head in his hands.
“Yes, I wish I was more productive. Yes, I wish I could balance my work commitments and my family commitments, but I can’t,” Ben insisted, “I don’t know how!”
O’Bannon raised his hands in the air. “Franklin, Franklin,” he said. “I get your point. If you feel that as a company we have let you down, then I am going to take away all of your pitiful excuses.”
Ben sat up in his chair. He felt empowered. He always wanted to stand up to Mr. O’Bannon and until this moment, he never had. That feeling of power however, was short lived.
“In the morning, I am going to contact the administrative assistant for our CEO, Mr. Hayes, and have her set up an appointment for you to talk to him personally.”
“Mr. Hayes?” Ben said sheepishly.

“Yes, Mr. Hayes. Ask him about his time management,” O’Bannon said. “Because you cannot tell me that your life is busier than his, can you?”
“No sir, Mr. O’Bannon.”
Richard Hayes had been the CEO of Richmond Brothers for the last 17 years. He had taken the company from a startup to one of the area’s largest accounting firms, yet he was mostly known as a family man and philanthropist. The CEO seemed to know what Ben didn’t—the secret to time management.
O’Bannon stood up. “A time management problem, of all the excuses. I’m giving you until your mid-year review to get your act together. You’ll start with the CEO. Then we’ll go from there.”
“Thank you sir,” Ben said through a half-smile. He cautiously looked at his watch and raced out the door to his daughter’s concert.

3: THE MOST IMPORTANT MEETING
Ben’s appointment with CEO Richard Hayes was scheduled at 1:30 on Friday. He arrived fifteen minutes early. That morning, he had crisply ironed his shirt, made sure to shave, and even had time to shine his shoes. This, he thought, could be the most important meeting of my career. What he didn’t know was it would be the most important meeting of his life.
“I have an appointment with Mr. Hayes,” he said.
Sally, the CEO’s administrative assistant just smiled. “He’s expecting you,” she said. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Ben straightened his tie and used the reflection on the glass door to check his hair.
“You may go in,” Sally said.
“Thank you,” Ben said. He took a deep breath and scurried into the CEO’s office. The room seemed bigger than his house. The walls had pictures of the CEO with celebrities, politicians, and sports figures.

Shelves of books surrounded the desk as if guardians were watching over his every move. Being on the 27th floor, the window looked down on the big clock at City Center, where he could see little people racing to their destinations. The view was spectacular.
While Ben was deciding whether he should sit down or remain standing, Mr. Hayes entered. “Ben, so good to see you,” he started, “and to finally get to talk with you in person.”
Mr. Hayes was an older gentleman. His dark hair was accented by a touch of grey in his sideburns and mustache. He looked so stiff and presidential in company photos that Ben wasn’t sure what to expect. The only thing he knew for sure was that his future with the company rested in Mr. Hayes’s hands. So, when he entered, Ben just froze.
“Ben,” he said, “may I offer you a cup of coffee, glass of water, anything?”
Ben snapped out of his daze. “No thank you sir, I just had lunch a little while ago.” That was a lie because he was too nervous to eat, but it seemed like an appropriate response under the circumstances.
“So, tell me about yourself?” the CEO said.

“Well,” Ben started, clearing his throat. “I work down in business development. I’ve been there for just over two years. As you know, I work for Mr. O’Bannon.”
The CEO smiled, “Ah yes, Fritz O’Bannon. He’s a little rough around the edges isn’t he?”
Ben smiled. The CEO was nothing like he thought he would be. “Well I have been married for 12 years,” Ben continued. “My wife Amy and I have two children, Joshua, age 9, and Jennifer, age 7.”
“So are your children into any sports or activities?” the CEO asked.
“Jenny is actually learning to play the piano and she had her first concert the other night. Josh plays soccer.”
“They sound wonderful,” the CEO said. “I hope you’re taking the time to be involved with them. They grow up pretty fast you know.”
“I know, I know,” Ben said. “That’s part of the reason I’m here to talk with you, I guess.”
The CEO rubbed his chin. “Hmmm, Fritz said something to that effect. He thought maybe I could help you better manage your time at work…”

“And at home,” Ben added as a bead of sweat dripped down his temple. “Mr. O’Bannon is right, I have a need for better time management. You see sir, I have never had any training about how to better manage my time. Sure, I have read a few books and researched a few articles online, but I just can’t seem to make it an effective habit.”
“I see,” the CEO said, “and you were hoping that I might have some secret that I could share?”
“I guess so,” Ben said.
“I believe that with success comes the need for better time management and with better time management comes success,” the CEO started. “As I have grown throughout my career, the demands on my time have greatly increased. In addition to running our company, I have been asked to serve on non-profit boards, to serve in my faith, and more.”
Ben just nodded.
“My children,” he continued, turning around a family photo on his desk, “were into sports and band too. I have four altogether and I am proud to say, that since becoming the CEO 17 years ago, I have never missed a game or a concert.”
I bet that is because you’re the CEO, Ben thought. You can make your own schedule.

“The truth is that my life was not always this way. Early in my career, my time started to get away from me. I felt like I had to say yes to every opportunity or I’d miss out. Every day it seemed like I was being pulled in a different direction.” The CEO paused. “I knew that I didn’t have my priorities right but I didn’t know what to do about it.”
“I know what you mean,” Ben echoed.
“That is when my father-in-law pulled me aside after missing my son’s birthday party,” the CEO said. “His advice saved my family and my career.”
Ben was on the edge of his chair. “What did he say?”
The CEO smiled. “At that time, I was hardly ever home. I didn’t see my kids until it was time for them to go to bed. My wife felt like she had to make an appointment if she needed to talk to me,” he said. “My time was managing me instead of me managing my time.”
Ben definitely related.
“My father-in-law changed my thinking about how I was managing my life. He told me that if I was going to start better managing my time that I needed to know what was most important to me in my life.”

“What do you mean?” Ben asked.
“Priorities!” the CEO said. “He challenged me to spend a few days thinking about the five things in my personal life and my career that were the most important. Then, I needed to make those areas a priority.”
“What did you do?” Ben asked.
“I made a list of all the things I was involved in and what I thought was most important to me. I then took that list and narrowed it down to my top five priorities.”
“How did that help?”
“First, I decided that my family was my most important priority. Once I decided this,” the CEO explained, “it was almost like I was giving myself permission to use my time for their activities.”
“Wow,” Ben said.
“From that day forward, I haven’t missed a birthday, an important game, or a concert.”
“Go on,” Ben encouraged.
“I decided that my faith and my career were my next priorities. I even went so far as to decide what activities at work would best help me achieve my goals.”

Ben nodded.
“Another priority is that I am passionate about helping children with special needs. Therefore, the only board that I sit on is for The Loving Home, a facility that cares for children with special needs.”
“How does that help with time management?” Ben asked.
“Actually, knowing my priorities helps a lot, because when I am approached by other charitable organizations, which would require more time away from my family, it is easier to say no.”
Ben lifted his eyebrow.
“Sure there were opportunities that sounded good, but by staying with my priorities, I did not feel guilty about saying no.”
“I think I’m starting to understand,” Ben said. “I need to have a plan that identifies my priorities.”
“Yes! My advice to you is to identify your priorities. Once you know your priorities, you will realize the real purpose for managing your time,” the CEO explained. “Knowing your priorities will allow you to better plan and to focus on every aspect of your family life and your career.” He looked at the clock, stood up, and said, “I hope I was able to be of some help to you.”

Ben eagerly shook the CEO’s hand. “I’m going to start identifying my priorities right away,” he said. “I mean right away.” And with that, he was out the door.

Saturday morning, Ben woke up before the alarm. He quietly kissed Amy on the cheek, slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs to the dining room. With the exception of the ticking of the clock, it was quiet.
Pulling out a piece of paper, he said, “What is most important to me?” Then following the CEO’s advice, he just started to write.
Being a good husband. Being a good parent to Josh and Jenny. My friendship with Bill. The house. “It needs a little TLC, but I love this house,” he said. Volunteering at the community resource center. My job…”
Ben wrote for 15 minutes without lifting his pen. His “priorities” completely filled the paper. No wonder I can’t manage my time, he thought. Now he began the challenge of narrowing down the list to just five items.

“If I make being a good husband my first priority,” he reasoned, “and being a good parent my second … that leaves me just three more. This is hard.”
An hour flew by. What Ben felt like he should do and what seemed logical to do, were in opposite corners. He tried to knock some items off his list but his mind was going in circles.
Ben took a break to make a pot of coffee. How could he have just five priorities when everything seemed important?
The aroma of the coffee awoke Amy. She came down to the dining room and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Trying to get my priorities in order,” he said
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“See this paper? I have spent the last hour racking my brain trying to write down everything I think is important in my life. And according to Mr. Hayes, I should just choose five as being the most important.”
“Wow,” Amy smiled. “You’ve got your work cut out for you. Let me look at your list to see if I can help.”

Ben pushed the paper in front of Amy. She carefully looked over the list. After a brief moment, she said, “I have it!”
“Have what?”
“I have the solution to your problem.”
“Really? What’s that?”
“Several of your priorities fall into similar areas,” she explained. “Like being a good husband and parent are both family focused. If you add in Bill, it could even be relationship focused.”
Ben listened as she pointed to different items. When he looked at his list of categories, he realized that Amy and the children were his top priorities; then, came the stability of having a job and owning a home. Finally, he liked to be involved in the community through some charitable work. Once these were identified, he added a few things to each category as follows:
Family: Having a successful marriage and being a great parent.
Stability: Owning a nice home and having a rewarding career.
Community: Volunteering at the resource center.

Ben cancelled his plans with Bill to go to the driving range. Instead he took Jenny to her piano lesson. When he returned, he played soccer with Josh in the backyard. Later that day, he even helped Amy with the dishes instead of watching SportsCenter.
“Who are you?” Amy asked with a gleam in her eye.
Ben just grinned. He was already using his time more effectively and it felt good.

4: A NEW DAY’S RESOLUTION
Monday morning, Ben was brimming with excitement. Heads turned as he bounced down the hallway and walked right into O’Bannon’s office.
“Priorities,” Ben said.
O’Bannon looked up from reading his morning report. “Franklin, what in the hell are you talking about?”
“You have to have priorities,” he said. “The CEO said I needed to identify my priorities before I could better manage my time.”
O’Bannon smirked. “Is that what the CEO said, did he?”
“Yes,” Ben said. “The CEO said that with success comes the need for better time management and with better time management comes success. But, it all starts with knowing what your priorities are.”

“I take it you spent the whole weekend identifying these priorities and now you think your time management skills are going to magically appear?” O’Bannon quipped.
“Well yes,” Ben said. “I mean, no. Actually, I don’t know, but I am excited about the new week.”
“I’ll tell you my priority,” O’Bannon said, “Getting you back to work. Now get out of my office and get to work!”

STEP ONE: DETERMINE YOUR PRIORITIES
Prioritize: Decide what is most important to you in your personal life and career. You cannot PLAN your time effectively until you know WHY you should better manage it.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: When identifying your priorities, it is more beneficial to write out your thoughts using a blue pen and a blank piece of paper versus using a computer or other electronic device.
ONLINE BONUS: An unscientific but effective survey that is designed to help you start to identify your priorities is available to download for free at www.45MinuteWorkHour.com

DISCOVER A “YEAR OF BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT”
For complete details see the “Tools for Time Mastery” section in the back of this book or visit www.45MinuteWorkHour.com

5: CONTROL IS AN ELUSIVE CONCEPT
By Thursday morning, Ben felt discouraged about his progress. The only time he managed all week was making it home on time for dinner. And even though Amy appreciated it, at work he still felt like he was a hamster running on a treadmill.
“How’s it going?” O’Bannon said, slapping Ben on the back.
“Fine,” Ben said through clinched teeth.
“I thought I would ask since I didn’t see Peter Cottontail come bouncing through here this morning.”
“Okay Mr. O’Bannon, you were right! Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“No, not really,” O’Bannon said. “I just know that setting your priorities is only the first step to better managing your time.”
O’Bannon actually seemed like he cared, thought Ben. The old drill sergeant might just have a heart after all.

“Why don’t you tell me what is going on?” O’Bannon insisted. “After all, the clock is ticking on your career here.”
JERK! Ben thought, correcting his previous assessment. “Here’s the problem,” Ben explained. “I identified my priorities at work but during the time I planned to complete those activities, something always comes up or someone inevitably interrupts me. It’s frustrating.”
“I see,” O’Bannon smirked.
“I haven’t been one bit more productive at work this week than I was last week,” Ben said. “I can’t let down my wife, my kids, the CEO…”
“I’m not going to rain on your parade, so enjoy your new priorities,” O’Bannon said. “But, just in case you were still screwed up, I scheduled an appointment for you with a friend of mine.”
“May I ask, just who he is?” Ben retorted.
“First,” O’Bannon said, “he is a she. And, she owns a flower shop.”
“And she is going to help how?”
“Sarah runs her flower shop, has two kids, and is a noted artist in the area, creating a new painting per week,” he explained.

“I just hope she can help me better manage my time,” Ben said.
“She knows a thing or two about managing her time and she’s expecting you at The Main Street Flower Shop, Monday afternoon at 4:00 sharp.”
Ben returned to his desk, added the appointment to the bottom of his to-do list, and sighed. How was he ever going to better manage his time if people kept adding tasks for him to do?

6. PAINTING THE TIME MANAGEMENT PICTURE
Ben was pulled into a meeting just before he was getting ready to leave the office. Therefore, he arrived at the flower shop at ten minutes after four. The shop burst with a rainbow of colors. The sunlight cast a shadow across the room, making the leaves on the plants appear to wave. And a greeting card carousel stood in the center of the room, ready to dance. This place was magical.
Ben took in a big breath of the air. There was something about the smell of fresh cut flowers that always made him smile. It brings back memories of his youth, when he and Amy were dating and time management was not such an issue.
“Smells good, doesn’t it,” a soft voice said from behind the counter. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”
“I’m sorry,” Ben said. “I should have called. Are you Sarah?”

“Why yes,” she said, “I’m Sarah. I’ve been expecting you. Fritz told me you are working on better time management.”
“Something like that,” Ben said. “He told me that not only do you run this flower shop, you are also a mother and an artist. How do you do it all?”
“Slow down,” she insisted. “Let’s start with a little bit about you.”
Ben stopped, closed his eyes for a second, and started over. “Well first, I’m married and I have two children,” he said. “My family is my top priority. Also, I am actively fixing up our home, and lastly, I work at Richmond Brothers for Mr. O’Bannon in the business development department.”
Sarah knew Fritz O’Bannon and how difficult he could be to work for. She was friends with his wife and had heard the stories of how he fired this guy or how he got that guy demoted. He was an adult version of the school-yard bully.
“So what brings you into my flower shop today?” Sarah asked.
“This year is supposed to be my year for better time management but here we are two months into it and I’m feeling like I still have no control over my time,” Ben explained.

“I understand,” Sarah said.
“Then last week, Mr. O’Bannon called me into his office. I thought for sure I was going to get fired. When I pleaded my case, if you want to call it that, he started me on this journey to learn about time management.”
“So what have you learned so far?” she asked.
“I met with our CEO, Richard Hayes. He told me that his secret to time management was to identify what was most important,” Ben continued. “You know, prioritizing how we use our time.”
“I see,” Sarah said.
Ben sighed. “The problem is that even though I know what is most important to me, I still don’t have any better control over my time.”
“That’s when Fritz decided you should see me, wasn’t it?” Sarah asked.
“Exactly,” Ben said. “I’m not sure what your secret is, but it sounds like you make good use of your time. So, can you help?”
Sarah stood silent for minute. “Where to begin?”
“Anywhere,” Ben said.

“First,” Sarah began, “I agree with the notion that you have to determine your priorities before you can plan your time.”
Ben nodded.
“My story is that my husband and I bought this flower shop right after I graduated from college with an art degree. This was a great business because we could devote all of our time to running it.”
“I can see that,” Ben said.
“Then came our first born, Paul,” she explained. “I had a new priority and my time seemed to be less and less mine. Then 18 months later, along came our second child, Lisa.”
“Wow, how did you have time to do everything?” Ben asked.
“I didn’t,” Sarah said. “Trying to run a business and having two toddlers at home was the ultimate time management challenge.”
Ben stared in anticipation.
“It seemed like no time was my own time,” she continued. “I actually felt helpless.”
“How did you get through it?”

“I agree with the idea of keeping your priorities straight, and those two little kids had to be my top priority. And although my husband was able to help run our business for the most part, I needed a new strategy.”
“A new strategy?” Ben said, raising his eyebrow.
“Yes, a new strategy or plan,” Sarah explained. “I needed to get back into my painting. An activity I had complete control over.”
“I’m confused,” Ben said. “You were already strapped for time with your first two priorities, your family and your business, and you decided to add painting?”
Sarah laughed. “It seemed crazy at that time too, but I saw on TV how one woman had written a book by leveraging her time. Using 15 minutes of free time in the morning before her children got up, she consistently wrote a portion of her book. Yes, it took her more than a year, and yes, she had to be persistent, but, she did it!”
“15 minutes a day?” Ben questioned. “You lost me? I don’t have toddlers and I’m not likely to take up painting or writing a book.”

Sarah was patient. “Here is what I hope you learn from my experience. My priorities are my family, my business, and my art or hobby. However, I had to do some time mapping.”
“Time mapping? What is that?”
“Time mapping is where you keep track of how you are using your time. For example, what activities you do throughout the day, so that you can find out when you might be able to better manage your time.”
Ben listened intently.
“What I discovered was that you’re right, everyone’s life and priorities are different. I had to look at my situation and decide when I actually had control over my time and when I did not.”
“Keep going,” Ben said.
“Using time mapping, I realized that once the kids were awake, I had little to no control over my time. I was often doing seven things at once. It was all about them.”
“You mean multitasking?”
“That’s what you might call it at work,” she smiled. “But at home, I call that being a mom.”
“Sorry,” Ben said.

“Plus, once the shop opened for the day, I could not necessarily control when people would come in,” she said. “I was however, able to control my time before the kids awoke and before a customer arrived.”
“When no one else could interrupt?”
“Yes,” Sarah said, “I started painting at 6:00 each morning. Some days, I would have only 15 minutes and other days a full hour. I believe the secret to successful time management is not about managing every hour of the day, it’s about finding the time you can manage. Then, leveraging it to do what is most important to you.”
“That’s starting to make sense,” Ben said.
“I suggest you do some time mapping of your own to decide how you are currently using your time and when the best times are for you,” Sarah suggested. “For example, at the flower shop, I plan to do the bookkeeping before 11:00 because although we open at 10:00 each morning, rarely is there a customer that arrives before then.”
“So, let me make sure that I understand what you are saying,” Ben said. “Everyone has different times throughout the day when they have more control over the use of their time than others.”

“Yes,” Sarah said.
“Therefore, I need to do some time mapping to leverage my time or to plan my most important activities during those times,” he said.
Sarah smiled.
“And using this leveraging idea, you are able to create a new painting every week?” Ben asked for reassurance.
“Yes, about a painting a week for the most part,” Sarah said. “All because I’ve made it a point to get up every morning at 6:00 and paint.”
“You’re an amazing mom, artist, and time manager,” Ben said.
“Thank you,” Sarah said, her cheeks turning a shade of red. “I just hope you can apply it to your situation.”
“I know I can!” Ben said. He shook Sarah’s hand and just as he turned around to leave, he stopped dead in his tracks. “One more question,” he said.
“Sure, anything,” Sarah said.
“May I get a dozen roses for my wife?” Ben asked with a wink.

7. A NEW VIEW OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS
Amy rolled over in bed to find Ben missing. It was only 7:00 on a Saturday morning, she thought. Where is Ben?
Ben had been up since 5:30. He had the dining room table strewn with papers. He had spent the week mapping out how he was using his time and now he was trying to decide when he had the most control over it.
Amy came downstairs and asked, “Honey, what are you doing?”
“Last weekend I set my priorities. First are you and the kids. Next our home because there are a lot of things on my honey-do list that I never seem to get around to…”
“Like fixing the squeaky door in Josh’s room,” she chimed.

“Yes, exactly like that,” Ben said. “So, after talking to Sarah from the flower shop, I spent the week mapping out how I use my time at work and at home, from when I get up to when I go to bed. Let me show you what I came up with.”
Amy grabbed a cup of coffee and pulled up to the table.
“Before anyone gets up,” he started, “I have an hour to do whatever I want. Read, meditate, exercise, paint…”
“You paint?” she chuckled.
“I was just throwing that in,” Ben said with a smile. “I have about an hour every morning that is mine. Then look, at work I mapped out when I have had the most success and when I have the fewest interruptions. I realized that my best time is when I start work, between 8:00 and 10:30. I am going to leverage this time by calling prospective clients.”
“Hmmm,” Amy thought out loud.
“Plus, the first hour at work, I usually check my email, get a cup of coffee, and talk with my co- workers, generally less productive stuff. Now I am going to leverage that time.”
Amy smiled. She had not seen Ben this excited since he started at Richmond Brothers.

“I generally do not have clients calling me back until after 10:30, so between 8:00 and 10:30 is my best time to be productive.”
“So you’re going to just take the afternoons off,” Amy kidded.
“Actually, yes and no,” Ben said. “I know that throughout the afternoon I will be receiving calls and people will be stopping by, so it makes more sense to allow a more flexible plan so that I can be productive and accommodating at the same time.”
“You have been busy,” she said.
“I cannot wait to get to the office on Monday,” he said. “O’Bannon is going to be sorry I learned to leverage my time.”
“Well it’s only Saturday, how about if you set aside some time for pancakes with your family before you go and fix Josh’s door,” she said with a laugh.
Ben smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

STEP TWO: LEVERAGE YOUR TIME
TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Leverage: Time map your activities for a minimum of three days. Identify time blocks that you can control and take advantage by matching them to your priorities.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Many time management experts suggest that you time map a full week or longer. For the purposes of this book, we suggest a minimum of three days, two work days and one non-work day.
ONLINE BONUS: A time map for helping you to track your activities is available to download for free at www.45MinuteWorkHour.com

NOW AVAILABLE: THE 45-MINUTE WORK HOUR ACCELERATED PROGRAM
For complete details see the “Tools for Time Mastery” section in the back of this book or visit www.45MinuteWorkHour.com.

8. JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY
Ben’s courage swung back and forth several times before he became comfortable sneaking past the coffee area and into his cubicle. Most Monday mornings were spent chatting with co-workers about football and how they would keep O’Bannon off of their backs. This Monday was going to be different.
“Hello,” Ben said, “is this John Wright? … I’m sorry, I’ll speak up. Is this John Wright?”
“What the hell?” O’Bannon’s raspy voice said from over in the coffee area. “Franklin’s already making calls and its only 8:30.”
“Well Mr. Wright, I was hoping that I could take a minute of your time and share a few of the benefits of working with Richmond Brothers,” Ben continued.
“Is this Mr. Wright?” O’Bannon mocked. “Oh, I’ll speak up.”
“I apologize Mr. Wright, I am having a hard time hearing you right now,” Ben said. “Would it be okay if I called back another day? … I understand. Thank you for your (click) time.”

“What is going on with you?” O’Bannon said. “No, coffee? You think you can sneak past the rest of the team and just start making calls without even saying good morning?”
“No, Mr. O’Bannon,” Ben replied. “I was just…”
“You must be losing your mind!”
“I was just trying to follow the advice of your friend Sarah. Remember the lady who owns the flower shop?”
“She told you not to talk to the team,” O’Bannon barked, “and to just go right to making phone calls?”
“No, not exactly. She suggested that I determine when I had the most control over my time and to leverage it by matching it to my priorities.”
“I control your time,” O’Bannon said. “Now get back to work.”
Despite the morning’s brief setback, Ben was able to make two appointments with some prospective clients and it was only 9:47. That was more than he was able to set all of last week. Progress!


Ben came to work on Wednesday, said “good morning” to his co-workers and walked straight to his desk to start making calls. The good news was that he was actually able to schedule several new appointments. The bad news was that he was so focused on making calls that he was falling behind on his daily emails and weekly reports.
“Franklin,” came the all too familiar growl, “get in here!”
Ben stood up, pushed in his chair, and marched into O’Bannon’s office. “Yes, Mr. O’Bannon.”
“I see you have seven appointments this week,” O’Bannon said.
“Yes sir,” Ben replied.
“That’s pretty impressive,” O’Bannon said. “I haven’t seen this much productivity out of you in … well … ever.”
Ben stood silent.
“Don’t start thinking you’re all that around here,” O’Bannon said. “I want your weekly report on my desk by Friday noon, before you go and meet my insurance agent.”
“Your insurance agent?” Ben questioned.

“Yeah, my insurance agent,” O’Bannon said. “He is one of the top producers for Farm State and he wants to meet you—the man who thinks he can control time.”
“Thank you,” Ben said. “I appreciate the opportunity. It’s just that I am already behind on my report and I had hoped to have it finished by the end of the day on Friday.”
“Before lunch on Friday, I said,” O’Bannon snarled, “not a minute later. I already set up an appointment for you to meet with him at Deet’s BBQ at noon. Now get out of my office!”
“Yes, sir,” Ben said as he slowly backed out of the office. Now he had to catch up and catch up quickly; therefore, he shifted into full multitasking mode. He checked a few emails, answered a call, started his report, responded to another email, made copies of a client file, and called back prospects. He definitely was busy but he was not sure he felt productive.

9. THE LUNCH SPECIAL
Ben gave up his hour of free time on Friday morning to come into the office early and finish his weekly report. It seemed like O’Bannon was purposely trying to keep him from being successful. It wasn’t fair.
“Here you go, Mr. O’Bannon, my weekly report,” Ben said.
O’Bannon scrutinized the report like Scrooge looking over his bank statement. “That will do,” he said. “Now get going before you’re late for lunch.”
The bell rang as Ben entered Deet’s BBQ. He quickly scanned the people eating and chattering. How am I supposed to know which of these people is O’Bannon’s insurance agent? Ben thought.
“Are you Ben?” the cheerful voice in the corner said.
“Yes, and you are?” Ben said hesitantly. “I mean, I’m sorry, Mr. O’Bannon neglected to tell me your name.”

“No problem,” the man said as he leapt to his feet. “Lucky Haskins of Lucky Haskins Insurance. My pleasure to meet you.”
Lucky Haskins was a tall man, maybe six foot six. His fire-engine-red tie and starch-white shirt appeared flawless under his charcoal gray suit. In opposition, on top of his head lay the kind of toupee that needed adjusting every time he moved his head. This might be awkward for some men but for Lucky, it seemed natural.
“Let me tell you,” Lucky started, “I have been looking forward to meeting you. Ever since Fritz called and said he had a real live one—someone who thought he could control time—I’ve been anxious to meet you.”
Ben didn’t know what to think. Either Lucky was really happy to meet him or he was being played for a fool. At this point, Ben wasn’t sure just which it was.
“Fritz is an ornery old cuss, but we have been friends for more than 20 years,” Lucky explained. “He thinks he can boss everyone around. He’s been that way as long as I can remember.”
Ben let out a sigh of relief.

“Fritz told me you were looking for better time management skills,” Lucky said. “I admire that in a person because we all think we have forever to live, but you never know when you might get sick, become disabled, or even die.”
This is starting to sound like a sales pitch for more insurance, Ben thought.
“Truth is,” Lucky continued, “no one knows how much time they have left. Time management is man’s ultimate quest.”
Ben just nodded his head because at this rate, he didn’t know if he was going to get a word in edgewise, let alone get his sandwich. Thankfully, the waitress arrived just in time to save him.
“I’ll take the seven-minute BBQ beef lunch special and a diet soda,” Lucky said.
“And I’ll have the pulled pork and a water,” Ben said.
“Now you see,” Lucky started again, “that’s exactly the point I am talking about.”
Ben was flabbergasted. How could a man talk for five minutes straight and then think anyone might understand what exact point he was talking about. “Excuse me?” Ben said.

“The lunch special,” Lucky said. “Guaranteed to arrive in seven minutes. You can even set your watch to it. Seven minutes and its here.”
“I’m still not understanding what you mean,” Ben said.
“Fritz said you needed ideas for better time management,” Lucky explained. “The lunch special is one of those ideas. It’s an example of time blocking.”
“Time blocking?” Ben said.
“Yes time blocking,” Lucky said. “This is when you set aside a block of time to focus on a specific activity without interruption. Most people try to do too many things at one time and therefore get little done.”
“Multitasking,” Ben mumbled.
Lucky smiled. “There is a big difference between being busy and being productive. I can be busy all day answering calls, checking emails, and the like; at the end of the day, however, I often have not accomplished half of what I set out to do.”
Ben nodded.

“By creating blocks of time, I can focus my actions on what really matters most. Each morning I plan five or six of the most important activities that I want to accomplish for the day and create focus sessions to accomplish them.”
“You mean like an hour to make calls to prospective clients?” Ben questioned.
“I can’t focus that long,” Lucky said. “So, I call it the 45-minute work hour.”
Ben scratched his head.
“You see, I set aside certain blocks of time or focus sessions in my schedule when I am going to accomplish my most important activities,” Lucky said. “Sometimes it’s for 45 minutes, sometimes 30, and occasionally only 15.”
Ben was starting to understand. “Go ahead,” he said.
“With all the potential distractions, I mean phone calls, emails, social media posts, and the like, it is easy for me to get distracted from what I am really wanting to accomplish.”
“True,” Ben said, “very true.”

“So I use the idea of time blocking or focus sessions to create 45-minute work hours. This is where I focus my time on my most important five or six activities. For example, I spend 45 minutes calling on clients or filing claims without distraction,” he explained. “Then I reward myself with 10 minutes of checking emails or looking at social media posts.”
Ben just smiled because Lucky had a point. Using specific focus sessions to accomplish certain tasks is a great step toward better time management.
“Even if I have a day when my focus sessions do not go as planned, I just get right back to it the following day,” Lucky said. “Ever since I started using the 45-minute work hour, my productivity has gone through the roof! But don’t worry, I have insurance for that … get it, through the roof.” Lucky roared.
Their sandwiches arrived almost exactly seven minutes to the second. Lucky winked, “Time blocking.”
Ben smiled. “So, tell me, if you don’t mind me asking” he said, “why do they call you Lucky?”
Lucky’s voice became monotone. Then, taking a deep breath, he began. “You see Ben, when I was in the Navy, I was diagnosed with cancer. That news will make anyone reflect on the importance of time.”

Ben stopped eating in mid chew. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry,” Lucky said. “I survived. A lot of folks aren’t so fortunate. Although the cancer treatment was hard on me and my family, I have always felt lucky to be given another day.”
“I see what you mean,” Ben said. “You are ‘Lucky,’ literally.”
“I am,” Lucky said. “I try to never take for granted the time that I have been given because I feel like it is a gift. That is why I was so excited to talk to you because you sounded like someone that valued time.”
“Thank you for sharing,” Ben said. “I didn’t realize everything you had been through.”
“That’s okay,” Lucky said. “The important part is that we should make good use of our time while we have it.”
“Agreed,” Ben said.
Lunch was over and Lucky gave Ben a brief but unexpected hug. “Thank you for talking with me today,” Lucky said. “I appreciate your time.”
“No, thank you,” Ben said.
The sun seemed to shine a little brighter for Ben as he walked to his next appointment. He was lucky to meet such a nice person. He felt “lucky” in deed.

10. THE 45-MINUTE WORK HOUR
Ben spent Saturday weaving together his master PLAN. He used time mapping to determine the blocks of time for when he had the most control over his activities. He then leveraged it to match his priorities. Now, he was following Lucky’s advice and identifying specific focus sessions for the important activities. That afternoon, he even blocked out an hour for each of his children and agreed to take Amy to dinner. He was making progress.
Monday morning, Ben had that spring back in his step. He strolled in, said “hello” to his co-workers in the coffee area and went directly to his cubicle to make calls. By 9:00, he had two new appointments for the week and now he was going to spend the next 10 minutes rewarding himself by getting that cup of coffee that he had given up last week.
“Franklin,” O’Bannon said. “Lucky told me he liked you. He said your meeting went well.”
“It did,” Ben said. “It went really well. Thank you for connecting us.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” O’Bannon said. “He’s an old friend and when I told him about your need for better time management, he felt sorry for you.”
“Lucky’s a good guy,” Ben said.
“I’m not sure exactly what you said to win him over, but it worked.”
Ben sat up in his chair and smiled.

STEP THREE: TAKE CHARGE OF TIME
Assign: Accomplish the five or six most important activities by assigning focus sessions within your designated time blocks. Base your activities on what is most important and the best use of your time.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The goal of the focus sessions is to improve your outcomes for the desired activity. Measuring improvement however, can be difficult at times. Therefore, we suggest you set an attainable goal for each focus session.
ONLINE BONUS: Discover 10 strategies for immediately increasing you time management effectiveness. Go to www.45MinuteWorkHour.com

11. THE PRICE OF SUCCESS
Five months into the year and Ben’s life and career were looking up. He was able to set seven new appointments last week and his family time had never been better. With success however, came a price.
Ben was experiencing firsthand the CEO’s belief that with success comes the need for better time management and with better time management comes success. He was having his best month of business ever; however, the downside of this success was that he was becoming the go-to guy at the office.
“Ben,” they would always start, “can I bother you for just a minute?” He felt like all this mentoring was starting to take away from his productivity.
“Franklin, get in here,” O’Bannon demanded. “With the amount of traffic at your cubicle lately, I’m beginning to think you’re dealing drugs over there. Are you?”
“Dealing drugs? Seriously?” Ben replied.

“As the manager, I have to check,” he groaned. “Maybe I should have you drug tested. I’ll have to check into that, so you better clean up, you only have a few weeks left until your review.”
“To be honest with you Mr. O’Bannon, since I have been better managing my time, my productivity has gone up,” Ben explained. “And some of the guys in the office have started asking me for advice.”
“Don’t give me that time management bullshit,” O’Bannon said. “You just keep focused on your job and leave the advising to me.”
Ben sighed. “I know, you’re in charge of this department.”
Ben’s situation was a vicious cycle. On the one hand he didn’t want his productivity to suffer from constantly being interrupted during his designated focus sessions—on the other hand, he really wanted to be able to share his new found time management skills with his co-workers. Most importantly, he didn’t want O’Bannon after him every minute of the day. The last few months of no yelling had been wonderful.

12. REAL ESTATE PLANNING
Ben arrived home and discovered that Amy made his favorite dinner—lasagna. However, there were only two plates on the dining room table. He didn’t remember the kids both having activities?
“Where are Josh and Jenny?” Ben asked.
“My mother came and picked them up,” Amy said. “She wanted to give us a chance to talk.”
“This sounds serious. Is there something that we need to talk about?” Ben reluctantly asked. A million thoughts raced through his mind: The air conditioning is on the brink of breaking down—she wanted to enclose the back patio—the dog ran away and bit a neighbor kid.
“Honey, relax,” she began. “I just want to be able to talk without any distractions.”
“Okay,” he said.
“First, I wanted to say how much I love you,” she began, “and how much I appreciate all your hard work fixing up the house.”

Here it comes, Ben thought, bad news.
“We have lived in this house for 10 years,” Amy said. “It’s only a three bedroom. I feel like it might be time for an upgrade.”
“An upgrade,” Ben quipped. “We only have two kids and they each have their own room. What more do we need?”
“A fourth bedroom would be nice.”
“What for?”
Amy paused. “Our third child.”
“What did you just say?”
“I’m pregnant!” Amy burst into tears and hugged Ben.
“I … I … I don’t know what to say,” Ben said. “That’s fantastic! I love you!” He stopped and peered around the room. “You’re right, we need a bigger house. I’ll call Jim Foster in the morning, he was the city’s top real-estate agent last year.”
The two embraced. “I hope you made vegetable lasagna,” Ben said gently kissing her neck. “You’re going to need to start eating healthier.”
Amy smiled, gently pushed him away, and grabbed the lasagna from the kitchen.


“Okay sweetheart,” Ben said as he paced the floor. “Jim is going to be here any minute. Leave those dishes for now, I want us both ready when he arrives.”
No sooner had those words left Ben’s mouth, when there was a knock on the door.
“Jim, please come in,” Ben said. “I appreciate your meeting us on a Saturday.”
“No problem,” Jim replied. “Let me start with a congratulations to the expectant parents! And of course, it’s my pleasure to help.”
Amy beamed. “Thank you.”
Ben smiled but immediately got down to business. “So where is your office now?” he asked. “Are you still working on the west side?”
Jim chuckled. “Real estate and the way agents work has changed significantly since you bought this house. With all the technology, most of us just work from home.”
From home? Ben thought. Doesn’t he have three kids? How does he do it?

Jim pulled out a laptop and started to go through his presentation. When he was done, he promised to get them a fair-market price for their home. “Any questions?” he said.
“No,” Ben said as he squeezed Amy’s hand.
The contract was signed and a “for sale” sign would be placed in the yard in the morning.
“That should just about do it for now,” Jim concluded.
“Actually, I do have one question,” Ben said.
Amy looked puzzled but she was not surprised. Ben usually had one more question just for good measure.
“You said you work from home, right?” Ben asked.
“Yes, I do.”
“And you have three kids, all living at home?”
“Actually, four kids, all living at home. Why do you ask?”
“How do you get any work done?” Ben said bluntly. “I mean aren’t you constantly being interrupted?”
“I have to admit, there was a learning curve,” Jim explained. “I’d be on the phone and one of the kids would come running in to ask if he could have a snack or my wife would want me to run to the store.”

Ben didn’t have this problem at home, but at the office, his co-workers were constantly asking him questions.
“How did you fix the problem?” Ben asked.
“I had to do a few things,” Jim continued. “First, I had to make it clear that I was actually working even though I was at home. Basically, I notified them how I was using my time.”
Ben and Amy listened.
“Then I came up with a way to let them know when it was okay to approach me and when it wasn’t.”
“Like a sign on your door or something?” Amy asked.
“Sort of,” Jim said. “Since I work from home, I don’t have to dress up, but I always wear a shirt and tie anyway.”
“You’ve got to love having to wear a tie all day,” Ben remarked with a touch of sarcasm.
“Remember, I choose to wear a tie and it became the perfect sign for my kids to know when I was working and when I was done working,” Jim said.
“What do you mean?” Ben asked.

“Here’s how it works, at least at my house,” Jim explained. “When I am working, I wear a tie. So, if the kids see that I am wearing a tie, they know not to approach me. When I am done working, I simply take it off. Then they know I am free to be their dad again.”
“Genius,” Ben said. “Simply genius.”
“This was the sign but I also shared with them why I was working,” Jim explained. “For example, this Thanksgiving, we want to go to the amusement parks in Florida. So, this gives the kids a reason not to interrupt me unless there is an emergency.”
“Emergency?” Amy said.
“That is pretty loosely defined,” Jim said. “But it has gotten a lot better. Actually, the other day I had my tie off and my littlest one said, ‘Daddy, shouldn’t you be working so we can go to Florida?’”
They roared with laughter. Jim loosened his tie and said, “Speaking of my kids, I better get going. I’ll place that sign in the morning. And double congratulations on your new baby and on selling your house.”
“Thank you Jim,” Ben said as he closed the door. “A neck tie, who would have thought?”

13. THE COFFEE BREAK
Ben thought and thought about Jim using his tie as a way to notify his family when he was working. Now he just had come up with his own method for notifying his co-workers. Finally, he decided that he would privately inform his co-workers of his performance goal for the week. If he is in his cubicle, he would prefer not to be disturbed. If he is in the coffee area however, he is open for whatever they need—they just needed to remember that he was only on a ten- minute break.
Ben pulled out his prospect list and made the first call. He had to leave a message. On the second call, he likewise had to leave a message. He was halfway through dialing the third number and his coworker Bill approached.
“Ben,” Bill said, “I have a question about how you’re setting up double the number of appointments as everyone else. Can you share your secret with me?”
Ben sighed, “Bill, I would love to be able to help. Would it be okay if we talk when I take a break?”

Bill stood patiently.
“You see when I am in my cubicle, I am focusing on a specific activity so that I can reach my weekly appointment goal and I would prefer not to be interrupted,” Ben continued. “However, if you see me go into the coffee area for my 10-minute break, feel free to come over and chat. Fair enough?”
“You would do that for me?” Bill said. “Then I better let you get back to work. Thank you. Thank you. I’ll meet you in the coffee area later.”
Ben straightened his tie and turned back toward his computer. Word spread quickly. He was training his co-workers, one at a time, to respect how he was using his time and by Tuesday afternoon everyone knew the expectations.

FOURTH STEP: EARN OTHERS’ RESPECT
Notify: Establish parameters and boundaries by notifying others about your priorities and how you are using your time!
WARNING! There are many intelligent, well-meaning beings that are watching you! Do not be fooled by their friendly manner because they secretly work for the D.E.A. (Distraction Enforcement Agency). During your designated time blocks and focus sessions, they will use covert distraction tactics to talk to you about the weather, to borrow a fingernail file, or to show you a kitten video—anything to take away your focus. So beware!
The counteroffensive for fighting off DEA members is to notify them about your priority and how you are using your time. Just like mosquito repellant, this one form of communication will keep them at bay while you focus on what is most important. The other benefit of notification is instead of them being annoyed with you, it will actually increase their respect for you!
Visit www.45MinuteWorkHour.com for more help in dealing with D.E.A. Members.

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD HAVE DAVID JUSTUS SPEAK AT YOUR COMPANY OR EVENT?
For complete details see the “Tools for Time Mastery” section in the back of this book or visit www.45MinuteWorkHour.com.

14. IT’S IN THE DETAILS
In less than a week, Ben would meet his fate. The clock on the wall sounded as if it was ticking louder and louder. With each passing minute, he felt more and more like throwing up.
“Franklin,” O’Bannon bellowed. “Get in here, now!”
Ben immediately stood up and trudged into O’Bannon’s office. “Yes sir.”
“I am about to write your performance review,” O’Bannon said, “and to send it to the CEO for his signature. I just wanted to know if you had any last words!”
Ben took a big gulp. “Last words?”
“Yeah, did I stutter,” O’Bannon said, “last words?”
“Mr. O’Bannon, since my last review, I feel like I have made good progress. My scheduled appointments and new accounts are double the office average. I have been the top producer the last two months.”

O’Bannon tapped his pen on the desk. He enjoyed making Ben squirm. Psychological warfare.
“I have stayed up with my phone logs and weekly reports,” Ben continued. “And I even have helped out a few of the others in the office to be more productive.”
“The question is,” O’Bannon smirked, “is it enough?”
“I know it’s only been a short time, sir,” Ben pleaded, “but I think so.”
“Just remember one thing Franklin,” O’Bannon said. “You don’t get paid to think.”
Ben stood boldly. “I know I have improved a lot and I deserve to stay here. Obviously, it’s out of my hands.”
“I’ll have my report to the CEO on Wednesday,” O’Bannon said. “Plan on being here Friday morning for the decision.”
“Yes sir,” Ben said.
“If you can manage your time well enough,” O’Bannon taunted. “Tick, tick, tick.”

15. THE PLAN
Ben spent the day hiding in his cubicle. O’Bannon however, refused to get off his back. “Tick, tick, tick,” he said, waiving Ben’s file in the air. “I’m going upstairs with your review—to give it to you know who.”
“Grrrr,” Ben growled. “I need to get out of here. Bill,” he said, “tell O’Bannon when he returns, I left for an appointment and I’ll be back in the morning.”
The wind downtown blistered. Ben pulled his trench coat up around his ears. People briskly passed, occasionally bumping into him. Everyone seemed to be a little edgy.
Ben tried to forget about Mr. O’Bannon by reviewing what he had learned about better time management.
1. Prioritize my time by importance.
2. Leverage it by identifying what time I have control over and matching it to my priorities.

3. Assign specific focus sessions for maximizing my most productive activities and reward myself as appropriate.
4. Notify others of my priorities and plans, so they will respect how I am using my time.
5. Lastly, execute.
Ben laughed out loud. Execute, does that mean to execute his time management PLAN or to execute Mr. O’Bannon? He regained his composure just as he entered the bank. “I have an appointment with Tina Baker.”
“I’ll let her know you are here,” the receptionist said.
A brief moment later, Tina came to the front lobby. “Ben from Richmond Brothers, I presume.”
“You presume correctly.”
“Tina Baker, very nice to meet you.”
Tina was younger than what Ben had envisioned. She looked like she recently graduated from college. Yet, as the branch manager, she radiated confidence and professionalism.
“I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today,” Ben started. “How long have you been with the bank?”

“Actually I have been with the bank for five years and the branch manager at this location for the last seven months,” Tina said.
“Branch manager that quickly,” Ben said, “I’m impressed. How did you get into banking?”
Before Tina could answer the question, a teller appeared at the door. “I’m sorry Tina, I didn’t know you were with someone,” she said, “but I need the file for Mr. Wayne.”
“Excuse me for just a minute,” Tina said. Then searching through a stack of folders, she carefully pulled out Mr. Wayne’s file. “Here you go Wendy.”
Ben smiled as the top few files slid onto her desk. “Oops,” Ben said. “I hate it when that happens.”
“Me too,” Tina said. “With this job, it seems like there are never enough hours in the day. Now what were you asking … why I got into banking?”
“Yes, that was it,” Ben said.
Before Tina could answer, another employee appeared. She was giving Tina signals behind Ben’s back by putting her hand towards her mouth as if to say, I’m going on break. Tina just rolled her eyes and nodded.

“Let me ask you a different question,” Ben said. “Do you wish the bank would have given you a class on time management?”
“Do I ever,” Tina said as she placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “My time seems to be out of control.”
“Would it be okay if I share with you my time management PLAN?” Ben asked.
“Please do,” she said.
Ben stood up and shut the door most of the way, leaving it open just a crack. He pulled his chair around to the side of Tina’s desk and said, “Here’s my time management PLAN.” He wrote the word “PLAN” on a piece of a paper. “It’s an acronym for better time management.”
“Okay, let’s hear about your PLAN,” she said.
Ben began with the P. “The P stands for Prioritize. You need to start by identifying your priorities based on what is most important to you. This will allow you to know how to best spend your time. I learned this principle from our CEO, Richard Hayes.”
“P is for prioritization,” Tina said.

“Once you have identified your top five priorities,” Ben said, “you can then choose what activities fit into your schedule and which do not. If they don’t agree with your priorities, then it is easier to say no.”
Tina smiled.
“L stands for Leverage,” Ben continued. “This is how you determine when you have the most control over your time and match it to your priorities.” He briefly shared how time mapping worked and how Sarah was able to get a painting completed every week using this principle.
“Makes sense so far,” Tina said. “What does the A stand for?”
“So glad you asked,” Ben said. “A stands for Assign. This is when you assign specific focus sessions to accomplish a specific task, preferably which is most important and productive.”
“Focus sessions?” she asked to clarify.
“My friend Lucky calls it The 45-Minute Work Hour,” Ben explained. “He focuses on a task for 45 minutes without interruption and then rewards himself with 10 minutes of checking emails or viewing social media posts.”
“Every hour of the day?” she balked.

“Not every hour of the day,” Ben said. “That was just Lucky’s example of the power of using focus sessions. He plans focus sessions from 30 to 45 minutes—sometimes even as small as 15 minutes— throughout his day. His goal is to manage the time he can control by focusing on the task at hand.”
“Excuse me,” A voice from behind the door said, “Tina, can I bother you for a minute?”
“Actually Wendy, if it is not an emergency,” Tina said, “I will be done here in a minute. So, if it can wait until then, I would appreciate it.”
“Have you heard of PLAN before?” Ben asked with a smile.
Tina shrugged her shoulders. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well you seem to be catching on because N stands for Notify,” Ben said. “You should set expectations with others by notifying them of how you are using your time and when you will be available for non- emergency inquiries.”
“Like I just did with Wendy?” Tina asked.
“Exactly,” Ben said. “Once you teach them how you are using your time and what priorities you are working on, people will respect you and your time.”

“We could all benefit from that,” Tina said.
“The most important part is executing the PLAN,” he said with a grin, “because knowing and doing are two different things. It’s like bank tellers that learn how to use a calculator but still add up their checks using an abacus.”
Tina smiled. “Let me know when you start teaching this class and I will be sure to attend.”
“I greatly appreciate your time,” Ben said. “It seems however, we forgot the real reason I came by in the first place—Richmond Brothers.”
“Anyone who is so helpful,” Tina said, “is probably a good fit for our bank. I’ll pass along my recommendation and your company should hear something next week.”
Ben hid behind his smile. “I look forward to it.” Inside his stomach was in knots because he wasn’t even sure he would still have his job next week.

16. TRUTH WILL PREVAIL
Friday morning, Ben struggled to get out of bed. He didn’t bother to shave, just putting on his wrinkled shirt and scuffed shoes. He was sure it would be his last day at Richmond Brothers.
To make matters worse, when he arrived at the office, the coffee area was empty. Everyone seemed to avoid eye contact as he made his way to his cubicle. Ben could see the CEO pacing back and forth inside O’Bannon’s office.
Ben looked over his desk and slowly began taking down his pictures. When he got to the picture of his wife, Amy, he whispered, “I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to disappoint you, especially with our third child on the way.”
Suddenly there was a loud rumble in O’Bannon’s office, followed by silence. Ben took this as a sign that they were almost ready for him. As he sauntered over to the area outside of O’Bannon’s office, the door opened almost knocking him to the ground. When Ben looked up, he was eye to eye with the CEO.

“Ben, just the person I was looking for. Please come in,” The CEO said.
“Yes sir,” Ben said. He experienced being yelled at in O’Bannon’s office a hundred times before; why should today be any different?
“Ben,” the CEO began. “I received your performance review from Mr. O’Bannon and to tell you the truth, I don’t think your performance numbers match your review.”
Ben scratched his head, “Yes sir. I just want to say that I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to work here,” he said. “I feel I have grown a lot over the last two and a half years, and…”
“And you’ll continue to grow,” the CEO said. “Remember when I said that I believed that with success comes the need for better time management and with better time management comes success?”
Ben nodded.
“Mr. O’Bannon announced his retirement, effective at the end of year.”
Ben felt lightheaded from not breathing. He plopped down in the chair and took a deep breath.

“I’m promoting you to manager of the business development department. You start training next week,” the CEO said. “What do you say? Do you accept?”
“What did you say, sir?”
“You’re the new manager of the business development department. Congratulations!” the CEO repeated. With that, he grabbed Ben by the hand and pulled him up. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, “meet your new manager, Ben Franklin.”
Applause erupted. Ben was humbled. He wasn’t going anywhere. The whole time Mr. O’Bannon was grooming him to be his replacement.
Ben gently waived to his co-workers and shook the CEO’s hand. “Mr. Hayes, I won’t disappoint you.”
“I know you won’t,” he said. “That’s why I chose you.”

YOUR P.L.A.N. FOR BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT
STEP ONE: DETERMINE YOUR PRIORITIES
Prioritize: Decide what is most important to you in your personal life and career. You cannot PLAN your time effectively until you know WHY you should better manage it.
STEP TWO: LEVERAGE YOUR TIME
TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Leverage: Time map your activities for a minimum of three days. Identify time blocks that you can control and take advantage by matching them to your priorities.
STEP THREE: TAKE CHARGE OF TIME
Assign: Accomplish the five or six most important activities by assigning focus sessions within your designated time blocks. Base your activities on what is most important and the best use of your time.
STEP FOUR: EARN OTHERS’ RESPECT
Notify: Establish parameters and boundaries by notifying others about your priorities and how you are using your time!

TOOLS FOR TIME MASTERY
A YEAR OF BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT
Join the 45-Minute Work Hour Movement for “A Year of Better Time Management” with weekly email support and encouragement, email access to a productivity coach, and one private 30-minute consultation with author David Justus. This membership has a total value of $379.
SPECIAL OFFER: Sign up online and enter the promo code: 45-Hour and receive the entire year’s membership for just $14.97 per month*. That’s a savings of more than 50 percent!
As an added bonus, members will receive first notification of all public events** where David Justus is appearing, future books and programs, and other specialty items and promotions! This will give you an unfair advantage over non-members.
For details go to www.45MinuteWorkHour.com.
*Limited-time offer; Prices subject to change.
**Does not include private or company-sponsored events not open to the public.

THE 45-MINUTE WORK HOUR ACCELERATED PROGRAM
The 45-Minute Work Hour Accelerated Program will help you quickly discover how to overcome procrastination, better manage your time, increase your productivity, and improve your personal life. As a part of the program, you will receive:
 The 45-Minute Work Hour Acceleration CD;
 The 45-Minute Work Hour Accelerated Workbook;
 The 45-Minute Work Hour Success Journal;
 60 minute timer on a rope.
The program is designed to help you immediately better manage your time because it is filled with important exercises and activities designed to help you enhance your experience. Total value $297. Special price of just $197* (34 percent savings).
PRIVATE CONSULTATION OPTION: A private ½ hour productivity consultation with David Justus is available to seek his advice, to receive his guidance, and to find answers to your questions. You will have up to twelve months to schedule your consultation.
For complete details and for everything you will receive go to www.45MinuteWorkHour.com.
*Limited-time offer; Prices subject to change.

THE 45-MINUTE WORK HOUR ONE-DAY SEMINAR
The principles of The 45-Minute Work Hour are taught in a one-day seminar in several cities across the United States. During this live event, you will experience a life-changing moment that will lead to greater success and happiness in your life because we will help you change how you view and use your most valuable asset, time.
The seminar includes group instruction, one-on- one time with one of our productivity coaches, and feedback on your personal PLAN. It also includes The 45-Minute Work Hour Accelerated Workbook, The 45- Minute Work Hour Success Journal, and much more.
For details go to www.45MinuteWorkHour.com.
SPEAKING AT YOUR COMPANY OR EVENT
Author David Justus is also known as “Lemonade Dave” because his company holds the Guinness World Record for the longest lemonade stand, (see details on page 84). As a world-record holder and author, he is a highly sought after public speaker.
Lemonade Dave has spoken to businesses and business groups; government agencies; schools, colleges, and universities; chambers of commerce; non-profit organizations and service clubs; trade/professional organizations and associations; and religious organizations.

Here is what you can expect when he comes to speak to your company or organization:
Give ‘Lemonade Dave’ Justus 45-minutes and he’ll have your audience standing on their feet and enthusiastically cheering!
Lemonade Dave is easy to work with and coordinates with the company leadership, event organizers, and/or meeting planners to customize his material to specifically meet the needs of the audience. His availability includes:
 Keynote speaker, breakout-session speaker, and/or special spouse sessions for company/ special events, conferences, luncheons, or activities
 Half-day 45-Minute Work Hour Workshop (3-5 hrs.)
 Full-day 45-Minute Work Hour Seminars (6-9 hrs.)
Popular speeches Lemonade Dave delivers:
 TIME MASTERY: Double Your Productivity Using a 45-Minute Work Hour (Topics: Time Management, Goal Setting, Sales, Leadership, Life Balance, and Motivation)
 GOALS: I Set a World Record and You Can Too! (Topics: Goal Setting, Attitude, Leadership, Motivation, Community Service, Sales, and Working With Volunteers)

 LIFE AND TIME MANAGEMENT: Achieve Higher Levels of Happiness, Satisfaction, and Accomplishment (Topics: Time Management, Life Balance, Stress Management, Motivation, Change and Religious Inspiration)
Here is what other’s had to say about Lemonade Dave: “David is a wonderful and inspirational speaker. He was our keynote for the second day of our conference. He was the first speaker in five years to receive a standing ovation ... he was amazing!" -Stefanie Spieth-Woolford, Association Meeting Planner “David Justus’s personal stories plus those in his book have inspired many of the [participants] who attended, to incorporate these principals into their everyday lives.” –Laura Nash, Meeting Planner "I just wanted to let you know how much of impact David Justus had at our Annual Student Life Leadership Retreat at Maumee Bay Resort ... They talked about him the rest of the weekend.” – Shawna Johnson, LCCC Office of Student Life
For details on having Lemonade Dave speak, go to www.45MinuteWorkHour.com

DISCOVER HOW CUSTOM BOOKS ADD VALUE AND INCREASE BRAND RECOGNITION
Give the “gift of time” at your next conference, meeting, or as a giveaway for employees, clients, and prospective clients!
The 45-Minute Work Hour is a savvy marketing tool for organizations and companies in search of a creative way to promote brand awareness and/or add value for event attendees, employees and clients.
Imagine having the ability to add your organization/ company name, colors and logo on the front cover. Plus, being able to add several pages of content, including a customized foreword and back matter!
Custom copies, unique to your company or organization, can be purchased directly from Northcoast University, LLC. This means that you’ll work with the publisher to create the right product that meets your specific needs.
Please visit www.45MinuteWorkHour.com for pricing information and project inquires.

NORTHCOAST UNIVERSITY, LLC
Northcoast University develops and distributes innovative educational materials in conjunction with children’s charities.
Guinness World Record: The longest lemonade stand (under the category of longest temporary bar) was set on June 11, 2011 in Maumee, Ohio. The total length of the lemonade stand was 2,614 ft. 2 in. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness for children with cancer.
David Justus has written four other books:
 The Lemonade Stand: How Make a Difference 101
 Become a Touchdown Dad: Turn Your Love of Football into a Winning Parenting Style
 Charlie’s Cancer Rescue: How to Help When a Loved One is Diagnosed With Cancer
 Home Sellers Secrets: What Top-Moving Realtors Already Know that Every Home Seller Should

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