A couple of years ago, I wrote an article about delegation. I enjoy managing my business and delegating out any and all tasks that I can. Instead, I focus my time and energy doing high value activities that result in the best return for me – both in terms of my personal happiness and profits.

Productivity and time management are some of my favorite subjects and areas around which I frequently coach my clients. The other day, I read an article about managing email. The author pointed out 5 actions we can take when processing the many messages we receive each day --- delete, delegate, respond, defer, and do.

But I started to think – this isn’t just for emails. You can easily apply this to everything you do, reaping many benefits including:

• More free time that you can spend with family and friends

• Less headaches, literally and figuratively

• Less mental clutter and distraction

• Saving time, money (in some cases) and energy

• And, the big overall benefit – you’ll make more room in your life for what matters most to you.

Here are my tips on how to get started:

Delete. Delete activities that are unproductive, low value and which aren’t aligned with the vision for your life.

Delegate. Outsource low value, unproductive activities to a business manager or virtual assistant. Outsource your weaknesses. If you lack the talent or strength in a particular area, find someone who can help you out. Don’t waste your time, money and energy learning something that detracts or distracts you from high-return, high-value activities.

Respond. Respond quickly but not foolishly. Always do your research, seek wise counsel, and evaluate your alternatives. Set deadlines for decisions you need to make and when it comes time – make them. Don’t waste mental energy mulling something over for three weeks when you can just as easily make a good decision in 3 minutes. Life is short. Stop over thinking things.

Defer, but set a deadline. If you can’t make a decision right now, set it aside. But before you do, assign it a deadline so that it will definitely be handled in the future. Don’t let things hang in limbo.

Do. If you have something that requires you to take action, don’t procrastinate. Get it done now. Don’t strive for perfection – that’s just a convenient excuse for not starting or finishing something. Again, if you don’t want to do something that needs to get done, outsource it and let someone else get it done for you.

There you have it. It’s as easy as deleting, delegating, responding, deferring and doing. Make a note of these 5 words and post them in your work area where you can see them. It will keep you focused managing your time effectively.