It’s a fact of life. The expectations of our customers, our bosses and our families require us to do more, and do it faster. Juggling existing customers and incoming leads, negotiating with price conscious buyers, squeezing in new business development activity, completing a multitude of reports – all while leaving some “awake time” for family . The consistent question I hear from sales professionals and business owners is, “How do I find a way to manage my time so that I get everything done and keep everyone happy?” Overwhelmed is the new normal.

Many look at time management as the panacea. Yet, according to renowned neuropsychologist, Dr. Paul Pearsall*, “time management is a waste of time.” You see… it’s not about time, it’s about attention. Pearsall refers to attention as the new business currency and states, “until we learn to manage our attention, all the self-helpism, time management programs in the world will be useless.” And I agree with him.

A myriad distractions vie for our attention on a daily basis. So much so, that we forget we have choice over where we focus that attention. In fact by getting ruthless with our choices we will get more done, and free up time.

Here are seven insights to help you redirect your attention so you get more done in less time.

1. Having goals is not enough.

Everyone knows that goals are integral to getting things done. But did you know that setting goals without identifying the associated critical success factors to achieving these goals leads to time wasted?

Many of you have clear goals. But it’s the overwhelming list of activities you then create to attain these goals that threatens to derail you.

Set your goal. Then identify the few (three or four) things that absolutely must get done if you wish to reach this objective – the handful of activities that are critical to your success. Then ruthlessly devote your attention to executing these few critical success factors and notice how much more efficiently you reach your goals.

2. It’s not about time, it’s about priorities.

You have an ever-growing “To Do” list. Items get added faster than they get crossed off and it’s paralyzing you. Anyone relate? Stop making lists unless you have a prioritization process that enables you to efficiently work through this list.

Designate each item an A, B or C priority based on how critical each activity is to achieving your end goals. Importance trumps urgency. Schedule time for the A priorities immediately (and always allow at least 50% more time than you anticipate). Assign the Bs to another day, and either delegate your Cs to others or move them to your “stop doing” list. For example, an A for me today is working on my business strategy for 2012, a B is a proposal that is due next week, and a C is returning a call to the sales person who has left the same message five times. While the proposal is more urgent than the business strategy, the strategy will help me decide whether this is a proposal I should be writing. You can guess what I’ve done with the C.

3. Stop reacting and start proacting.

Sales people jump at opportunity. Every opportunity. It’s part of our DNA.

But if you seek more time – and bigger results for a smaller investment of your time – then focus your attention on the leads that are both winnable and desirable for your company.

Have a clear target customer profile, against which you filter and prioritize both incoming leads and outgoing calls. When you devote your attention to a lead that is neither winnable not desirable you are taking time away from a lead that could be your next best client.

4. Schedule your attention.

Schedule quantity and quality of time to focus your attention on the important elements of your job, like call planning, new business development… And when I say “schedule” I mean protect a chunk of time in your calendar as you would a meeting with Mr. Big, your most important customer. Shut your door if you have one, book a boardroom so you have privacy, forewarn your colleagues that between 8.30AM and 10.30AM you will not be responding to e-mails, calls or drop bys.

Uninterrupted time allows you to get more done, because you maintain your attention. I’ve heard that once distracted, it can take up to 40 minutes to fully refocus on the original task. And that’s a wicked waste of time.

5. Check into “Blackberry Rehab.”

The biggest attention sucker in today’s business world is your Blackberry or iPhone. If you believe that checking your e-mail frequently makes you more efficient – think again. The most efficient people look at their e-mail a handful of times each day, manage their customers’ expectations in this regard, and avoid wasting time responding to e-mails that 20 minutes later no longer require their attention.

Now I hear some of you wailing, “But my customers expect me to respond immediately!” Then my question to you is, “Who set the expectation?” Unless you work in a time sensitive (and I mean minute to minute) business like the currency exchange or energy markets – kick the habit.

6. Leverage your peak performance time.

There is a certain time of the day, and certain circumstances, under which we focus and perform at our best. For me it’s early morning. My best ideas come to me in the shower – my husband has suggested I stop showering for a while as I now have more ideas than I can ever hope to execute.

The morning is when I attack my scariest projects. Mid afternoon is when my attention wanes. So that’s when I schedule B priorities or re-energize by interacting with others. If you don’t know when, and how, you are your most productive, start observing your work habits. Don’t fall into the trap of choosing easy over efficient, or comfortable over important, just because it’s the wrong time of day for you.

7. Remember … It’s never about time – it’s always about priorities.

Did I say this already? Well, I’m saying it again because so many salespeople are frustrated with how long it takes to get time with prospects. Or they consider it rude when a prospect won’t return their calls or a customer continuously postpones a meeting.

Remember … attention, time and money flow to priorities. Reality is you’ve failed to get their attention because you, your message, or the agenda of your meeting is not a priority to this individual right now. Getting time with today’s busy buyer takes work. Many sellers don’t devote enough attention to clarifying what’s important to a specific prospect before picking up the phone or sending that e-mail. The end result … time wasted.

Let’s face it. You have no control over time. It moves forward no matter how hard you try to slow it down. We do have control over what we deem a priority. So stop worrying about managing time, and get ruthless on where you focus your attention.

* Paul Pearsall PhD 1942 – 2007