This past Sunday, we stepped out of Daylight Savings Time and fell back one hour as we dipped our toes further into Fall. We “gained” one hour of time which, for most of us, amounted to an extra hour of sleep, something we can all afford now and then. This loss of an hour of daylight in the evening means that, for many of us, we lose valuable time outdoors and return home in the evening when it is already dark. The evening rush hour in the dark also has economic losses, including an uptick in car accidents, decreased shopping and fewer evening dinners out. If you had employees working the “graveyard” shift this past weekend, they likely welcomed an extra hour of pay since FLSA requires that employees be credited and paid for all hours actually worked.

Turning back the clock one hour is also a great metaphor to re-evaluate your goals as you begin planning for the new year and beyond. Whether you are an employee, a manager, or an owner, ask yourself the following questions to figure out how you can “gain” more time into your day and become more productive:

• What persistent problem(s) demand your immediate attention and action?
• What can you do to manage your time more effectively?
• What must you do to reserve time for yourself?

We often struggle to meet deadlines and stay on task and find ourselves having to “make time” to get certain tasks accomplished. The reality is we have all the time in the world; how we use it, though, is what matters.

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