How to make better decisions and achieve your goalsWhat shapes a person's career and life, and defines them as a leader? Their decisions. We all want to be more productive and deliver our best results. But doing this effectively--and consistently over time--is a significant challenge. Managing it all is hard, and leading in today's hyper-paced world is even harder.The good news is that leadership expert Steve McClatchy makes it easier. In Decide, McClatchy--who works with Fortune 1000 people every day to help them achieve outstanding levels of performance--shows you how to cut through the complexities and excuses to start realizing real gains simply by changing one thing: the way you make decisions. With McClatchy's help, you can quickly begin to:* Use the time you have each day to move your business and your life forward* Make decisions that yield better results* Waste less time, reduce stress and regain balanceAgain and again, McClatchy has helped people learn for themselves how great decision-making habits yield a lifetime of accomplishments. Follow McClatchy's no-nonsense and practical approach, and you'll soon manage--and even lead--at your highest level of personal performance.

Preface xvIntroduction 1Chapter 1 Two Forms of Human Motivation: Gain and Prevent Pain 5Prevent Pain: I Have to Do It! 9Do I Really Have To? 11Attributes of a Gain Task 13Management versus Leadership 18The One and Only Exercise I Will Ask You to Do in This Book . . . Brainstorm! 20Chapter 2 It's All up to You: Avoid Burnout and Create Balance 23So Why Take on Gain? 25The Paradox of Balance 26Gain Is the Answer to the Balance Crisis 29Gain and Prevent Pain Must Work Together 33Chapter 3 Prioritizing Tasks in Relation to Results 35A New Way to Prioritize 39Why Is Prioritizing Important? 42Focus on Results 44Survival Instincts 48Breaking Down Gain: Creation versus Consumption 50Chapter 4 Energy and Motivation: Decide How You Will Get Yours 53What Can Your Brain Do for You? 56Energy from Desire: Creation and Consumption 60Energy from Fear: Procrastination 64The Final Judgment on Procrastination 69Chapter 5 What Understanding the Value of Time Can Do for Your Life 73The Value of a Minute 77Understanding Where Our Time Goes 79Make Better Decisions about Your Time 81You Accomplish Gain by Getting Your Goals on Your Calendar 82Why Does This Work? 84Getting Your Goals on Your Calendar: The First Steps 86Need Some Examples? 88Leap of Faith 90Don't Squeeze It In 92Chapter 6 Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Planning 95No Time to Plan? 99Benefits of a 5-Minute Plan 100Make It a Habit 106Chapter 7 Managing Interruptions 107Stick to the Work Involved 111Steer It Back by Interrupting Yourself 112Set Expectations 113Recover and Get Back to Work! 114Work Interruptions into and out of Your Schedule 116Return the Favor 116Chapter 8 How to Manage It All: Time Management Implementation 117Organizing Your Information Resources 119Why Get Organized? 121Decide and Commit 123The Keys to Using a Time Management System Effectively 125What Your System Needs to Do 126Task Management System: To-Do Lists 127Calendar 133They Work Together 134Being on Time versus Being Late 136Information Management: Contacts and Notes 138Touch It Once 140Chapter 9 Take Action 141The Power of Your Decisions 143Decisions Are Like Rules 144Your Decisions Determine Who You Are 144Do You Make Leadership Decisions? 146It's Not a Competition 147Building Your Identity as a Leader 149Don't Just Think about It. Do It! 150You Work Too Hard Not to Get the Great Results You Deserve 152Notes 155Acknowledgments 157About Alleer Training and Consulting's Work with Clients 161About the Author 163Index 165