Most of us think that time management can help us control our hectic lives, but it can do more than that. Stress, as we now know, can kill, and lack of financial planning can mean an impoverishedlife later on. Although we rarely think of these three topics ? time, finances, and stress ? as interlinked, they are. In fact, when you take control of your time, you will be able to eliminate much of the stress in your life and enjoy more affluence as well.

Does it sound too good to be true? It's not. Think about it: much of our stress is caused by the fact that we don't feel that we have enough time for everything. We rush from one task to the next, trying to get everything done. It's no wonder we are tired and grumpy at the end of the day. Since many of us earn money hourly, not managing our time can lead to financial stress, which leads to worry. When we feel terribly stressed out, we tend to procrastinate on important tasks. We may become so stressed that we become ill and fall behind with everything we need to do. This leads

to more stress and problems managing our time. Pretty soon, we are in a vicious cycle. Is it any wonder that ulcers and heart trouble are so common?

You can escape this potentially lethal cycle right now. The first step is to really think about what time is. It sounds strange but time is nothing more than the way we think. Before there were factories, there was no very precise concept of time for most people. Workers rose with the sun, worked all day and ended work once the day ended. No one was managing the hours. With factories came the idea of ?punching the clock.? Every hour was billable and so important. Watches that measured every minute were suddenly popular. Even though we now have more options for our earnings and our money than the factory workers of the nineteenth century, some of us still think of time in the same way!

Step out of this mentality now by vowing not to nickel and dime your time any more. Don't focus on hours and minutes; focus on accomplishments instead. Instead of asking yourself how much you can get done in a specific amount of time, focus on what fulfilling things you can accomplish during a day. Select the three most important things you need to accomplish in a given day and then set about getting those things done. It sounds simple, but the feeling of fulfillment you will get at the end of such a day is incredible. Plus, if you focus on actually accomplishing important things, your life will start to improve because you will no longer just emphasizing those small to-do items that really do not matter down the road. With fulfillment will come a sense of peace that eliminates stress. By focusing on accomplishments, your professional life will flourish. After all, clients, customers, and employers don't care if you can get lots done ? they care that you get results.