Over the past couple of years, I have surveyed salespeople and their managers about their time-management habits. And I've found some interesting trends in the answers to my questions. On vacation,

• 14.5 percent of salespeople are required to check in with their bosses;
• 39.3 percent of salespeople are required to leave a phone number;
• 40.6 percent of salespeople have received calls from their bosses;
• 77.7 percent of salespeople check in with their offices;
• 78.8 percent check voice mail;
• 60.7 percent check e-mail.

Whew! It's enough to wear you out. Let me share with you a different way to view time—the gifts-of-time attitude. The gifts-of-time attitude recognizes that everyday life hands you moments of time. Your attitude toward these moments determines your stress level. For example, you're in the express line at the grocery store, and the person in front of you has two extra items that push him over the 10-item limit. How do you handle this situation?

Some people feel the need to call attention to the 10-item limit. They say something to the offender that causes stress and adds no value to the interaction. Someone with the gifts-of-time attitude will view this unexpected delay as serendipity. This person may use the unexpected gift of time to catch up on reading the point-of-sale magazines or meet new friends while initiating a conversation with another person in line.

Rush-hour traffic is either friend or foe. If you have the gifts-of-time attitude, it can be your friend. This may be the time you need for account planning with your pocket voice recorder. It could be time to call friends, relatives or customers that you haven't seen in a while. It may be time to listen to the music that relaxes you after a tough day.

Waiting is an attitude. When a customer keeps you waiting for 10 or 20 minutes, how do you use that time? Some salespeople will sit and stew. Others use that time to prepare and review their notes. It's a gift of time. It's similar to the student who has studied for a test, and the teacher announces that there will be a 20-minute delay before the test begins, so the students may use the extra time any way they choose. Serious students will spend this gift of time reviewing what they already know.

Your attitude toward time, especially toward these gifts of time, determines the stress level at which you choose to operate. How effectively can you use your time when you feel stress? Do you have the gifts-of-time attitude? Is time your friend or foe? Does your attitude toward time add value or stress to your day?