Time Managements

Posted on December 24, 2008 by yourownvirtualassistant

This article approaches time management in a the way of ‘how do you see time’? If you can get a strong enough analogy to time and what it means in your life, then you can manage it just like you would manage your finances, valuables, or your lifestyle. It’s about looking at time as a building bloc and then designing your life by using that building block in your foundation. Read on for more powerful stuff!

There are the golden rules that apply to time. If followed, your life will be successful. If you ignore these, however, you will always be scratching to catch up. Do not be one of the people you always here say “I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by!”

1) Time is fleeting. Think about it…the moment you started reading this is gone, never to be regained. It seems we get so caught up in petty circumstances that we forget what we set out to do, and before you know it, the day is gone

2) Time is valuable. You always have time to make money; but you can never have enough money to make time

3) Time is unforgiving. The amazing thing about your time; even through no fault of your own, even “wasted” time will never stand still.

4) Time is money. You must be constantly asking yourself,”Am I doing the most productive thing I can be doing right now?”. Watch out for those “wasted” moments we were talking about earlier.

5) Time is changing. We all must constantly renew our minds, and let the past be just that…the past! It can’t help you now, aside from the learning experience, don’t dwell on it.

6) Time is the ultimate judge. We have all heard “time will tell!”. Well, there is some truth to that, as the future has a way of finding any flaw in the plan. Pre-planning will save massive amounts of your precious commodity called time.

7) Time is in your control. We can all be more in control of our day and how we spend it. Today should have been planned out yesterday, and tomorrow should be thought about today.

You can design your future, much like an architect designs a building. Start small, and work your way to the big things. Prioritize events and meetings in advance and stick to it. Things will always come up, so be vigilant, you will catch yourself doing un-productive things. The more you are “tuned in” to these events , the more you can do about it!

Michael Niles is a Seattle based trainer and speaker. For more info call 206-229-3119 or www.focussalestraining.com.
michael6941@hotmail.com

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TIME MANAGEMENT – NO!

Posted on December 20, 2008 by yourownvirtualassistant

I like this approach to time management because it subtly puts the focus on managing your life from an empowered place as opposed to a disempowered place. It comes from realizing what is truly important to you and focusing your time on that. We don’t realize how much time we waste on things that do not support us in our goals.
Read on for more insights to this different approach to time management.

Many people want to be coached to manage their time better. I say NO! to that. You cannot manage time anyway; it just keeps ticking away no matter what you do.

What you can do is manage yourself based on the two concepts I keep mentioning: self-knowledge and self-acceptance. Following are four principles to maximize the time that you have. They take time to incorporate into your life at the habit level. Don’t give up. Keep practicing.

1) GOOD ENOUGH

Accept that no human being is meant to do everything. We all have our uniqueness; things we do better than others and vice versa. Perfection is not a human condition. Cut yourself some slack and adopt the concept of “good enough”. You can rework your resume 50 times. Is it really so much better than a much earlier draft? You can shop for the perfect dress endlessly? Wasn’t the first one you tried and liked as good as the 15th? How much time did you spend past “good enough”? Demand higher standards of excellence where it really counts.

2) SPECIALNESS

Concentrate on excelling in what you do well, what you would enjoy doing better, and new areas you would like to learn. Delegate, hire, share, partner with people who complement you or can fill the needs you have in areas you don’t enjoy or do not know that well. Don’t ever berate yourself for not being able to do it all. Appreciate your talents and excellence and flaunt them. They are you, yours and very special. Let others have their specialness too. The results will not only save time but enrich and free you.

3) ENERGY AND TIME

Know and honor your energy levels. Are you a morning person, do you have an afternoon slump? Your time will be best used if you pace the tasks you have to do based on this knowledge. Do the most challenging at your peak energy time. Build in your Joy Breaks (see last month’s newsletter) both as rewards for finishing a formidable task and to refresh yourself at low energy periods.

4) FOCUS IN THE MOMENT

Develop habits that help you focus on what you are doing in the moment. Do not allow yourself to think of what you have to do next while you are doing what you are doing. Put a “do not disturb” sign on your door and do not take phone calls. By putting everything else out of your mind while focusing on the task at hand, you will be using your time efficiently. If you get stuck on something, take a break. Move to something else, get the information you need to continue, change scenery, stretch, whatever it takes, but don’t sit there stuck.

Note: The suggestions I make are not one dimensional or simple. The questions I suggest you ask yourself have multiple answers and may be different on different days. I suggest you keep them all in a file or notebook and refer back to them regularly. You will gain a lot if you do.

Dorene Lehavi, Ph.D. is principal of Next Level Business and Professional Coaching. She coaches Professionals and Business Partners and teaches teleclasses on techniques to break through barriers to the next level. Dr. Lehavi offers a complimentary coaching session so you can experience how coaching can work for you. Visit http://www.CoachingforYourNextLevel.com

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Taking Time Out For Your Business

Posted on December 7, 2008 by yourownvirtualassistant

This article discusses the benefit of taking time out from the day to day tasks to actually work on your business. That metaphor of sharpening the saw, so you can be more efficient and effective at what you do. It is also important to take personal time so you can keep allow your imagination and creativity give you solutions that will

As a business owner, wouldn’t it be great if you could take time off whenever you needed to? Unfortunately, most small business owners worry that the business will fall apart if they’re not there to mind the store. Too often, they simply lack the appropriate resources for their business to keep going in their absence.

“Taking time off is as important as food,” says Charles Tuttle, leader of a group of entrepreneurs in North Carolina. Don’t worry if this statement raises a red flag for you. Although taking time off can be especially challenging and downright impossible sometimes, it’s important to know that you can do something to make it happen. It takes deliberate work on your part and here are a few simple ideas to get you started.

Find a way to make work fun. If your work is stressful, build in laughter to ease the stress and tension. Take frequent breaks to stretch or breathe if you’re sitting all day. Fun makes the passing of the day more enjoyable. Try it and watch your fabulous day unfold!

Take leisure time in smaller chunks. Look at opportunities to journal, meditate or read between appointments and activities. It may seem pointless but it goes a long way in developing your time management skills while caring for your need to unplug. Tap into a little bit of spare time in your productivity process. It’s a great way to balance the scales in your favor!

Plan personal time on your calendar. Your calendar reflects your commitment to priorities or what’s important in your life. Typically, if you set aside the time on your calendar, you will observe it. Plan, then act to ensure you’re creating plenty of break time and doing something important in your life. You’ll have a greater sense of integrity and accomplishment at the same time.

Consider taking time off on a weekday. Who said you can only have fun on the weekends? Take time off in the middle of the week or even at the beginning! You’ll be surprised at how imaginative you’ll become while creating your fun time.

Identify unconventional ways to take time off. Time off may mean snuggling on the couch in your favorite bathrobe. It may also mean turning the ringer on the phone off, turning the TV and radio off or going to a park to feed the ducks. Your assignment (should you choose to accept it) is to get away from your business – whatever that means for you. Most entrepreneurs are in business because it offers freedom and flexibility so learn to capitalize on it!

Acknowledge yourself weekly for your accomplishments. What you do is hard work so pat yourself on the back for it! Select rewards that nurture and care for you like a facial, manicure, massage or other spa treatment. Treat yourself to a movie or read a good book. The more you acknowledge your progress, the more you’ll enjoy the journey!

Reward yourself for completed projects. You deserve a reward for completing the big projects in your business. Accordingly, let the reward match the milestone you reach when you complete a project. Plan a day trip, weekend getaway, or seven-day cruise. Whatever you enjoy, these are moments to treasure. Establish your reward at the beginning of the project so you’ll have an incentive to motivate to move you forward.

These are a few simple ideas to help you practice taking time off from your business. Remember, whether you’re just starting, squeezing a few moments out here and there or in full throttle, taking time off is good not only for you. It’s great for your business, too!

Wendy Y. Bailey is a Personal and Business Coach with Brilliance In Action, a professional coaching business that helps women entrepreneurs, business owners and business professionals blend their personal and business lives successfully.

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Schedule Time for Interruptions

Posted on December 3, 2008 by yourownvirtualassistant

I like this article because it brings in the reality of our day. At least from the point of view of being unconscious… What do I mean by that? Well if we believe the reality of our day will be full of interruptions, then that is exactly what our day will be like. For me, I don’t like interruptions and don’t see them as being a part of my day, so I don’t have them. Any call that comes to me is for something that will help my business, help make my life easier (calls from non profits who want my old stuff, see, now I don’t have to go out and arrange for it!), or bring more abundance into my life. Those aren’t interruptions to me. Getting back to the scope of this article, if you are on a schedule and you get a call that puts you off of your schedule, you need to schedule more synchronization into your thoughts so instead of calls taking you out of your schedule, they make it easier to get done what you need to get done for the day!

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One of the most challenging situations people face when planning their day is how to stick to their schedule when they are constantly being interrupted. Just when your activities are organized, someone else’s emergency seems to get in the way. A client has a crisis, co-workers are in a jam, your boss is breathing down your neck, a friend calls, or any of the dozens of other interruptions you face on any given day.

The training tip for the month of March is extremely simple and equally powerful ~ Schedule Time for Interruption. That’s right, just as you would schedule a meeting with a customer or event with your boss, scheduling a specific time in your day for interruptions is a technique that our students nation wide continually tell us is one of the most powerful time management tips they have ever used.

How does this work? There are two components. First, as you are planning your day or week, allot a certain amount of time for the sole purpose of dealing with ‘other people’s emergencies.’ What normally happens when someone calls or comes running into your office with something that they need your immediate help with? You drop whatever you are in the middle of and rush to their attention. Not only is their issue something that may not be of any importance to you, but I recently heard that it takes most people around 20 minutes to return to the level of focus they had before being interrupted. Wonder where those ‘lost hours’ go each day? Rebounding from all your interruptions!

But we do not want to tell our clients, managers, and co-workers that we aren’t there for them… So now you can have the best of both. You have a specific time predetermined in your day that you are available for ‘scheduled interruptions.’ Instead to denying the requests of others, you can simply plan a time that you will be able to help them.

The second component is to stick to your schedule and communicate to others when you are available for them and when you are not. If this seems unrealistic or impractical, that is because you have never tried it! In the long run, your boss with be impressed that you are getting more done, you will have more quality time to prevent most of your clients’ crises, and your coworkers will learn that you are not at their beck and call.

A frequent question people ask is, “how much interruption time do I need to schedule and when should I schedule it?” That, of course, is going to vary from person to person, but as a general rule, I say as much as you need and when it is convenient for you. If you are the manager of a large group of people, you are going to have more people knocking on your door for help with their challenges than if you are just getting started with a company. Try out the amount you think will be adequate and you will quickly realize if it’s the right amount for your needs. Most people find that right before or after lunch makes sense, as that is an easy breaking time in the middle of the day.

Be Free!

Eric is president of Freedom Speakers & Trainers, www.deliverfreedom.com & an instructor & personal coach on memory, goals, attitude, time management & communication. He is a national know memory trainer that has worked with thousands of companies to enhance their memory. He is co-author of Winning The Name Game, an at home study course that teaches individuals how to remember the names of everyone they meet. www.winningthenamegame.com

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Organizing Your Day

Posted on December 2, 2008 by yourownvirtualassistant

This article gives some very good tips on how being organized is actually a time management skill and how your organization style can either save or cost you time. Time management is actually a lifestyle and we all really do what is most important to us in the moment or we wouldn’t be doing it. The question is… is it supporting you reaching your goals or not?

One of the hardest things for most individuals working from home is to stay focused. One of the best ways to stay focused is organization. In addition, being organized will help your time management skills. The two are very much intertwined.

Planning out your day is very important. What you will do in the morning, afternoon/and or evening, depending on what hours you work is paramount.

Have a trigger that starts your day. For example, my trigger is I finish my morning walk. Once this is done, I make a cup of Java and to the office I go.

Once in the office, the computer goes on, along with the auxiliary equipment. I check my tickle file, my calendar for the day, and pull my To-Do file.

While I am looking at these items my mail program is working to check e-mail. I delete the junk and deal with the additional mail by answering it, or placing it in a folder to deal with later.

At this point depending on your business you should start dealing with the items in your tickle file and To Do List.

For those of you just starting to run a lease purchase business you should be doing the following:

Check your goals Check your calendar and tickler file Check your e-mail and answer If you need to, go through your newspapers and your other lists for sellers to call. Otherwise, do your call backs and set up appointments if appropriate Start calling – 1/2 hour from each list Send out follow-up information Enter calls in database Read in your area, both on and off line Visit on-line groups that relate to business Check e-mail and respond Do your To Do list for next day Add appointments to calendar

For those of you in the lease purchase business be sure to check your Step By Step the First Month in your manual. Remember it outlines what you need to do the first month. The above list will vary for you, if you need to drive neighborhoods, meet with sellers and/or tenant buyers, put up flyers, or speak at meetings.

For those of you running a business other than lease purchasing you can do many of the same things as those running a lease purchase business. The basics are still the same, it is just you are working them in another area. If you would like learn how to set up and operate a successful home based business, check out our Complete Home Based Business Manual.

So, be sure you have a To Do List, a tickler file and a calendar. Have a trigger that starts your day. Put all you do on your calendar, and add in time for mishaps. If they don’t occur, you’ll have extra time. Split up your day to do your calling, letter writing, follow-up e-mails, mailings, meetings, and any additional things that occur for your particular business. Having a plan when to do what, and scheduling things when you feel more comfortable dealing with them, in effect, the best time for you to do them, will go a long way in making for a smoother work day.

And remember to utilize that wasted time. For instance, while mail is coming down or you are printing something take care of something else. For example if you are printing a large document, or e-mailing a long document, get your filing done, read a short article, put dates on your calendar. Make a quick phone call, check supplies, you get the idea. By managing your time better it will allow you to get it all done.

Have you ever wondered how some people work two jobs, do volunteer work, and take care of their home and children? I do, they know how to manage their time.

Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2001

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our “how to” Home Business Solutions Digest, it’s like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

coaches@homebusinesssolutions.com

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Organize Your Time

Posted on October 13, 2007 by yourownvirtualassistant


A discussion about time management coming from the point of view of organization. The more organized you are, the easier you can get things done and the less time it will take to get tasks completed. A good organization system will be great in getting things done in an efficient manner. Read on for more…

Most people want to start a home-based business to make more money to supplement their income. The issue though, is finding the time to make this happen.

Most people are busy, with family, an existing job, and the general feeling that there are not enough hours in a day.

However, extra time to start a home-based business project can almost always be found. It may mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite pastimes, like watching TV but if you become successful with your home-based business project, you will have all the time you want for doing whatever you want to do.

The first thing you need to do is take inventory of your daily schedule. What time do you wake up? Then step-by-step, list everything you do each day. Most people will find that they have about three hours each day that can be utilized in a more constructive or efficient manner. As noted above, you may have to give up a few television programs you watch, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Time management is about planning you’re time efficiently, and following that plan effectively. Start by making a list of the things you want to accomplish the following day, each evening before you go to bed. Try to consolidate your trips to the grocery store with the pick up of your children for example.

Organize your trips to take care of as many tasks as possible while you’re out of the house. Take stock of the time you spend standing around shooting the breeze with a friend or neighbour, or the time you spend talking on the telephone. Eliminate all that isn’t absolutely necessary.

When you have chores to do around the house, set aside a specific time to do them, and a specific amount of time to devote to them. For example, just one hour a day devoted to laundry or dusting and vacuuming should be sufficient to make your household clean and liveable. Don’t try to do a week’s work in one day. Whether it’s painting your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and trimming your shrubs, do a part of it, or one particular job each day, and you’ll be amazed at your progress.

Take care of all your mail and emails the day you receive it. Don’t let those bills and letters pile up, or leave a potential client waiting for your reply to an email.

The important thing is to think of time as your most valuable asset, because it is. So organize! Decide what you have to do, and what you want to do. From there, it’s just a matter of arranging priorities.

Once you start listing and planning what you want to do, and then carry out your plans, you’ll find plenty of “extra time” for handling virtually any kind of home-based business project.

The secret of all successful people is simply that they are organized and do not waste time. These people wake up each morning ready to seize the day. You should be no different.

Review your own activities, and then see if you can’t find a couple of extra hours in each day to devote to your home-based business.

You should plan your work the same as you have planned your regular day-to-day activities, on a time-efficient basis. Do what has to be done immediately. However, don’t try to do what would normally take you a couple of days in an hour. Once again plan out what you have to accomplish, what you want to accomplish, and when you are going to get it done. Then get right on each project without procrastination.

Finally, and above all else, when you’re organizing your time and your business, be sure to set aside some time for relaxation. Be sure to schedule time when you and your family or significant other can be together. This is very important if you hope to be successful.

Taking inventory of the time you waste each day, and restructuring your activities into your money making venture is powerful stuff. It’s a matter of managing your time more efficiently. It’s really easy to do, and you will not only accomplish a lot more, you will also find greater fulfillment in your life. Best of luck.

Copyright 2004 Dirk Wagner

Dirk Wagner is CEO and owner of http://team4success.biz and the free, easy to install #1 home business toolbar with automated updates.A website dedicated to helping the home-based business entrepreneur start and succeed with there very own home-based business.

[tags]time management, organization tips, organization, timemanagement[/tags]

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Milk Another Hour or Two Out of Your Day – Time Management

Posted on October 10, 2007 by yourownvirtualassistant

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Managing the Time You Haven’t Got

Posted on October 9, 2007 by yourownvirtualassistant

This time management article talks about managing your time from the point of view of looking at ‘time’ differently. Look at things such as multi-tasking, taking less time to do the same things, because maybe they don’t require the time you originally thought. There are other ideas described such as buying more time as well

Do the words “time management” rub you the wrong way? For many busy professionals, the real problem seems to be that there isn’t any time left to manage. You can sometimes get better at managing your time by prioritizing all your tasks and scheduling carefully. But when you’re already using all the time you have efficiently and there’s still not enough, there are four strategies you can try.

Make more time. The fastest way to make time can be to buy it. You may think you don’t have enough money to pay for help, but think about what your time is worth. If your salary is equivalent to earning $25 an hour, and you pay someone else $12 an hour to run errands for you, that’s a bargain. And what value would you set on being able to spend an extra hour having fun with your partner or kids?

You can buy time by paying to have your house cleaned, your car taken for servicing, or your laundry done. Pay a professional to prepare your taxes; have your groceries delivered; make routine purchases by phone or Internet.

Another way to make time is to double up on activities. Get a hands-free mike for your cell phone so you can return calls, place orders, or give instructions to staff while driving or walking. When traveling by public transit, bring along backlogged mail or documents to review. Use your waiting time at the prescription counter or dentist to balance your checkbook or plan your day. Having something to do will also make your wait more pleasant.

Make less time do. If this were a perfect world, we could do everything perfectly. Many of us try to do this anyway, and it eats up an enormous amount of time. A good example is writing business or personal letters. If it takes you two hours to write the perfect letter, you’ve lost an hour you could have used to write to someone else.

Try setting a time limit on routine tasks like this, and stick to it. You may find that you can write a very satisfactory letter in half the time. Embrace the idea of allowing what you do to be “good enough” instead of insisting it must be flawless.

Give some things away. Is every responsibility something you need to look after personally, or could someone else handle it? If you have employees, look hard at what you’re hanging on to. Is there anything else you could delegate, maybe by providing some training first? If there is no one you can delegate to on the job, be sure you ask your boss for help before assuming that it’s impossible.

Examine your personal life and volunteer responsibilities in the same way. Ask your family to take on more household chores, or find someone else to help with the community event you’re organizing. Asking for help isn’t cheating; it’s what all successful people do.

Do some things later. Does all of it really have to be done now? Maybe there’s just too much on your plate for anyone to realistically handle. Choose only a few places to focus your energies right now, and put some of those other projects on hold. You don’t have to give anything up, just defer it to a later time.

If you find yourself often getting distracted by new ideas, start an idea file. When an exciting new thought occurs to you, put it in the file instead of acting on it right away. Look at your file from time to time for inspiration. Whenever you complete a project you’ve been working on, you can choose something new from the file.

The most important thing to learn about creating more time in your life is how to say no. Just because you are asked to take something on doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Ultimately, your time belongs only to you; make sure you are the one who chooses how to use it.

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Hired Now! and Get Clients Now! Since 1992, she has helped thousands of professionals make a better living doing what they love. C.J. is a Master Certified Coach who leads workshops internationally ¯ in person, on the phone, and on the web. Find out more about C.J. and get a free copy of “How to Find a Job in 28 Days or Less” at http://www.gethirednow.com.

[tags]time management, professionals[/tags]

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Living Life In A Time Starved World

Posted on October 8, 2007 by yourownvirtualassistant

This is a good time management article that shows us all of the areas involved in creating effective time management strategies. It also combines how goal setting affects time management and the importance of setting goals. This is a good basic time management article in general.

Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet: “Shorter deadlines, competing priorities, endless meetings, interruptions and even higher quality expectations are just some of today’s time challenges. And yet the number of hours in the day remains the same.”

As entrepreneurs we all struggle sometimes with managing our time effectively. I once heard an entrepreneur say that of the people he knows, his entrepreneur friends are the worst people when it comes to managing their time and priorities. Too often we fall prey to the misguided notion that being busy is the same as making progress.

There are many areas involved in effective time management:
• your attitude
• goal setting
• setting priorities
• planning
• scheduling
• analyzing your progress
• dealing with interruptions
• meetings
• paperwork
• delegation of tasks
• taming procrastination
• time teamwork

KEY PRINCIPLES

Here are some key principles I have found to help me manage my time more effectively:

1. Good habits are the key to good time management.
The essence of good time management is creating good habits. A good habit to develop is to focus on results. Setting goals and striving to reach them must become a habit. Before your next meeting, think to yourself-what is my goal in doing this or meeting with this person? What specific results would I like to see come from my time? You must learn to place a high value on your time. There are a million things, advertisements, books, media events and people vying for it. You must distinguish between what and who is important and what or who is not. This might sound a little harsh at first, but focusing on results in developing your habits will help you focus yourself and your time.

2. Good habits start with setting goals.

There are several points to remember when setting good goals.

First is to write your goals down. Studies have shown that you are much more likely to accomplish your goals if they are committed to paper. As someone once said, “A short pencil is better than a long memory.”

A second point is to break down your goals into three categories: short, intermediate and long term. I would advocate that you should have a separate list for your personal, professional and life goals. The personal goal list would cover areas like: personal relationships, use of free time, personal growth activities, reading up on a particular topic, taking continuing education classes or seminars, etc. Your professional goal list should be clearly focused on building your business, increasing revenues, cutting costs, strategic planning, marketing, employee management, creating partnerships and meeting beneficial business contacts. Your life goals would cover the broader picture of what you want to accomplish in life and what who you want to be remembered for.

3. Pursuing specific goals is the key to reaching success.

Setting good goals requires some planning and concentrated effort. Far too many entrepreneur have good intentions for their business, but lack goals that are specific enough to help them achieve success. Most entrepreneurs who fail to reach their goals do so because they fail to make specific, or S.M.A.R.T. goals.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific. Your goal should be as detailed as possible. For example, “I will call all new prospective clients I met at the last networking event by this Wednesday at noon.” “I will take a vacation at least three weeks this next year.”

Measurable. Good goals allow you to quantify your efforts. “My company will increase top line sales to repeat customers by 2% this quarter by determining what their current needs are and developing a service to meet their needs before anyone else does. We will do this by surveying each of them and following up with a personalized phone call to clarify their answers.”

Achievable. It is good to set your goals high, but not impossibly high. “I will meet three new venture capitalists this month and begin building a relationship with them with the purpose of seeking funding from them in the next six months.” “I will re-write the three primary sections of my website by this next month to better reflect who my new targeted customer is and to help them find the solutions they are looking for more quickly on my site.”

Result-oriented. In order for your goals to be SMART, they must focus on what you DO want, not what you do NOT want. For example, a goal of “I do not want to fail in my business” focuses on what you do NOT want. An example of a SMART goal is, “I will increase my passive income by 15% this year by writing a “How To” manual on “10 Steps to Small Business Forward Financial Planning” and sell it on a website for $89.99.”

Time-limited. Put a specific time limit on your goals and have someone hold you accountable for reaching that goal. “I will finish researching my marketing strategy within the next six weeks and then spend two hours a day for three weeks until I finish developing my customized marketing plan.”

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Every one of us has 168 hours in a week. How we spend our time and prioritize our life says a lot about how successful we will be personally and professionally. There are many things that compete for our time: finances, future plans, family, fun, friends, present goals, pressing projects and pushy people. I heard someone once say, if you don’t control your time someone else will.

When thinking about how to successfully manage your time, here are a couple questions to ask yourself:

• Do I have specific things I want to accomplish each day?
• What percent of the time do I meet my daily goals?
• What specific things do I do to manage my time successfully?
• What are the priorities in my life?
• Does my schedule reflect those priorities?
• How successful do you feel in managing your time effectively?

Stephen Fairley, M.A., RCC is the President of Today’s Leadership Coaching, a premier executive coaching and training firm, and a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC). Today’s Leadership Coaching focuses on “Developing Leaders Who Deliver Results.” You can contact him at 630-588-0500 or at Stephen@TodaysLeadership.com

© 2001 by Stephen Fairley. All rights reserved. Please contact author for reprints

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Internet Time Management

Posted on September 30, 2007 by yourownvirtualassistant

This is a good article that tells how to manage your time on the Internet. I know for me, it is easy to jump around and really lose your time in front of the computer because there are so many distractions with the internet. I think that time management strategies for those that have their business online will really make a difference in just how productive they are. Focusing on one thing and getting that successful, and then going on to something else is the key.

Don’t Waste Time Jumping From Idea to Idea. Maintain Focus and you will find yourself becoming much more successful earning a living online.

So many people jump from project to project..idea to idea..program to program wasting time and money in the process.

Focusing your energies on one solid plan is the only way you can use your time effectively.

My first few years of Internet marketing were a series of seeking the “hot” new marketing or business product. I realized that slowly, I was bleeding myself dry and not coordinating any truly effective advertising campaigns. Week to week I would sign up for the next Free program and even flip flop between programs.

Work on one project. Do everything you have to do to make that one project successful. Edit your sales letter. Create new headlines. Put up multiple follow-up letters. Try new ads. Sign up new affiliates. Keep working on it.

It takes enough of your time to advertise one program, much less 4 or 5. It takes enough money just to get your first web site established. Don’t divide your attention and money on several ventures.

This most assuredly results in failure for these programs.

The most important thing you can do to properly utilize your time is to develop and stick to a daily plan. Draft one up, take the time and make a realistic daily plan. Make sure you have the time you allocate each day and stay with the plan you have developed for yourself.

Some projects will, at first, seem overwhelming and therefore discouraging. Over coming this hurdle is the key that separates the good from the not so good.

Most people will not focus long enough on a project to see it through to conclusion. Others begin a project and leave it to sit..restlessly wanting to get back to it, but telling themselves it’s to difficult.

Break your tasks down into comfortable bits of time, work on these tasks and slowly your project will come to life.

How you got there doesn’t matter…completing it does.

A 3+ year veteran of Internet marketing, John Horsch publishes
The Workhome1.com Ezine, http://www.workhome1.com/services.htm
and owns and operates Workhome1.com. Workhome1.com has a full complement of advertising to meet the daily needs of Internet Marketers.

The Workhome1.com Ezine was established in Dec. 2001 and continues
to offer relevant and timely Internet Marketing news to it’s 17,788 Subscribers.

[tags]time management, home business, internet marketing[/tags]

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