On my own time? What Time?
A friend recently lamented to me that she hadn’t had an
opportunity yet to take the latest online course offered by
her organization. As she put it, “They say it is being
‘offered’, but that doesn’t mean there is any choice-we
have to take it. The problem is, when?”
In this age of electronic everything, this problem is
becoming more and more prevalent. Online learning is often
recommended because the courses are available to employees
at their desks, working alone and at their own pace,
whenever they decide to do so. My friend stated the
following drawbacks:
“Difficulty finding time. Like most people, I am very busy
in my job. However, if I know, for example, that a
traditional classroom seminar or workshop is to take place
next Wednesday from 1 – 4 p.m., I book the time and I go.
Fitting it into my work schedule at my “convenience” is
more of a challenge. Let’s face it-it’s never convenient.
“Difficulty focusing. When I am at my desk, it feels
foreign to be working on an online course instead of my
work. Also, when I am at my desk, other people naturally
assume I am doing my job, and they interrupt me with
questions and impromptu meetings as usual.
Ten Steps To Manage Your Time And Get Things Done
In today’s busy world, many people have difficulty managing
their time and getting everything done. Some people are
very busy, but they never manage to achieve the things they
really want. Others never get anything done.
Some people are late for everything in their lives and
don’t know why. Have you ever noticed that people who are
late are always late – there is a pattern. The same is true
for punctual people – they are nearly always punctual –
they too have a pattern
There are some basic steps that people can take to improve
their chances of getting done what they want and need to
get done. Here are 10 steps.
1. Stop talking time – talk priorities. Time is finite –
everyone has the same amount so there is no point in saying
you don’t have time – you do. What differs from one person
to the next, is their priorities and how they allocate
their time.
2. Make sure that you know the top 3 things you must get
done today – work on them first! If nothing else gets done,
make sure these top 3 do get done. Work on them first.
3. Stop procrastinating. Adopt this mantra – Just do it -
and do it now! Procrastination is defined as putting off
what needs to be done. There is only one way to stop
procrastinating – just stop!
Beat Procrastination in 5 Easy Steps
Copyright (c) 2007 Steve Dahl
Thanks to online pioneers like Armand Morin, Russell
Brunson, Marlon Sanders, and Jim Edwards; the trail for
succeeding on Web 2.0 is being blazed at lightning speed.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel but you do need to get
behind that wheel and put your foot on the gas to overcome
procrastination! If you’re a card-carrying member of the
Procrastination Nation, then turn in your resignation today!
About 90-some percent of the wealth in this country is
controlled by 2% of our population. Why is that? Is it
because wealthy people are sitting around watching
Jeopardy? Nope. Successful people take action, they never
give up, and they do what it takes to get what they want.
Procrastination is a death sentence for great ideas and
great people.
Proven Time Management & Productivity Techniques for Entrepreneurs
Part II
The following techniques work incredibly well for me. You
should read and adapt them for your own personality and
work style. Techniques 1 and 2 were in last week’s article
and can be found at Proven Productivity and Time Management
Techniques for Entrepreneurs – Part I.
3. Understand the *urgent* versus the *important*.
Every day we are bombarded with *must dos* and *have to
have asap* requests. You should understand what will move
your business forward and help you reach your goals.
Before you accept ANY of these, ask yourself the following
questions:
1/ “Is this my unique brilliance (meaning: Does this task
fulfill you? Is it in line with your mission?)?” and
2/”Will this bring me closer to the money (defined as new
clients, marketing, etc. in your business)?”
If the answer to either of those questions is “no”, you
should not take on the task.
Proven Time Management & Productivity Techniques for Entrepreneurs
My friends are always amazed at how much I accomplish and frequently ask “How do you get so much done?”. I normally just shrug it off, but the question has been coming so much lately that I decided to share my top productivity techniques.
1. Use lists.
I am a huge proponent of lists — it’s actually pretty
compulsive. 
I make daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly and annual
lists. 90 percent of my lists come straight from my
marketing plan — I find that having a detailed marketing
plan allows me to plan for all aspects of my business. I
can gauge my income, expenses, projects, etc. all from this
one plan.
My monthly, quarterly and annual “lists” are in the form of
a 2′ x 3′ wall calendar. It’s simple to avoid
doublebooking something or overcommiting myself when I can
easily glance up and see what I’ve got going on — it’s
also a great way to stay focused!
December 31, 2007: Where Will Your Business Be?
You create your list, you write your plan, you dream your
dreams and, before you know it, another year has passed and
you’re no closer to achieving them. Are you thinking “been
there, done that”?
If so, I’d like you to repeat after me:
“I resolve to make 2007 the year I stop wishing, stop
hoping, stop complaining and finally DO all the things I’ve
always wanted to do!”
What if you made that promise to yourself? The promise to
make 2007 your best year? Think of the power it will give
you — that one simple promise to make 2007 your best year
*ever*! If you decided TODAY that you are finally going to
turn your dreams into actions; you are finally going to
check off your goals as they’re achieved!
3 Secrets to Time Management for Small Business Owners
Copyright (c) 2007 Audrey Burton
I can’t tell you why these are secrets, but it might be
because most people don’t appear to know how to do them.
At least, they are not doing them now!
Allow me to illustrate my credibility on this subject – I
am an only parent of two wonderful daughters in middle
school (and a dog) and have my own full-time business. I’m
gradually painting the inside of our home, wall by wall,
and have an almost 14 year old car. I’m busy.
I love my life, but in order to accomplish all I want to
accomplish, I have to organize the way I spend my time very
well.
Here are my secrets: a week-at-a-glance planner, a 2-page
business plan and a cleaning woman! The first two tools
work hand in hand and require very little maintenance, but
they do require some systematic attention. The third one
should be self explanatory!
How easy are you to get a hold of?
Copyright 2006 Kelly Robbins
Whether a small business owner, nonprofit, or large
organization, a key piece of marketing communication is
making sure everyone that wants to get in touch with you
can. Whether it’s to further the sale, provide you with
information on a new marketing piece you’re working on, or
simply to say “hi,†you should always give people multiple
ways to contact you and your organization.
It’s YOUR job to make contacting you easy for them. Not the
other way around.
A colleague recently told me her sales went up dramatically
when she added her fax number to her website. I was very
surprised to hear this. I didn’t have my fax number listed
as contact information anywhere. (I hate hearing the fax
machine go off in the middle of the night and don’t like to
give it out!). But she assured me it was true. Which got me
thinking…
Double Your Productivity, Double Your Results! In Half the Time
Copyright 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen“Everything is hard before it is easy.†Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe
One key to greater personal and professional success is the
ability to effectively manage time, overcome
procrastination, and improve productivity. Here are six
simple strategies that will guarantee your success IF you
practice them on a daily basis.
1. Study and master your core competencies. If you’re in a
leadership position, it’s imperative to continuously hone
your skills. What is one important subject or skill you
could learn, or continue to develop, that would bring you
closer to achieving your major goal? Decide what it is and
work on that area every day no matter what, except for the
one or two days each week you take off and relax. Ask
yourself, “What specific areas do I need to improve upon in
my line of work that would bring me closer to achieving
success?â€
The more experience you get, the more confident you feel.
The more confident you feel, the better you perform. Write
these core competencies down. Write them on your daily
to-do list each day. Commit to them 100%, and make time for
them with no excuses and no distractions. Make a daily
habit out of continuing to learn and practice new skills,
strategies, ideas and methods that are most critical to
your success. By continuously honing these skills, you’ll
start achieving better results in half the time.
