5
Secrets to Better Time Management
By Kristie Rimmele
Why is it that
the Bill Gate's of this world are rich and famous? What secret do
they know that the rest of us don't? If you study their lives closely,
you'll discover the rich and famous have certain habits that attribute
to their success. Successful people are very careful about how they
spend their time. No matter how you slice it, we all have 24 hours
in a day, so the key lies in learning to use our time wisely. Below
are some ways you can dramatically increase your productivity through
more effective use of your time.
1. MONITOR
HOW YOU CURRENTLY USE YOUR TIME: If it seems like your day slips
by all too quickly, try creating a log of your daily activities.
Once you see where you are spending your time, you can identify
and focus on the activities that provide the greatest returns for
you personally and financially. Start your log by writing down what
time you wake up, get ready, and begin work. Calculate how much
time you spend on individual activities such as email, phone calls,
and client work.
2. CALCULATE
HOW MUCH YOUR TIME IS WORTH: Time is money. Knowing how much
your time is actually worth can help you make better decisions as
to whether you should perform a task or outsource it. For instance,
if your time is worth $200 an hour, you are far better off paying
someone $30 an hour to edit your newsletter. You can "bank" the
other $170 per hour by spending your time on profit making activities.
Also take the time to determine how much time a day you need to
spend on billable activities to make your desired profit. I try
to spend 1.5 hours a day on money making projects.
3. CREATE
A DAILY SCHEDULE: Don't start your day without a to do list.
Make a list of tasks and categorize them into business building
activities, client activities, and personal items. Then break bigger
unmanageable projects into smaller "doable" chunks so they less
intimidating and are easier to accomplish.
4. PRIORITIZE:
Have more to do than hours in the day? By prioritizing your
tasks, you'll make sure that you are tackling the items that matter
most. Create a system that works for you. One standard way of prioritizing
is to mark items with A, B, and C.
Ask yourself
these key questions:
- What items
MUST be done today?
- Which items
can be rescheduled?
- What can
be delegated?
- Which tasks
most closely match my priorities and goals?
- Which items
can be eliminated?
5. LEARN
TO SAY NO: Are you adding one more item to your never-ending
TO DO list? You are in control of your time. Be strong and uphold
your personal boundaries. When you are well rested and treat yourself
and your family to the time off you deserve, you'll feel happier
and more productive when it's time to go back to work. **
- Do you really have the time or energy to do that extra task?
- Do I like this customer? Are they good for me?
- Will it be profitable?
- Does it invade on your personal time?
- Does it involve doing something you enjoy?
- Does it fit in with your list of priorities and goals?
Article by: Kristie Rimmele, is the author
of "I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working from Home"!
Thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs have used her step-by-step home
business system to earn money working from home. Get
a free ecourse Home Business Success
Secrets at http://www.Webmomz.com
| NOTE: Like this article? Feel free to “reprint”
this home business article online as long as
it remains complete and unaltered (including my “about
the author” section at the end), and you send a copy of
your reprint to kristie@webmomz.com. |
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