SSWT Internet Marketing Forum

One of the things that I do is use a timer, and pay attention to the time I spend on certain tasks.

Outsourcing is a big help too, of course.

Also, be realistic in your expectations of yourself. Realize that everyone has the same number of hours in a day, and struggles to manage life & work in that amount of time. At some point we have to ease up on ourselves - but also take action on streamlining & organizing for higher productivity.

Achieving balance is not easy, but it is most certainly rewarding!

(1) If you're not using a Franklin-Covey Planner, it's the best thing you can do to manage your time.

(2) Buy by David Allen - this book changed my life.

(3) Keep a business/technology journal. This is something I started doing when I was doing contract work as a DBA. I create an HTML page on my local machine and record notes on everything I work on in a given day. If I signup for a new forum, I record it, if I signup for a new affiliate program, I record it, if I build a new website, I record my progress.

Doing this will cut the amount of time you spend *looking* for stuff or trying to remember how you did something in the past by 80%. You can choose whatever format you like, but I like HTML since it's easy to write and easy to search.

(4) Use a kitchen timer. If you're procrasting on something, just set the timer for 15 min and agree to work on it for that long. After the buzzer goes off, you can decide to allocate more time if you want.

Use it to work in 50 min increments so you remember to take a break.

(5) Set goals every month and set objectives everyday. Using the Franklin planner makes this easy, but a legal pad works wonders too. Too many people get discouraged by big tasks, but learning how to break them down and doing a little everyday is magic.

ebookmania:

Here is a link to a free talking ebook, complete with written
transcript, that details 12 Powerful Time Management Rules.
http://www.howtomanageyourtime.com/

Best of success,

Robert

best advice i have is to figure out what areas you get bogged down with most. For me it is email, because it is always there and there are endless people i could write to (business and personal) so decided to only check email once i got the most important daily tasks out of the way.

You've inspired me to look further into FC products- I was turned off by their price, so I'll browse ebay!

Thanks... and I'll report on my increased efficiency soon- I hope;)

The 10 specific activity areas that I can/should concentrate on, time-use-wise, guide and allow me to achieve greater business and financial success, spend my time more wisely with family, enjoy good health and much more. http://www.10PointsToSuccess.com

Perhaps some mention of the fact that that's your product, Barry?

I'm sure it wasn't your intent to spam...

A paper agenda can be indispensible. Of course, if you have a palm pilot or electronic organiser for business contacts, these can be useful too. However, i like to think that my communications are not totally dependent on electicity or trendy gadgets. Nothing is wrong with traditional means of organizing. The important thing is to take some steps and use a method that works for you. If you don't have a back-up system, I would suggest you devise or get one. Otherwise, if you lose your only copy or your laptop crashes, you would be up the creek. I laugh at a friend who once suggested I keep a copy of my address book in a safety deposit box. Not such a bad idea, after I think about that?!

Some of the best and most simple time management tips that have helped me, include:

1 - keep phone time limited; multitask when it is possible
2 - have an agenda for meetings, to keep from running over
3 - be direct, simple, forward
4 - use email as much as possible, over the phone, where ever you can. the phone is an enormous time waster; people are encouraged to blather on and on, whereas, with email, it is easier to be direct and to the point. also, with email, one can save messages and information which may later be used in reports, lists, etc.
5 - plan your next day out, by the end of each day; that way, the next day's activities are at the forefront. prioritize by the most important things
6 - schedule work as much as possible

good luck!