Top Ten Tips for Successful Time Management

Do you feel like this sometimes? Like your time and office . . . and your brain . . . are confused and chaotic and you're not sure where to start?

It can be tough sometimes as home business owners who work online!

There's so much to do and learn and so much to distract us online (not to mention all the stuff we have to do in life in general)! Just online (never mind all there is to do if you're a mom) there are newsletters that we've subscribed to coming at us in our inbox, courses being promoted, other emails we have to deal with, Twitter and Facebook posts we feel we need to read, chats that scream in our faces, games that tempt us to play on Facebook and lots of learning opportunities we could pursue.

Most of it seems important (not the game part). It's like we'd be missing out if we didn't pay attention to all the offers, all the tweets, all the posts and all the info.

But think about it like this. What if you had a traditional job, let's say in an office? What if you had a job description with certain tasks to do in a day so that you could complete a project or meet certain company goals or commitments? What if, instead, you stopped to talk with co-workers every time they passed by in the hall outside your office? What if you kept looking at stuff out your window? What if you decided to get into a game of Monopoly during your break that you just couldn't stop . . . so you kept playing for a couple hours? What if you spent half a day reading up on how to do the thing you had to do? You'd never get your work done.

Now, my example sounds kinda silly. And ridiculous, even. But why is it any less ridiculous when it comes to our online home businesses? What's interesting is that you wouldn't call it "work" if you did all that stuff at the office. Actually, if you did it too often, you'd probably get fired. Yet, we somehow think that doing all those things is part of our online business.

Is it, really?

And if you think some of it is part of what you need to do in order to build relationships with people, for example, then how can you better structure it for greater productivity?

Here's what I suggest for successful time management . . .

1. Get clear on where you're going. If you don't have a clear plan, it's easy to get sidetracked because you're not really sure where you're going.


2. Set clear goals to get you where you're going. Write them down and write them as SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, with some risk, and with a time frame).


3. Plan your stuff for the day the night before. Plan the top 3 things that you need to do and do them first before you do anything else. You'll get a lot more accomplished this way, you'll see success and results, and you'll be moving forward rather than spinning your wheels. If you have young kids, plan your 3 activities for when they're napping, or arrange an activity or a play date that will give you the time you need to get stuff done.


4. Plan activities that really move your business forward. Checking your email, improving the look of your facebook welcome page and re-writing some documents probably aren't the best 3! Those things might need to be done, but they can be done after the more vital things. Maybe sending out a survey to find out what your market wants (so you can create a product), interacting with the people who left comments on your site (to build relationships) and getting on the phone to book home parties for your direct sales business are better. Whatever applies to you . . . the point is to make sure that the things you plan are "high ROI" type activities.

1. Stick to the 3 things you planned until they're done. Make a commitment to complete at least those 3 activities before you move on to something else.


2. It's so easy to get distracted. Maybe you take a phone call. Maybe you decide to check your email and end up going down 16 rabbit trails. Maybe you think of some housework that needs to be done or remember something that you forgot to do yesterday. Problem is, you get to the end of the day and wonder what the heck you did. So, along with your commitment, implement a system to keep you on track. Maybe set a timer and work solidly until it goes off. Maybe reward yourself with something cool after all 3 activities are done.


3. Turn the ringer off on your phone.


4. Close your email and all other applications on your computer.


5. Close your office door or let people know that when you're in your office, it's work time (but then devote time to the people in your life when it's not work time).

1. Quit incessantly checking your email. You can waste hours in your email deleting spam, responding to stuff, checking out people who add you on Twitter . . . and on and on and on. Only check your email 3 times a day. Otherwise, close it. And when you check it, delete the crap, deal with the ones you need to deal with and file the rest.


2. Stay away from social media time wasters like games and chatting. If you want to do those things during your free time, go ahead . . . but leave it alone during work time.


3. Leave the TV off.


4. Eliminate excuses (e.g. I can't do this or that because I have kids or I don't have time because my kids have to do such and so). You can be creative and find ways to do what you need to do while still being a great mom or doing the other things you need to do in life.


5. Quit procrastinating. This can be anything. Seriously, I'll do anything if I'm having trouble focusing or if I don't feel like doing something - - even folding laundry, cleaning something up, taking recycling to the bin or eating. Sometimes this tells me that I need to get my head out of what I'm doing for a bit and then go back to it when I'm refreshed. But sometimes it's just because I'm avoiding and I need to quit procrastinating and just do it. Setting a timer for 10 minutes and working straight through until it beeps can help here.


6. Set a strategy for social media. Know what you're doing on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites so you stay on track and don't waste time.


7. Take steps that will help you get it done (e.g. turn chat off, cancel games, remove the fluff stuff from your streams or feeds so you only read what's necessary or just decide not to read it all).

If you're not organized, a lot of time can be spent trying to find things that could be better spent working. Time can be wasted cleaning stuff up too if you don't put things away where they belong when you're done with them.

An organized office space:

• creates a productive atmosphere


• gives you a feeling of positive energy and lightness


• feels good


• looks good


• and makes it easy to find things!

This is one you may not have heard of before but it gets down to the core of why you might be having office time management challenges. Stop, get quiet and listen to your inner knowing (your gut, heart, intuition). Look honestly at why you're rushing or procrastinating or wasting time. See what it is that you might be ignoring or avoiding. And then deal with it to eliminate the underlying reasons for your time management struggles. You might discover a fear. You might realize that you need to make a change. Whatever it is, work to resolve it, or it'll keep hindering your progress.

Decide what you need in terms of resources to do what you need to get done (e.g. courses, newsletters, info). Stick with 3-5 information sources that will really help you move forward in your business. Say no to the rest.

First of all, what does "balance" mean to you? What does it look like for you and your family?

For some people, balance means that you focus on each important area of your life and business without neglecting any. And you do this all the time . . . or at least most of the time.

For others, balance means something more like harmony. The different areas of life and business flow in and out, with some areas being focused on more at certain times, and other areas being focused on more at other times.

It doesn't matter how you define it.

What matters is that you find a "balance" that works for you and your family and then maintain it.

So, however it looks for you, do you have balance in each of the main areas of your life?

• personal growth and spirituality


• relationships


• free time


• career (your business)


• physical health


• finances


• giving


• physical environment/surroundings

As home business owners, we tend to try to do it all ourselves, don't we? But there's so much value in working with others toward a common goal or vision or purpose.

Here are just a few of the benefits:

1. Working with others multiplies resources, strengths and knowledge, but it's more like there's an exponential effect. It's just so much more powerful.

2. There's more momentum and forward movement when you work together with others.

3. It can be more fun and exciting to work with other people.

4. Teamwork creates depth, harmony and variety that's not possible alone.

5. Teamwork provides better value to others (e.g. if you're teaching others in some way) because each person offers something different.

6. There's more idea-generation with two or more heads working together.

7. There's greater accountability and support.

8. It's a way to manage your time and be more organized (because you're not doing it all).

9. Working with others lets each person work in their passions, strengths and gifts.

10. Working as a team creates synergy. Wikipedia defines synergy as "two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently."

There are so many cool office supplies in our current, technological world. So many gadgets and conveniences. But I like to keep things simple. My favorite office supplies and tools are pretty basic and some are even kind of archaic! The point is that they help me save time because they keep me organized and because they're easy to use.

Here are my top 3 cool office supplies:

1. My Flip Camera: The Flip Video Camera is so simple to use. You just turn it on, point and shoot. It's really easy to upload your videos and share them. All you have to do is flip out the USB arm and plug it into your computer. The camera is reasonably priced and it does a great job for all the business-related stuff I need it for. I can take it anywhere and the tripod helps for when I want to record myself talking about something.


2. My Basic, Traditional, Plain-Old Cool Office Supplies: I'm seriously a geek when it comes to stuff like this! I could go broke in an office supply store if I let myself. I really, really love Uniball pens in multiple colors (can you tell from the picture?), Sharpie markers, sticky notes, highlighters, binder clips and binders. I use these things to stay organized and to do my work every single day. Even with all the technology these days, these types of tools do the job for me!


3. My Mind Maps: I do a lot on paper, including mind maps. But I started using computer-based mind maps recently and I love them. I can brainstorm, plan out my entire online system, plan my blog posts, or organize almost any topic I want. I'm using X Mind, the free version. There are lots out there though.

Note: The X Mind link is not an affiliate link. If you purchase a Flip Camera from my link, I do make a small commission.

I know it sounds crazy! You might be thinking, "Take time off?!? I need more time for my business, not less!" But the point is that you work better when you're fresh and rejuventated and healthy than you do when you're tired, overworked and neglected.

So schedule some time to do what you love:

• have a bath with candles


• get together with some friends


• read a book


• do a craft or an activity that you love


• do something active


• go out for dinner