14
Jan

Better Time Management and Your Daily Schedule

Time Management can be an oxymoron!   There seems to be more and more to do every day and less time to get it all accomplished.  And, when you are trying to grow a business, it can just become too overwhelming.  I want to share with you some time-saving techniques that I use with my business every day!  I hope that they will work for you and help you with your time management concerns.

 

USE A CALENDAR

  • It doesn’t matter if it is a paper calendar or an electronic calendar.  Time Management is part of your day.  Schedule
    Cozi Calendar to Stay Organized
    Cozi Calendar to Stay Organized

    appointments with the calendar of your choice.  And, the key is to keep only 1 calendar for everything.  Using one calendar for your home, office and activities will increase your time management skills.  This means that it is important to determine what type of calendar is right for your personality.

I LOVE the Cozi calendar application which can be used for Ipad, Iphones, Androids tablets, PCs…just about every type of device that is available.  And, it has a Free version that is perfect for just about all of your needs!  It allows me to manage my To Do Lists and Grocery Lists too!  I can manage business and our home and family too.  Having everything available in one place makes this a great tool.  And, it also syncs with Outlook and Google calendars!

 

PLAN AHEAD

  • On Sunday evenings, take a 10 minute break and a sneak peak at your calendar for the week.  If you are a small business, it is important that you have “office time” scheduled into your week.  If not, you can easily find yourself working 6 or 7 days a week trying to keep up with everything.  And this is Not good Time Management.  So, plan ahead…check your calendar and be prepared.

 

IDENTIFY PRIORITIES

  • There may be 10 different things on your “To Do List” and they all have a definite value. They all are important and they all have the potential to affect your business.  It is important, however, to practice good Time Management skills and determine exactly what it is that needs to be done first.  For my business, my priorities are broken down like this:
  1.                 1.  Keeping clients scheduled
  2.                 2.   Proposals and estimates to potential clients
  3.                 3.  Holding the consults
  4.                 4.  Social Media and Blogging
  5.                 5.  Development of programs
  6.                 6.  Office time

 

What Matters?
Do What Matters the Most

KEEP BUSINESS HOURS 

Keep business hours…if you are an Entrepreneur and/or work out of a home-based business this is an especially important Time Management skill.  The one promise that I made to myself 7 years ago, when I launched Organization Direct, is that I would work just as hard (if not harder) for myself as I had for the last 20 years for someone else.  Don’t let yourself down.  Be accountable.

IDENTIFY YOUR TIME-SUCKERS!

  • Identify what “sucks” your time away from you.  The most common time-sucker that I hear about is social media.  Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, blogging and other social media opportunities are a part of every business.  But, boy can it drain your Time Management skills.  To stay on track and focused, it is important that you identify the following:

1.  How much time do I need – or should I – be spending on Social Media?

2.  How can you fine-tune that time?   There are a lot of tools available to help you have the presence on social media without the need to constantly be checking Facebook or  Linkedin.

I would love to hear your favorite techniques and tools that you use every day to improve your Time Management.

Linda Clevenger, Professional Organizer

www.organizationdirect.com