Are your time management tips working for you? Or, do you fail to reach your goals with the plan you’re using?
If it’s not working, you’re too flexible. Too easy on yourself and others when it comes to the schedule, especially when it comes to your online business or blog. You need to use time management tips that really work for you.
The sorry fact is that time is limited.
You can’t get more. You can’t work harder to get more of it; it’s a finite resource that cannot be increased or replaced. Like everyone else, you have 24 hours in a day.
When you realize there isn’t some future distant tomorrow, you will start being more ruthless with the time you’ve got. Follow my time management tips to make get more done in your business. Be sure to read my real life stories to see these really work that work for bloggers and online businesses.
Time Management Tips
for Online Businesses
1. Just Say No
The biggest factor in being ruthless with your time is learning to say no. If you really don’t need or want to do something, you must say no. There is no sin in saying no.
The only reason you feel guilty about the word is that your mother taught you saying “no” was wrong. It’s time to realize that as a grown-up you can now say no.
And you should say no. If a project, an opportunity, a partnership does not line up with your goals, your vision, you need to say no. You do have business goals, don’t you?
2.Get Up on Time, or Even Very Early
This is a hard one for many, but it yields the biggest bang for your buck when you work form home. I know because it works for me. When you put it in perspective, your vision, goals, desire for success this year should motivate you to get up on time.
But what about getting up early?
There are time periods in my business that I get up at 4:00am or 5:00am to work before my day gets started. You’re thinking, “How in the world?”
When you’re “why” is big enough, you’ll get up early to finish a sale, a promotion, a new partnership!
Last August, I was running Homeschool Super Heroes Week. Almost everyday for two weeks, I got up very early to be ready for our event. We had over 2600 homeschoolers expecting our team to have the sessions ready, the Facebook parties going and much more.
My reason for getting up very early was huge, so I got up early. What about you? What’s your reason for your online business? Is it big enough to get up early and work on it?
3.Get Rid of Clutter
Honestly, this is one I have to stay on top of all the time. It’s so easy for me to let clutter pile up, unless I pay attention. Why does clutter matter in your online business?
Clutter on your desk and around your workspace is distracting.
Take the last 10 minutes of your work time to put papers in their spot, file papers & books when you’re done with them, clean up any projects you were working on. When you start work tomorrow, you’ll be ready to work and less distracted.
Need help on de-cluttering your workspace? Conquer Your Clutter can help you.
4.Try to Be Early
Whether you’re driving places or have deadlines for work, schedule your time so that you are going to be early. When you arrive early or finish a project early, you eliminate the urgent from your life.
Moving from one urgent task to another only causes stress and more problems with time management. If something does happen out of the ordinary, you still have time to meet a deadline and be on time.
5. Turn Off Technology
Really! Turn it OFF!
The only notifications I get on my phone are text messages. If I received a notification for every email I received, my phone would never quit ringing. And I would get nothing done.
Go to your phone right now and turn off those notifications if you want to be more productive. Really!
I know what you’re thinking. Technology is supposed to make our time more productive, but it often has the opposite effect too. The notifications of new emails, your Facebook stream, and unscheduled time on Pinterest can get out of hand.
Turn it off. You will gain so much more time. That includes your TV, too.
6.Understand Your Internal Clock
Everyone has an internal time clock. It’s important not to fight against that and be aware of what it is. Some people are early risers and some people are night owls and others are in between. Decide for yourself what your own internal clock is and then work with it.
7.Make Lists
I keep a running list of things to do. Each morning, I look at my list and number the top 5 things, in the order they need to be done. When I’m working, I work on number one until it’s finished.
I don’t have to think about the next task because it’s right there for me. Number two. No thinking. Just move to number two.
My to-do list also keeps me focused and helps me not waste time on Facebook or email. I have a time set aside for those tasks, generally in the afternoon, when my more important tasks are completed.
8.Calendar It
Last week, I made a Google calendar for everything we need to do to host our upcoming Life Skills Leadership Summit. It took me about an hour, but now we have a schedule, with deadlines that are realistic.
I have another calendar for all regular business tasks. These include everyday tasks, small steps for a project due in the future, and time with family, friends and yourself.
This is probably obvious, but use your calendar when someone asks for your time. I used to assume I had it all in my head. Wrong! Last fall, I scheduled three events at the very same time because I didn’t check my calendar. Duh!
9.Avoid Meetings
Some meetings are important, such as a first client meeting to establish goals and determine tactics. After that almost everything else can be accomplished through updates in a project management system. I recommend using Trello, which our team began using last year.
There is no real need for weekly meetings for updates, or to discuss anything that can easily be put into a memo. Too often, we have meetings for the sake of having a meeting. If you schedule a meeting make it worth everyone’s time.
10.Touch “It” Only Once
Another way to be ruthless with your time is to not allow yourself to wait to do things later. The “Two-Minute Rule” comes into place here.
If you get an email that you can respond toU, do it now. If you check your snail mail and a bill needs to be paid, schedule it now. If you get junk mail, delete it now.
Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself in terms of how many hours you work from home. But, once you create a schedule, be ruthless about it.
Remember your reason for having an online business. Your BIG why. More than likely it’s to have more time with those you love. Be sure to schedule time for them, also.
Time with friends, family and spouses during any given work day is important too. Weekends and vacations are important, too. If you do that, it’ll be so much easier to be ruthless with time and stick to your schedule normally.
What time management tips do you have for other online businesses?
