Time is Money?

Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money comes from, what it is and what it is good for, let alone how and why we get it.

The most common error that most people make is to equate money with wealth. That is, they believe that if one has a lot of money, one is wealthy. The following little story will show clearly that money does not equate to wealth.

Street people are today a very common site in our wealthy society. However, when I was a teenager, growing up in Calgary, there was only one visible street person. A man, who had lost both legs in WW2, sat, on his modified mechanic's dolly (kind of a wide skateboard), in front of a downtown department store every day, begging. He looked pitiful, no legs, dressed in rags, no wheelchair, no sense of usefulness or purpose. People gave him money every day.

One day, he died. Several hundred thousand dollars was found in his squalid and rundown home (given to him by the Government when he returned home from the war many years before). No relatives were found to give the money to. No friends were found to bury him.

Lots of money. No wealth at all.

You probably know this already: money is nothing more than an agreed medium of exchange that allows people to trade one perceived thing of value for another perceived thing of value. You trade your sweat, energy, time, creativity, productivity, skill or talent for an agreed upon amount of money and then you trade agreed upon amounts of your money for those goods and services that provide you with survival, security, comfort, pleasure, self-esteem, self-actualization and personal fulfillment.

Money is the agreed upon mechanism that facilitates the flow of wealth. You trade your wealth (value) as a human being (even if it is as basic as your physical labor) for some money that you then trade for something of value (wealth) like food and shelter.

The more value that you are able to create and contribute, the more money you can gain and the more things of value you can accumulate and enjoy (be wealthy).

Nothing that you can accumulate, however, is of any value unless you have the time freedom to enjoy it. Many people often make the mistake to trade ever greater amounts of their ever dwindling time in order to get more money. Some stop here, like the person in the story above, just keeping the money without actually exchanging it for something of value. A poor trade, indeed. Many do trade the money for valuables like a nice home filled with all the modern conveniences and toys. But how valuable is a top-of-the-line stereo system and 1,000 great music CDs in your fancy home, if you have no time to enjoy them because you are forever working (trading your time) to get more money?

Since the most valuable thing you will ever have is your time, the more time you have to sacrifice (give away) to get money to have the time to enjoy what life has to offer, the less wealthy you are. The less time you need to give away in order to have the time to do the things you want to do, the more wealthy you are.

If you have managed to create a situation (the circumstances) where what you want to do with your time also produces the money to allow you to do what you want to do, then you are truly wealthy.

If what you do with your time to produce money is not what you want to do with your life (your time on planet earth), then you are impoverished, no matter how much money you make/earn.

Let's say that what you want to do with your time (life) is create music. Let's imagine that your music is so good that millions of people around the world buy your CDs. You end up with a lot of money. But is that the true measure of your wealth? No. The true measure of your wealth is that you have the complete time freedom to spend your life (and your money) doing what you'd like to be doing; i.e. making music (and whatever else suits you on any given day). To quote one famous wealthy musicologist (Bob Dylan)... "What's money? A man is a success (wealthy) if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do."

How did you gain this extraordinary wealth? Simple. By providing real (or perceived) value to the lives of other people. Want more valuables? Become more valuable. Or, provide more value to other peoples' lives. Spend your time being a contribution. Your true wealth is not measured by what you are able to accumulate, but by what you are enabled to contribute. Become more valuable and you will be able to do or create more value and will end up having more valuables.

The amount of money that passes through your hands is just a measure of how open you are to the natural flow of abundance...the exchange of one form of wealth for another.

Never make the mistake of equating money to wealth. Your wealth is determined by who you are, what you can contribute (create) and the amount of time freedom you have to enjoy your life and all it has to offer. The how of life may be complex, but the why is simple: it is to revere, relish and contribute. If you choose to be free to do those three things with all your heart, you are indeed wealthy. To what purpose do you journey through life? Why do you do what you do with your time?

Time is money? No! Time is wealth. Spend it wisely. Waste or squander your time and no amount of money will ever buy it back.

Some questions to ask yourself...

What would you do with your life if money were not an issue?

What value are you creating with your time?

What value are you trading your time for?

Are you reverent? Sacred?

Are you relishing? Enjoying?

Are you contributing? Creating?

Are you wealthy?

? Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at <a target="_new" href="http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com">http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com</a> or <a target="_new" href="http://www.LeslieFieger.com">http://www.LeslieFieger.com</a>.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Take Back Your Time

"You will never find time for anything. You must make it." -Charles Buxton

According to the organizers of Take Back Your Time Day, which was held on October 15, if Americans quit working on that date and didn't work for the rest of the year, we would be working the same number of hours as the average European. Even with high unemployment, America has experienced near-record mandatory overtime.

The October 11, 2004 issue of Time magazine reports that on a typical day office workers are interrupted about seven times an hour -- 56 interruptions a day -- 80% of which are considered trivial. "We pride ourselves on being multi-taskers, but the truth is, we're functioning at a state of partial attention," says John White, international program director with Priority Management, a training company based in Vancouver, Canada. "Because of constant interruptions, our memory, follow-up ability, flexibility and quality of work start to erode."

So how do we learn to slow down and enjoy our lives?

Managing our time is about clarifying priorities and being masterful at taking action on our intentions, rather than becoming a slave to the constant flow of events and demands on our time. When we operate in auto-pilot, we take action without thinking, which almost never yields the results we want.

Time management is not just a tool like a calendar or a Palm Pilot. It is a foundational skill upon which everything else in life depends.

Seven tips to help you manage your time:

1. Prioritize your week. Organizing your time without first clarifying your priorities is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Ask yourself this question: If nothing else happens this week, what are the most important activities or relationships I choose to pay attention to? Without making plans to focus on these priorities, you will most likely not get to them?especially if they are not urgent. Planning goes far beyond just making lists. A plan is when you have carved out specific time in your calendar (an appointment with yourself) to do something. Need help getting started with weekly planning? Visit our planning tip sheet at: http://www.orgcoach.net/sixsteps.html or participate in one of our teleclasses: http://www.orgcoach.net/teleclasses.html

2. Learn when to say NO. As Stephen Covey says, &quot;It's easy to say 'No!' when there's a deeper 'Yes!' burning inside.&quot; When we operate from a big-picture view of our priorities, it becomes much easier to decide what to say YES to and what to say NO to. Remember this truth: Every time you say yes to someone or something, you are saying no to someone or something else.

A good way to learn what to say NO to is to check your self-talk. Are you saying &quot;I should?&quot; &quot;I gotta?&quot; &quot;I have to?&quot; or are you saying &quot;I choose to?&quot;? Be at choice! Then write your not to do list and stick to it!

3. Limit your time for activities that consume you. For example, if you find that you are overwhelmed by e-mail, limit how many times a day you check it and how much time you'll spend to read and respond. When I came back from vacation to more than 1000 emails, I was amazed at how unimportant some messages became! Limiting your time can help you to prioritize.

4. De-clutter your life. My definition of clutter: Anything you own, possess, or do that does not enhance your life on a regular basis. By this definition, clutter can be things in your physical environment. Clutter can also be activities, thoughts, and even relationships that don't enhance your life. Once you clean up the non-physical clutter in your life, you'll be able to make better decisions about what to keep and what to remove from your space.

As you de-clutter your environment, you can save a lot of money on your tax returns by donating items to charity. ItsDeductible is a tool that I have used for years to help me value what I donate. Although it guarantees that you will save at least $300 on your taxes, it has actually saved me thousands of dollars on my taxes each year. Visit http://www.orgcoach.net/products/taxtools.html for more information.

Take our free Professional/Business Organizational Assessment or our Personal Organizational Assessment to help you sort out what areas need the most attention.

5. Schedule protected time. In your calendar, block out time to work on projects that require concentration without interruptions. Then identify what boundaries you need to have in place so you can keep this time sacred. Here are some ideas:

* Put a "do not disturb" sign on your door or cubicle. At Quarasan (an educational-product developer in Chicago), workers take "focus blocks" of up to three hours when they absolutely cannot be interrupted. In any given week, about 25% of the staff use this technique. Signs hang on cubicles, chairs or doors, that say something like this: I AM FEELING TOTALLY FOCUSED RIGHT NOW. PLEASE RESPECT THIS PROCESS.

* Have a conversation with co-workers about needing uninterrupted time to work on your project. At Pitt Ohio Express (a trucking company based in Pittsburgh, PA), claims auditors take turns wearing a special black baseball cap to signal that they are absorbed in a project. Employees at Basex (an information-technology research firm in New York City), use instant messaging. A simple switch to DO NOT DISTURB status signals that coworkers should not call, email or stop by to chat.

* Turn off the ringer on your phone and let voice mail pick up your calls for a while.

* Avoid checking e-mail until you're done with your project time for the day.

* Have a pen and pad of paper handy to write down the things that pop into your head that you &quot;gotta do&quot; so you don't forget and can get back to them later. Schedule a little time after your protected time for following up with your &quot;gotta do&quot; list.

6. Reduce stress. Incorporate these into your daily habit: exercise, play, meditation, relaxation or quiet time to still the mind, healthy diet, enough sleep.

7. Separate work from your personal life. If you are regularly taking work home or working overtime, develop skills to negotiate with your boss (even if that's you!) about when, where, and how results are produced. Manage by results, not by how many hours you are working. Take our free Work/Life Balance Assessment at http://www.orgcoach.net/_assessment/worklifebalance.html to determine how you are doing with this.

Visit our resource page (http://www.orgcoach.net/onlineshopping.html#prod) for more ideas about increasing productivity.

Copyright 2005 Kathy Paauw

Wouldn't you love to stumble upon a secret library of ideas to help you de-clutter your life so you can focus on what's most important? Kathy Paauw offers simple, yet powerful ideas, on how to manage your time, space, and thoughts for a more productive and fulfilling life. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.orgcoach.net">http://www.orgcoach.net</a>

Time Is Everything

Time is wealth;

Time is health;
Time is power;
Time is strength.

Time is the essence of life

Time is everything

But time is nothing,
without proper planning.
Its just the wastage of time
And God never forgive those who waste their time

All influential people,

All important people,
All successful people,
Have one thing in common

They all value their time.

For them,
Time is everything!

Do you value your time and the time of others?

About The Author

Hifzur Rehman is the editor of <a href="http://www.selfimprovement.ch" target="_new">http://www.selfimprovement.ch</a> This site offers everything for a successful living.

<a href="mailto:hrehman@selfimprovement.ch">hrehman@selfimprovement.ch</a>

Time Management is Cause Control

Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you can imagine, most of them unexpected, many of them self inflicted. It's amazing how fast you can go through minutes.

When I discovered that time was an illusion of the physical world I decided not to keep a clock. Even the watch I wore was incorrect. Every clock in my house was purposely left incorrect. It gave me a sense of pace. I wasn't keeping time according to any clock. I was living time.

Of course I had one clock which worked on my computer in order to keep appointments during appropriate windows of time. I hadn't gone totally insane.

I still know that time is an illusion of the physical. But I realize now the importance of keeping physical time; not so just so that appointments are met but also because although time is an illusion of the physical world, we are also very much apart of that illusion. Like it or not we are not free from the bounds of time. As long as we live in the physical world we are exposed to the vulnerabilities of time.

In essence because we can't beat time we must join it. This means tracking time and making the best use of it we can. In the end ? great use of time is all we have to master. Everything else falls into place. If we know what we want and we master our time to get there ? we are on the surest path of getting there.

Time management is easier to say than do. We aren't managing time. In fact time manages us; all the time. Since we cannot turn back clocks or speed them ahead we are simply living in the moment. And in each moment we have events. These events are either spawned by our own cause or not. In other words ? in the actions we take now we birth new events. This is the cause and effect relationship we agree to every moment of our lives. Some events are spawned by unexpected causes. Like the death of a loved one. We must get through these events and learn the most possible. Then we must utilize our time as effectively as possible to ensure that most events are the result of our own cause. While we cannot make events happen exactly the way we'd like them to, we can maintain our direction in life and maintain action on a regular and time managed basis.

The most successful people in life are those that seem to control their time well. They actually just control the events of their lives so well it looks as though they manage time. When you get to the root of their life events you discover the causes that created them. It is here we can all model the success of great ones. It is here we can start now and control the events of our lives. It is in this very moment through our actions we spark a cause that becomes the fire of our events. Events are in the end ? what we call life.

This article is part of the James Rick Daily Vitamin. James Rick is author of Full Potential, a revolutionary guide to mastering your life in stages. Motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and CEO of two international ventures.

The James Rick Daily Vitamin can be found at <a target="_new" href="http://www.jamesrick.com">JamesRick.com</a>.

Time Management

Does it ever feel like there is never enough time in the day? Are you always rushing? Do you feel stressed at the end of the day? Do you believe that you are not accomplishing what you hoped? Better time management may be the answer.

Dr. Respect at <a target="_new" href="http://marcusgentry.blogspot.com">http://marcusgentry.blogspot.com</a> says we must &quot;protect, organize and prioritize our time&quot;. If you are having any of the above listed difficulties, then my guess is you are missing at least one of those elements.

Protecting our time is important. We all have the same amount of time in a day. It's what we do with it that is critical. Do you find yourself doing things you really don't want to do or spending time with people who take more than they give? These are examples of not protecting your time.

Your time is your gift to spend, as you will. You can spend it wisely or you can waste it. It's your choice. However, one thing you can't do is get it back to do over again.

Sometimes we all do things that we don't really want to be doing but when we do, it should be in furtherance of a bigger goal that we have. Maybe we don't want to be going to work today but we want to collect our paycheck at the end of the week, so it's something we choose to do to get to the bigger payoff.

However, there are things that we do that just aren't important, don't lead to anything and waste our time. Can you think of any activities that fall into that category for you? Do you know that the average American watches on average three hours of television each day? How is that for a time waster?

I know when I first got my computer, one of the things I unwisely spent my time on was computer games. I don't mean an occasional game here or there. I'm talking about an addiction, an obsession---playing solitaire until 2 AM. If I didn't get that under control, I would have not only been wasting my time, but I would have been wasting my life.

I have three general categories for which I like to protect my time. One is for making progress toward my work/life goals. These are the things I do to move me forward in life. These are generally geared toward helping people in some way, generating more clientele, and increasing my revenue streams.

In this category, it is my sincere hope that one day I will have enough income to hire out all those necessary jobs that I don't love to do so that I can focus all my time on the things that are my passion but until that time, there are still things I do to move myself forward that I don't totally love. However, I try to get them done as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

The second category would be spending time with people I care about---those people who nurture me. I protect time for the special man in my life, my sons, my extended family and my friends. There are some people whom I avoid when I am protecting my time. They are the ones who generally take more than they give. Do you have people like that in your life? If they can't be totally eliminated, at least minimize the time you give to these people.

The third category would be simply things that bring me pleasure or joy. There are things I do that I can do alone or with others when I need relaxation. I like to read a good book, watch a good movie, horseback ride, canoe, ski, walk in the woods and something I got to do this weekend---swim. Protect your time so that you get to do the things that bring you joy.

Organizing your time has to do with having a good time management system. Don't wait until something is due tomorrow to start on it. Have a good plan and systems in place so you are in charge of your time instead of your schedule being in charge of you. Learn more about time management systems in our Time Management teleclass.

Another aspect of organizing one's time is maintaining laser-like focus. Did you know that the average person's mind wanders around seven to eight times a minute? Developing good work habits that include staying focused until the job is done is critical to organization.

Prioritizing your time has to do with deciding what's most important. I said I have three categories---goal-oriented actions, time with important people and time doing enjoyable activities. They don't necessarily prioritize in that order.

There must be a balance. I know that when I spend too much time working, I start to feel on edge and tense. This is generally a strong indicator that I need to switch my focus to one of the other areas. A person cannot be in control of their time if all they do is goal-oriented activity. A healthy balance is necessary for good time management and a healthy lifestyle.

To learn about stress management, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.Coachingforexcellence.biz">www.Coachingforexcellence.biz</a> and schedule a time management workshop for your workplace or check our events calendar for upcoming teleclasses, chats and workshops.

Kim Olver has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a graduate degree in counseling, is a National Certified Counselor and is a licensed professional counselor. Since 1987, Kim has extensively studied the work of Dr. William Glasser's Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management. She was certified in Reality Therapy in 1992 and continued her studies to become a certified instructor for the William Glasser Institute. She is an expert at empowering people to navigate the sometimes difficult course of life---teaching them how to get the most out of the circumstances life provides them. These are incredibly powerful ideas with equal application to one's work and personal lives. Kim can work with you to empower your staff and clients and propel your organization to the next level.

To learn more about Kim and how she can help your organization, visit her website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.Coachingforexcellence.biz">http://www.Coachingforexcellence.biz</a>

Keeping Time

What keeping time really means is...being on time!

You know, there was once a upon a time when my friends or my husband's friends invite us for dinner or a gathering, they would expect us to be late by half-an-hour. They would be totally prepared if we were late and come in with unironed clothes, grouchy kids and soup stains all over our jeans and shirts. But whenever we appeared earlier or ON TIME, they would all start writing down numbers to buy lottery the next day!!

I never really realized how important timing is until a client woke me up. I didn't really piss him off but he subtly reminded me that being on time would bring me more customers and also more referrals. Coincidentally, that was also the time that I was looking through a book about being organized and becoming a more successful home-preneur.

My husband is a fanatic about time - so, my disregard towards timing makes him ill - really, really ill. Sometimes so ill that he would promise to throw the whole idea of going out together out the window.

Then it occurred to me - if it was so important to my husband, imagine what it would be like for my clients. Imagine what it would be like for them to have to wait for me all the time when THEY ARE PAYING ME TO DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE ASSIGNED FOR ME!

Thinking about it and mentally reversing the situation made me really sit up and think. And today, I am no longer as late as I used to be. I can be an occassional much-too-laidback or lackadaisical or procrastinator...whatever you call it.....person but, all in all, timing is now more important to me.

It's very important for us, home business owners, to be timely than for others. If, for example, a sales person from Braun is late for an appointment, you'd just sit back and wait cause they're BRAUN, you know what I mean. They must have about 100 appointments a day. But when a home business owner is late about handing up a project, the client would automatically think one thing - this person is not serious about his/her business. And it's bad to work with someone who's not serious about his/her work. And you know, you'll just lose the business this way - much too easily.

So, take my advice. If there was one thing you have to change. it's your timing.

Everything else, you can change tomorrow.....no pun intended here. :-)

Marsha Maung is a freelance work at home graphic designer and writer who resides in Selangor, Malaysia with her husband, Peter and 2 kids, Joshua and Jared. She is the author or "Raising Little Magicians" and other work at home books. For more information, please visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.marshamaung.com">http://www.marshamaung.com</a>

Managing Worry: Productivity Tips for High Achievers Who Worry

Are you a worrier? Do you frequently spend time and energy worrying about your finances, your children, your career, world politics? Worry can be a highly useful, brilliantly engineered cue to action or a useless and destructive energy drain. The challenge is to decide which it is, on a case-by-case basis, and manage yourself accordingly.

Here is a quick and dirty, but highly effective way to manage your worrying habit.

1. Learn to recognize when you are worrying.

This takes practice. You may not recognize yourself worrying until you've been at a particular worry for days or weeks. But whether you catch yourself in the first minute or the first month, the most important step is recognizing the pattern. You can develop your &quot;witness&quot; over time and become more proficient in noticing when you are worrying.

2. Determine if something needs to be done.

Ask yourself, &quot;Is the worry a cue to action?&quot; <ul> <li>For example, if you are worried that your toddler will get lead paint poisoning from the lead paint on your windows, there is indeed something that needs to be done. You need to get the lead paint removed from your windows. And keep your child well supervised in the meantime.</li> <li>If you don't know whether or not something needs to be done, find out. You need to get more information ? THAT's what needs to happen. </li> </ul>

3. If something needs to be done, get it done as soon as possible.

Often just deciding to take the action can loosen worry's grip on you. But it's critical that you follow through -- take that action as soon as it is feasible. <ul> <li>Call the state agency that deals with lead paint removal and get the names of contractors who do that kind of work. Get moving with hiring and scheduling a contractor. Call your pediatrician and get advice about how to protect your child during the removal process and follow up on every detail. </li> </ul>

4. If nothing needs to be done, release the worry.

<ul> <li>If the lead paint removal is scheduled, your child is adequately supervised, and you're following all of the pediatrician's instructions, there is nothing more to be done. Your job in this case is to re-focus your attention elsewhere.</li></ul>

For most people, relinquishing the worry is the hardest part. If you generally let worry run unchecked, you know that it's a very greedy energy that will take as much of your attention as you let it. It will reduce your effectiveness and productivity. Some serious boundary-setting with yourself is required here.

Experiment with the following strategy. In your mind, respond to the worry with something like this: "Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your concern (this is important). But there is nothing more to be done right now, so I'm going to stop thinking about this.&quot; Then get yourself to focus on something else ? find something else compelling and engaging to think about. You might line up some contenders in advance. Just about anything that works for you will do.

Sooner or later, the worry will return. Repeat steps 1 through 4 as needed. This is an iterative process. Hang in!

Here is a short list of some of the worries that my clients have learned to deal with more effectively:

<ul> <li> Personal finances. My client regularly pictured herself as a bag lady, penniless and homeless, despite her current (and past) circumstances, which were nothing of the sort. The action that was called for was to develop a strong and detailed financial plan with an expert.</li> <li> Global warming. My client, a self-proclaimed &quot;tree-hugger and dirt worshipper&quot; was sick at heart and frequently anxious about global warming. The action called for was to get involved with conservation and political action organizations. </li> <li> Career. For one of my clients who worried she was failing in her current job, the solution was to identify where she needed to improve her performance, and to get training in that arena. Another career-anxious client determined there was no action required. She learned to respond to the angst by listing for herself the ways she was effective in her work; this activity served to change her state of mind. </li> </ul>

Do you need help figuring out whether a worry merits action or how to disarm a stubborn worry-habit? Invest in yourself and get the help you need. Coaching can make a difference. <a href="mailto:sharon@stcoach.com">Contact me</a> for an initial consultation at no charge.

Copyright, Sharon Teitelbaum, 2005.

Sharon Teitelbaum is a Work-Life and Career Coach who works with high achieving women with young children , people at mid-career , and professionals seeking greater career satisfaction or work-life balance. Her book, Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: Restoring Work-Life Balance, is available at her website, <a target="_new" href="http://www.stcoach.com">http://www.STcoach.com</a>.

Certified as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Sharon works by phone with clients around the world and in-person in Boston.

She delivers keynotes and workshops on work-life balance issues, has been in national publications including The New York Times and Working Mother Magazine, and has appeared on cable and network television. She publishes <a href="http://www.stcoach.com/newsletters/index.html">Strategies for Change</a>, a newsletter offering practical tips for work-life success.

Sharon has been married for 30 years and is the mother of two amazing young women. You can contact her <a target="_new" href="http://www.stcoach.com/contact.html/">here</a>.

Isn?t It Time For You?

Does it seem like there is never enough time in the day? Why is there plenty of time for everyone and everything but ourselves? The fact is that you only get one shot at this life so it is important to spend it doing something you love. The good news is that you have a choice, you can continue to go on being overwhelmed letting time and life slip away, or you can make the time and start living the life you really want. Yes, this is easier said than done, so here are ten strategies, some old and some new, to help you gain control over your time.

1. Become a problem free zone. Yes, problems happen in life, and there are ways to proactively limit your exposure to those problems. You can limit your exposure by creating strong boundaries, developing reserves, and creating systems that will prevent future problems. What are some systems that you can develop right now that will prevent you from having problems in the future?

2. Create enriching free time. So often when we do have free time we spend it on some mind numbing activity such as TV. Devote some of your free time each week doing something that really enriches your life. Do something that makes you feel fantastic and blissed out. The rest of your week will get a big boost and you will find that you are effortlessly getting things accomplished.

3. Be present. When you have committed to spend the time, are you present? Or are you thinking about the other things that you have to do? Often when we are at work we are thinking about the things we have to do at home and when we are home we are thinking about the things we have to do at work. As a result, we never focus on what we are currently doing. This drains your energy because when you are focused on feeling guilty you don't produce the results you really want which leads to problems. Focus on what you are currently doing and concentrate on putting in a 100% effort and you will see strong results with fewer mistakes.

4. Set intentions for the day. Setting intentions for the day is much different than having a to do list. Setting intentions for the day involves clearly articulating what you want from that day. Your intentions for the day could be anywhere from cleaning out your desk to looking for and seeking out abundance from the day. The key is focus, so do not set more than three intentions for the day and center your activities around those intentions. This is much lighter than a to-do list, which tends to drain your energy and can keep you from feeling accomplished.

5. Develop healthy energy sources. Your body gets energy from any source it can find regardless if it is negative or positive energy. The difference is that negative energy sources leave you feeling drained, discontented, and restless while positive energy sources leave you feeling happy, peaceful, and energized. Which one sounds better to you? Develop healthy energy sources by creating reserves of time and money, by eating right and exercising, and doing what makes you happy. Your day and your mood will feel much different and you will go to bed with a feeling of peaceful satisfaction.

6. Say &quot;no&quot;. We often cause our own time problems because we cannot say no to requests. It is understandable that you want to help people but why are you willing to sacrifice your own well being by being over committed? If a request is going to leave you feeling resentful, angry, or taken advantage of, definitely say &quot;no&quot;. You will feel a huge sense of relief.

7. Get rid of commitments. We often make commitments that don't really add value to our goals, our vision, or our lives. If you want to create more time in your life you have to start being very selective about the activities in which you participate. Really look at your current commitments and ask yourself, &quot;Is this how I want to spend my time? Does it make me feel good? Does it help me move closer to my goals?&quot;

8. Slow down. Rushing has become a way of life for most of us. Even when we don't have to rush we still do. Have you ever asked yourself, why am I rushing? Only to discover that there was no reason at all. When you rush around you are not present in your surroundings, you are often distracted and frazzled, which will cause you to make mistakes and take up even more of your time. Become aware of this adrenaline rushed feeling and make a conscious decision to slow down. Slow your walk, slow down your speech, take a deep breath, and do what it takes to mentally and physically slow down.

9. Under promise and over deliver. We have all heard this phrase but do we actually do it? Part of our time pressure is caused by over promising when we don't have to. Give yourself more time to complete a project then you think you will need and deliver it early. Your days will not feel as frantic, you will be getting your energy from positive sources, you will do a better job, which helps create your problem free zone, and you will feel good about your accomplishments. This is a win/ win for everyone.

10. Really understand that you control your time, not the other way around. Most of us feel like we are victims to time when in reality you control your time and how you utilize it. Start utilizing it to your advantage by having it work for you.

Hopefully this has provided you with some ideas on creating more time and using time to create a more fulfilling and enriched life. Remember that you control your time, your space, your life, and that it is your responsibility to create it on your own terms.

About The Author

Jen Ottolino is a Personal Coach who works with individuals to eliminate blocks to success. She partners with people to actively attract the life they know they deserve, but haven't quite managed to achieve. You can visit her website at <a href="http://coachjen.com" target="_new">http://coachjen.com</a> and discover articles, tips, and strategies designed to enhance your life purpose. She also publishes the bite sized weekly newsletter Little gems to subscribe send an email <a href="mailto:littlegems@coachjen.com?subject=subscribe">littlegems@coachjen.com?subject=subscribe</a>.

<a href="mailto:jen@coachjen.com">jen@coachjen.com</a>

How to Conquer the Five Major Time Wasters?

* spreading yourself too thin

Taking on too many things at once can hinder organization. Set specific priorities. Do so for each day - for each hour, if necessary. Complete the most important items first and have the satisfaction of knowing they're out of the way. Whenever possible, don't accept any new projects unless they clearly align with your priorities.

* being afraid to delegate

Convince yourself that it is truly not necessary to handle everything alone. You can still be certain that things are being done the way you want them by simply overseeing the projects and tasks you delegate to others. Eventually, you'll learn that these things can be accomplished without your constant guidance.

* not wanting to say &quot;no&quot;

You can't say yes to everything. Again, look at your priorities and decide what you must do and what you really want to do. Turn down any requests or projects that do not fit that criterion.

* procrastinating

Everyone procrastinates - it's easy to let things slide. But the bottom line is that the work has do be done (or delegated), so get some of those unpleasant chores out of the way first. Divide large, daunting tasks into smaller, more manageable ones and tackle them one at a time. When you finish a particularly big or unpleasant task, take a break and treat yourself, even if it's only a decent lunch break. You'll be re-charged as you take on the next project.

* being a slave to the telephone

Screen your calls in some way (answer machine, receptionist, caller ID etc?). Keep personal calls at work to a minimum. Schedule no more than an hour out of your day to return all calls, if this is possible.

Vera Haitayan, Principal Consultant of The Leadership Laboratory., a California-based employee development and process improvement consulting firm and is the senior editor of The Stepping Stone Newsletter featuring leadership and process improvement best practices. <a target="_new" href="http://www.1leadershiplab.com">http://www.1leadershiplab.com</a> mailto: <a href="mailto:vera@1leadershiplab.com">vera@1leadershiplab.com</a>

Handling Procrastination

&quot;TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT IS A BIT OBSCURE. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BE MANAGED IS YOUR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THAT TIME.&quot;

I am quite confident I have never had an original idea in my entire life. What I have done, however, is create new ways of expressing old ideas. In this respect, I now invite you to approach, with a new perspective, the way you manage your activities.

Need-to, Ought-to, Can-do

Say it a few times to yourself: &quot;Need-to, Ought-to, Can-do.&quot; Tongue-twisting aside, it represents three categories, within which falls everything that you are presently capable of. (Any activity that you are not presently capable of would perhaps fall into a forth category of &quot;Can't-do,&quot; and yet I would submit that if you are spending much time considering what you cannot do, you are not only mismanaging your time-you're throwing it away!)

Within the Need-to category would be everything that must be done in a given day or week, the absence of which would lead to a significant negative result. Showing up to work, feeding the dog, bathing-these fall clearly within this category. The next category, Ought-to, includes all activities that, if completed, would likely create a positive overall result. Returning phone calls on time, getting adequate sleep, and keeping your car maintained are such examples. Finally, the Can-do category represents everything else (again excluding what is beyond your present capacity). Activities within this category have either been previously judged as not worth doing, or have yet to be judged at all. In other words, you have not, as of yet, determined it reasonable to place such an activity within the Ought-to or Need-to categories.

An example may help illustrate the concept: Suppose I've just discovered that my friend is looking for a place to stay for the week while he's in town. I do live in a home, so this prospective activity is a Can-do, simply because it exists as a possibility. He then tells me that he is bringing several expensive bottles of wine as gifts for whomever he ends up staying with. Assuming I like wine, and all else being equal, this activity is now an Ought-to. At some point before he arrives in town, I confirm with him that I would like him to stay for the week. The event is now a Need-to; as to back out of the arrangement would cause a loss of friendship.

Feel free to use your own examples-you'll find that everything possible does, in fact, meet one of these three criteria. This thereby sets a foundation for the prioritization of your daily and weekly activities. And yet, this article is on the topic of procrastination, prioritization's nasty cousin, so we're not done yet.

Focusing In

The Need-to's must, without question, be completed. These have never really been a problem-there's simply no room to procrastinate. At the other end, the Can-do's are not relevant here because you can only procrastinate what has been judged as worth doing. What we are left with, therefore, are the Ought-to's. And you'll find quite consistently that the Ought-to's are giving you all of your problems when it comes to putting things off. These are the things that you know you should do, and yet, they often do not have a strict deadline, nor would failing to complete them lead to any immediate or significant detriment. What is noteworthy, however, is that over time, their combined significance does indeed lead to great significance. In the end, the direction of that significance (positive or negative) all rests on your ability to handle them timely and effectively.

A Solution

Detailed prioritization is vital--If you are unwilling to accept that, you must not truly want to improve. Step #1 is to schedule your Need-to's-they are almost always time sensitive. Step #2 is to address your Ought-to's, and they will fall within one of three sub-categories:

(a) Do Now!

(b) Do Later, strategically!

(c) Eliminate!

Ought-to's should always be done immediately, unless doing so at a later time would be strategically more valuable and more efficient, or unless the activity has been inaccurately defined as an Ought-to in the first place. Frequently, we categorize activities as Ought-to's for reasons that do not logically support the claim. When you have isolated instances where your rationale was incorrect, don't belabor the issue; just eliminate the task from your consideration! Of those that are rationally based, it is worth repeating that the only reason you choose to complete an activity at a later date is because it makes more sense to do it at that time than to do it now. Perhaps the task has a prerequisite that needs to be addressed first. In any case, if you cannot find reasonable grounds for doing it later, you should do it now or not at all.

Such a policy is uncomfortable at first. It requires judgment, which a procrastinating mind loathes. And while the very nature of procrastinating is to avoid judgment at all cost, if you will apply this model to your daily activities, you will find that judgment is actually quite liberating, and that prioritization of your activities will shift from a challenge to second-nature.

? 2004 Matthew S. Clement, All rights reserved

Matthew S. Clement is a financial planner and investment advisor representative with Financial Network Investment Corporation, member SIPC. He provides holistic wealth management and retirement planning to individuals and businesses. He can be reached in New York at (845) 942-8578, or by email: <a href="mailto:ClementM@FinancialNetwork.com">ClementM@FinancialNetwork.com</a>.

Freelance Productivity: Do One Thing Extra Each Day

This may not sound like a big deal. But it's amazing how completing one extra task each day can quickly add up and make a difference.

Here's how it works for me...

Each day I look at my 'Today's Things To Do List'.

Oh yes, I have a list. Without it I would be lost. I schedule upcoming work. I list deadlines. I make notes of the people I should be calling or emailing. I look for the spare moments when I can write an article or two. I list all my personal and family commitments too.

>> And then I add one thing more

In addition to my daily list of things to do, I also have a general 'Needs to be Done' list. These are items that don't really have delivery dates or deadlines, but should get done.

Examples? Maybe a follow-up email to a company I worked for a while ago but haven't heard from since. Maybe a note to myself to get back to a happy customer and ask for a testimonial. Perhaps a reminder to myself to check out a particular website or new service. That kind of thing.

These are all things that are important, but not urgent.

>> Important, but not urgent

This is worth dwelling on for a moment. For many of us freelancers, our days and sometimes nights are filled with completing tasks that are urgent.

We have deadlines to meet. We have to get the work done.

And for most of us, we have only ourselves. No assistants or office managers to take care of the paperwork, administration and bookkeeping.

So we rush, rush, rush and feel that our day is complete once we have completed all of the urgent tasks.

>> Time for one more thing

But before you close down your computer, do that one extra thing. It's important.

Often that one final task will take just a few minutes. I'm not talking about spending another hour or two at your desk. I'm talking about tackling a non-urgent, but important task.

>> Will it make a difference?

Yes, it will. At the end of the month you will have completed 20-30 important things that otherwise would never have been done.

Perhaps just one of those things will lead to an extra contract.

Now keep this habit going month by month, year after year. If just one in fifty of these extra tasks completed leads to a new client or job, think of what that means in new income over the next few years.

>> Concluding thoughts...

There is no magic about doing one thing extra each day. It's just a simple, useful discipline and habit that could end up making a big difference to your future income.

Try it.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author and speaker. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at <a target="_new" href="http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com">http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com</a>

The Keepers of Time

I give presentations on organizational skill building as it relates to paper, time, and computer file management. It seems that we all have too much paper, not enough time, and more than enough information stored in our computers if we could just find it!

Part of my job is to help identify the challenges an employee or organization is facing and suggest solutions. Over the course of time I have found that most individuals are simply unaware of the basics of paper and time management. It's not necessary to know all existing time management theories, but it is important to know the basics.

Appointment books and calendars are two tools that help guide you through your activities and commitments. Here are three basic steps you can take to use these tools more effectively.

Select a user-friendly appointment book

The selection of a type of appointment book and calendar is usually a matter of personal preference. Appointment books or planners come in several different formats and vary in size vary from ones that fit in a pocket to ones that fit in a briefcase. If you use electronics to manage your time that's great. If it's not your style, refrain from buying expensive handheld devices. You'll save time and money by being honest with yourself.

Maintain one and only one appointment book

I frequently find clients trying to maintain multiple appointment books or using scraps of paper as their time management tool. The result is double and triple bookings or completely missed appointments. Using one appointment book will cut down on conflicts and create a less-anxious environment. You can store calendars in several places, but maintain only one appointment book.

Take your appointment book with you?always

Most of us rarely leave the house without our keys and wallet. But I find many people who leave their appointment book behind. When this happens, appointments and commitments are made on whatever is available including napkins and a variety of other things that become misplaced or lost. This not only results in a precious loss of time but is unproductive and stressful as well.

Be prepared and less stressed by sticking to these basic tools and steps when building your time management skills.

Copyright 2005 Cynthia Kyriazis. All rights reserved.

Cynthia Kyriazis is an organizing and time management consultant, trainer, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. Organize it, a division of Productivity Partners, Inc. is an organizational training firm she founded in 1995 and has been serving Fortune 500 clients ever since. Cynthia works with business and their employees to help improve performance and realize productivity gains.

Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of the Kansas City of the International Society for Performance Improvement ? (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.

Fitting An Education Into A Busy Lifestyle

Fitting an education into a busy lifestyle

Many people have aspirations to get an education for many reasons. Better jobs, more money and social recognition are some of the more predominant explanations. Regardless of how badly many of these people would love to achieve some sort of eduation beyond high school, attending a college or university is usually not an option because of existing responsibilities. Having bills, children, a job and other responsibilities are typically peoples first priority. The fact that many people are unable to attend a class every week is a HUGE factor preventing people from ever getting the education that they dream of.

In this day and age, with the coming of the Internet, this is no longer a valid excuse. There are many online schools where you can obtain your education from the comfort of your own computer. There are many benefits to online education. You can spend countless hours with your children, and get your education while relaxing after putting them to bed. You can still work a full time job and then spend a few hours a week learning for the future. I could continue listing the benefits for pages and pages, but then I would be slowing you down from actually potentially taking the first step and pursuing your online education.

For free information packages on many different online schools, visit <a href="http://www.education-resource.org" target="_new">http://www.education-resource.org</a> You can request information packages directly from many different schools all from one site.

What are you waiting for? Pursue your dreams and discover that an education is waiting for you at your finger tips.

About The Author

Ryan McKenzie

<a href="Http://www.education-resource.org" target="_new">Http://www.education-resource.org</a>

More Precious Than Gold

In this world there is something more precious than gold. Diamonds? No. Platinum? No. Some other precious metal? No.

Of course, it would depend who you might ask. Many would mention the alternatives I've already given. If you asked a drowning man he would undoubtedly say a life-buoy. If you asked a thirsty person stranded in the desert they would say water. And if you asked a person grieving over a lost loved one they would answer in that manner. All would be correct according to their own particular circumstance.

The value of something is in its scarcity. It's a matter of simple economics really. Things that exist in abundance are relatively cheap. Things that are rare are more expensive. Unique items are very valuable indeed. That is how value is measured.

However, going back to my opening statement, what would be more precious than any of the above? I would suggest something that, once spent, can never be regained. It's something that we all have but it runs out second by second. Time.

Time is the most precious commodity we have. Like everything else, it is its scarcity that increases its value.

Think about a child who is five years old. That child has a very shallow concept of time. If we double the age to ten time is again relatively abundant. Doubling the age to twenty a person begins to understand its concept.

If we double that person's age to forty time begins to become more and more valuable. At the age of eighty, if one lives that long, time is at a premium. It becomes very precious indeed.

If an eighty year old person had all the money they could ever spend what do you think they would buy, if they could? Time!

We only have one life. We cannot buy time. Shouldn't time be the one thing that we value more than anything else? And yet, so many people elect to waste time.

Don't let the wastage of time rob you of the things that you really want to do. The biggest robber of time are the words: "I'll do it later" or I'll get it done next week" or "there's plenty of time."

There is never a better time to do something than right now!

Procrastination and laziness will always ensure that you waste opportunities for achievement.

Use your time wisely. You will never get it back. There is no such thing as eternal youth. One day your time will run out. It would be such a pity for that to happen with a mind still full of wasted opportunity.

I heard somebody say once that "it is better to wear out than rust out." Going to the grave with the "music still in you" would be such a tragedy.

Time will always be your enemy - unless you make it your friend. Keep learning, keep working and keep achieving. Do it now!

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary's email address is <a href="mailto:budo@iinet.net.au">budo@iinet.net.au</a>. Click here to go to his <a target="_new" href="http://www.motivationselfesteem.com/zenspiration.html">Motivation & Self Esteem for Success</a> website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice."

A Fatal Mistake that Can Cost You Your Business ? And More

Whether you're a new business owner or if you have been running your business for several years, one of the biggest challenges you face at one point in time or another is overwhelm and imbalance.

How many nights have you dragged your weary body to bed only to lie awake for hours with nagging thoughts of what you haven't done or don't have answers to?

How many of your children's' ball games and school functions were missed because you had business commitments?

How many evenings did your partner spend alone because you were burning the midnight oil by speaking on the telephone or hovering over your keyboard, workbench or reference materials?

Was this because you loved what you were doing so much that nothing else mattered, or was it because you felt you had to do everything alone?

One of the biggest mistakes small and home-based business owners make is assuming they have to become the chief, cook and bottle washer and perform all of their related tasks flawlessly and concurrently.

I know many entrepreneurs who suffered failed relationships and experienced great loss because they over-committed themselves to their businesses and let everything else important to them fall by the wayside.

Many of today's most renowned entrepreneurs and success stories will tell you of losses they experienced because they didn't know how to do things right the first time or how to balance their priorities.

I was one of those people.

When I was building my first business in my 20's, I locked myself in my office for days on end. I would pour over books trying to learn business skills. I would be on the phone trying to drum up customers using painfully ineffective sales techniques I made up myself.

I created my chart of accounts, set up my bookkeeping system and decorated my office. I made flyers and pinned them up around town. Then I went home and waited for the phone to ring while I studied my product literature and organized and created and collected endless sources of information I thought were necessary for business success.

My partner spent many of his evenings and weekends alone. He would make dinner. I would join him once in a while, then head back into my office.

I wanted to succeed. I wanted to be my own boss and earn my own way and thought if I could invest every possible waking minute of my life to learning about business and acquiring all of the skills necessary, I would create the success and freedom I desperately sought.

Unfortunately, the biggest lesson I learned was, if you lock yourself in an office for two years straight, there probably won't be anyone waiting for you when you come out.

I learned that I had been completely unrealistic and selfish in my thinking.

No successful businessperson has made it entirely on his or her own. If there is an exception to this statement, the success probably came at a terribly high price, and in the end, would you call that success?

What is important to understand firstly, is you must have a product or service that provides significant and perceived value for the customer.

What you also need to understand is you don't need to be an IT specialist, sales or marketing expert, professional copywriter, or have an accounting designation to be a successful entrepreneur (unless of course it is the service you offer!)

You do, however, need to surround yourself with trusted people who are skilled and knowledgeable in the areas you aren't.

It's all about creating a success team and leveraging your time so you are focusing on what is most important and on what you do best.

You've probably heard this many times over, but you need to work "on" your business and not "in" it.

You have the vision of where you want to take your business and the future you want to create, so don't allow yourself to get bogged down by the tasks that take you away from your big picture.

I learned how to do things differently after what some may call dismal failures. (I prefer to call them valuable learning experiences.) I became wiser and put my ego on the shelf.

I understood that working alone and trying to be and do everything was foolish and counterproductive. It didn't mean I was weak or lacking in any way.

I learned how to create a success team and a mastermind group. I surrounded (and continue to surround) myself with mentors, coaches and people who are always a step or two ahead of me on the life and business success ladders.

I have a Sales Coach who constantly challenges me to expand my thinking, and a Marketing Genius as my mentor who bestows his infinite wisdom on me, and moves me to higher and higher levels of development and achievement.

I have a mastermind group I speak with bi-weekly who share in my wins, explore ideas and opportunities with me, help me analyze results, and hold me accountable to remain in balanced action. I provide the same support for them.

Surrounding yourself with people who are as committed to your success as you are and who not only fill the gaps, but continuously push and pull you forward is absolutely necessary if you want to achieve business success without paying a heavy price.

This week, take an inventory of where you are allocating your time.

Have you created a healthy balance between life and work to the point you are fulfilled in both areas?

If the balance is tipped, what activities can be discontinued, delegated or leveraged to regain stability?

What type of people do you need to surround yourself with to ensure smooth, continuous progress without placing the entire burden on yourself?

Spend time on these questions. Be honest with yourself and responsible in your answers.

If you acknowledge that change is required in the way you operate your business, take action to make the change necessary, always keeping your best interests and those of your business in mind.

Laurie Hayes works with small and home-based business owners who are struggling to maintain a healthy work/life balance. To receive valuable tips, strategies and techniques designed to grow a successful business without sacrificing quality of life, subscribe to her free bi-weekly newsletter at <a target="_new" href="http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com">http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com</a>

Six Foundational Reasons for Managing Your Time

Most of us know how to manage our time. It is pretty simple really. What most of us miss are compelling reasons to manage our time. We know the "how" but miss the "why." Here are six foundational reasons I have that motivate me to manage my time and myself properly.

It is a matter of stewardship. I view my life as not my own. I am merely a steward of it. I am given control over it for some 70 years and I should make wise decisions with it! This is a great sense of responsibility that compels me to manage my time.

It is a matter of personal fulfillment. When I get to the end of my life I want to be able to feel a sense of pride and satisfaction that I have lived well, helped others, and achieved much. This drives me to not waste time but to use it wisely.

It is a matter of providing for and being responsible to your friends and family. I owe some of my time - serious amounts - to my friends and family. If I let myself get out of control, they suffer the loss and that is something I do not want for them. I manage myself and my time so that I can give valuable portions of it to those who matter most.

It is a matter of accomplishment and purpose. I manage myself and my time because I want to fulfill my mission here. That is to use my abilities to enhance the lives of others. If I don't manage myself, I hinder my ability to accomplish what I want and to fulfill my purpose. This drives me to manage right.

It is a matter of self-control. This and number six are closely aligned. One of the reasons I manage myself closely is because I can! Imagine that. What separates us from the animals is that we do not live by instinct, but by self-control and choice.

It is a matter of choice. See number five. I can choose when and where I will spend my resources. That in and of itself sounds like fun!

I am sure you can come up with more reasons, and I would encourage you to do so!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.

To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to <a target="_new" href="http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/">http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/</a> or call 800-929-0434.

Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs

Time is money in your online business, just as in the offline business world.

Problem is, the typical Internet entrepreneur is in a race against time: Often snowed under with many things to do, trying to achieve maximum results (income) within the precious, very limited time available.

Especially if you're holding down a full-time job while trying to launch or expand your Internet business in your spare hours, you've got precious little time to waste.

If care isn't exercised in the way we spend time online, our personal and family life can suffer, not to mention bad financial consequences.

To add to that pressure, family members may resent the amount of time spent on our venture, versus the limited income it may initially earn.

As the author of an audio program on time management, I'm going to share with you some proven time management tips, which have been adapted to running a business online. I can't promise you more than 24 hours in your day, but I'll share practical tips to help you work smarter and more profitably online - instead of longer or harder.

Two primary keys to making the most of the time we spend online are:

A) Being selective, and

B) Staying focused.

We must be SELECTIVE, because there are an infinite number of things we can spend our online time on, which will not yield productive results.

We must stay FOCUSED, because any of an infinite number of things can easily distract us from getting more important things done.

That brings us to the first step of effective online time management...

1) Set Goals

If you don't know what your final destination is, how can you ever take action toward getting there? Hence, the need to set goals.

The goals you set for your online business will vary, based on which stage you're at and which direction you want to go from there. It helps to write your goals down and periodically review them. Many feel that this better enables your subconscious mind to help you work toward your goals.

2) Keep and Use a Prioritized To-Do List

Keeping lists may seem simplistic, but the most productive top-achievers are typically methodical users of To-Do lists.

Be sure to rank each task on your To-Do lists by priority, such as high, medium or low. As you tackle the items on your list, always tackle the highest priority tasks first, and those of lower priority as time allows. Obviously, your highest priority tasks will correspond with the achievement of your highest priority goals.

I've found that a 3-ring binder kept near my computer is a good place for organizing To-Do lists, project notes, and other frequently used online information, within easy fingertip reach.

Once your goals are set, you'll know exactly where you're going (and what to stay focused on), and when you use a prioritized To-Do list, you'll have a step-by-step plan for reaching your destination.

3) Exercise Self-Discipline

The best time management system in the world is worthless if we don't exercise self-discipline.

It's so easy to log on to the Net, just planning to "check your email," and before you know it, get distracted by other things and end up spending much more time on things we hadn't planned, and wonder where the time went.

I know, I know: It's easier said than done, but exercising self-discipline will help us stay focused and avoid wasting time or getting distracted on less important activities. If you can stay focused on the most important tasks (which you've identified by setting goals and prioritizing your To-Do list), you'll see greater results from your time and effort.

4) Automate Where Possible

I have written much more on this topic than the limited space in this article allows, but let me mention a few tools that aren't new to online marketers, but whose time-saving value is often overlooked:

*Autoresponders

Autoresponders are very useful tools for automatically filling your prospects' requests for information on your products and services, non-stop, 24 hrs of every day of the year.

*Email Filters

The "filters" feature of good email programs such as Pegasus and Eudora Pro make the automation of many email activities a snap. If you're not using them, you don't know what you're missing.

~ Pegasus: <a href="http://www.pmail.com/" target="_new">http://www.pmail.com/</a>

~ Eudora Pro: <a href="http://www.eudora.com" target="_new">http://www.eudora.com</a>

5) Periodically Analyze Your Business

In our quest for more value from the time we spend in our online businesses, it helps to stand back and periodically analyze which activities have been working - and which haven't.

From there, we can give more attention to expanding what's been working, and tweak, change, or eliminate what hasn't. We can thus progressively see more profitable results from the time spent online.

Conclusion

If you want to get maximum benefit from the limited time you have to accomplish things in your online business, or any other area of life, you must manage your time well.

When you do, you'll achieve more, and you'll look back on your work with the satisfaction of knowing that you got the most important things done, instead of looking back with regret.

As Benjamin Franklin said: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."

About The Author

Marty Foley is a successful home business owner and the founder of <a href="http://ProfitInfo.com/" target="_new">http://ProfitInfo.com/</a>. His Internet marketing techniques and resources have helped set the standard in e-commerce, and have often been imitated by other famous Internet marketers. They can truly help you succeed online: <a href="http://ProfitInfo.com/" target="_new">http://ProfitInfo.com/</a>

<a href="mailto:MFoley@ProfitInfo.com">MFoley@ProfitInfo.com</a>

24 Time Management Tips

Where does your time go? We all know we are busy, yet we feel behind and don't get to do the things we really want to do.

Planning is the best time saver there is. At the beginning of the week jot down your goals that you want to accomplish, fun things you want to do, work that needs to be done, and appointments to keep. Then write out a loose schedule for the week ahead, balancing it out between work, family, home, self and your other roles.

You can choose to put your action items on daily to do lists or schedule them on a calendar like appointments. How you keep track of your things to do for the week, depends on how much structure you personally like or need.

When you plan, it is helpful to schedule things for twice as long as you expect them to take. That gives you extra time for those traffic jams, interruptions, and fun, spontaneous moments. I try to plan on leaving 10 minutes earlier than I have to, for all my appointments, in case of unexpected delays.

My weekly planning session usually takes less than thirty minutes. My planning session includes gathering my papers and going through the in-box to find action items as David Allen suggests in his book &quot;Getting Things Done&quot;. I also plan goals, next action items for my projects, plan a two hour time alone, plan family night, and plan a date with my husband. I schedule work, exercise, fun time, time with friends and family, volunteer work, and self-care time. Planning allows the important to take precedent over the urgent for once.

But, be flexible with your plan. Remember you are not a slave to your planner. It is there to serve you. If your time management system isn't working, tweak it.

Here are some more time management tips:

<li>Know what's important to you. Figure out your values and your vision.

<li>Start delegating to family members, co-workers, professionals, and teenagers needing extra money.

<li>Learn to say no to what is not in your mission or your values.

<li>Let go of perfectionism. Not everything has to be done perfectly and some things are out of your control.

<li>Listen to audio tapes or mp3's during your commute or household tasks.

<li>Use a planner or PDA that includes a daily to do list, a weekly calendar, a monthly calendar, a listing of projects, telephone numbers and important information.

<li>Empty out your planner of the clutter and junk. Put the little pieces of paper in an in-box to go through in your weekly planning session.

<li>Keep your planner with you at all times.

<li>Do not keep a bunch of calendars around. Use only one so everything is in one place.

<li>Keep a master list of all the things you need to do, call, see, write, etc. Don't use post-it notes all over. They seem to get lost.

<li>Answer routine letters by answering them on the original. Photocopy your message for your own files then send off the original.

<li>Cut down on TV time. Plan your TV time so you only watch the shows you really wanted to see. If you are watching, clean during commercials or sew while viewing.

<li>Look at your schedule and lay out all the things you need for the next day, the night before.

<li>Tidy your desk before you leave work so it will be clean for the next session.

<li>Try to spend time on planning and important things so you are not always "putting out fires."

<li>Use a timer to keep you from spending too much time on one thing or to challenge you when you are cleaning.

<li>Relax when you are relaxing and work when you are working.

<li>Make goals and rewrite goals every few months, so you have a focus.

<li>Clear the clutter from your desk.

<li>Go through your files once a year to get rid of paper you no longer need. Saves space and time. Or go through a file each time you put something in it, to keep your files current.

<li>Get rid of things that don't work, especially pens. Save yourself some frustration.

<li>Start with the worst item on your to do list. Everything else will be a piece of cake. You also won't be thinking and dreading it while doing other tasks. Procrastination sucks out your energy.

<li>Be sure to bring things to do like reading, writing a letter, paying bills etc., when you know you will have to wait someplace.

<li>A couple of times a year, keep a time log. Jot down everything you do for a day or two. Then examine where your time does not match what is important to you.

It's your life. If you don't manage your time, other people will manage it for you.

About The Author

? Beth Dargis 2004

Beth Dargis works with overwhelmed women to create saner, simpler lives. Are you in need of a break? Take the self-care quiz: <a href="http://www.encouragingcoach.com/projects-selfcare-quiz.htm" target="_new">http://www.encouragingcoach.com/projects-selfcare-quiz.htm</a>

<a href="mailto:bethd@encouragingcoach.com">bethd@encouragingcoach.com</a>

Priorities: Dont Dry Your Dishes

Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could you just let the water evaporate? If you spend just 5 minutes per meal drying dishes, that equals a quarter of an hour per day, or 91 hours each year.

Imagine spending almost four days in a row standing at the sink drying dishes. No eating. No sleeping. No bathroom breaks. Just drying dishes for four days straight.

Now imagine doing something else with that time. Savoring the fresh air. Going on a camping trip. Playing with your children. Volunteering at the food bank. Upgrading your career skills. You can do a lot in four days.

Or you can dry dishes.

Some chores we have to do (like washing the dishes). But some are optional. You are given a short time to live. How you spend that time is your choice.

This inspiration was first published in A Daily Dose of Happiness: ( <a href="http://www.thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html" target="_new">http://www.thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html</a> ), to which one subscriber commented:

"Another thought is, do dishes, laundry, sweeping, dusting, and other chores as a family. The best conversations I ever had with my parents, grandparents, and other family members were when we were doing dishes or laundry, etc. TOGETHER!"

To that, I had to laugh...and respond: "Indeed, folding laundry is what passes for going on a date in our house!"

About The Author

David Leonhardt is author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/059517826X?v=glance" target="_new">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/059517826X?v=glance</a>

Get the Best Daily Doses in a free ebook: <a href="http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.php" target="_new">http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.php</a>

<a href="mailto:Info@thehappyguy.com">Info@thehappyguy.com</a>

Time Well Spent

It is common knowledge that creating and living according to a financial budget is a requisite for fiscal health and well-being. Budgets enable allocation of resources according to priorities. $x for shelter, $x for food, $x for clothing, $x for education, $x for savings, $x for transportation, $x for entertainment, etc.

What is not commonly applied, despite the preponderance of daily planners and time management software, is a temporal budget. Time is our most precious asset. It is also our only non-renewable asset. Each heartbeat, each second ticking on the clock denotes one moment less of our diminishing asset of time.

Each day presents us with 24 hours = 1,440 minutes = 81,400 seconds.

How are you spending these ever diminishing seconds? How have you budgeted your time? To what purpose do you pass the time of your life away?

I presume, since you have enough interest in your own well-being to subscribe to this eZine, that you have an interest in personal fulfillment.

There are aspects to your being; each aspect having its own needs. In order to be fulfilled and happy, these needs will need to be met. Time must therefore be allocated or budgeted to fulfill those needs if you wish to achieve any measure of fulfillment.

For the sake of simplicity, I will identify the main aspects of self as physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

How much time in each do you have budgeted to meet your physical needs, your emotional needs, your mental needs and your spiritual needs?

Of course, just as there is no clear delineation between these various aspects of self, there is also the possibility of getting several needs met from the same activity; say for example?sex.

So, now that I have your attention, please seriously consider taking the time to manage your time. Examine your spending habits and create a time budget to help you manage your most valuable asset.

What amount of time do you have allocated for the fulfillment of your various needs? Do you have time set aside to exercise? Time budgeted for ongoing education? Time allocated for honoring the sacred?

Does it really make sense to squander all those hours in front of the idiot box? Are those daily commutes underutilized times? Could you be learning something from tape or CD to increase your IQ instead of "dumbing down" to withstand the boredom of another lap in the rat race by listening to talk radio?

1,440. Divvie it up. Prioritize it. Spend it well. Invest it in your own enhancement.

Every moment lost or wasted is gone forever. Each moment spent without purpose or intent is like money tossed in the fire.

? Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at <a target="_new" href="http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com">http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com</a> or <a target="_new" href="http://www.LeslieFieger.com">http://www.LeslieFieger.com.</a>

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Take Back Your Time

"You will never find time for anything. You must make it." -Charles Buxton

According to the organizers of Take Back Your Time Day, which was held on October 15, if Americans quit working on that date and didn't work for the rest of the year, we would be working the same number of hours as the average European. Even with high unemployment, America has experienced near-record mandatory overtime.

The October 11, 2004 issue of Time magazine reports that on a typical day office workers are interrupted about seven times an hour -- 56 interruptions a day -- 80% of which are considered trivial. "We pride ourselves on being multi-taskers, but the truth is, we're functioning at a state of partial attention," says John White, international program director with Priority Management, a training company based in Vancouver, Canada. "Because of constant interruptions, our memory, follow-up ability, flexibility and quality of work start to erode."

So how do we learn to slow down and enjoy our lives?

Managing our time is about clarifying priorities and being masterful at taking action on our intentions, rather than becoming a slave to the constant flow of events and demands on our time. When we operate in auto-pilot, we take action without thinking, which almost never yields the results we want.

Time management is not just a tool like a calendar or a Palm Pilot. It is a foundational skill upon which everything else in life depends.

Seven tips to help you manage your time:

1. Prioritize your week. Organizing your time without first clarifying your priorities is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Ask yourself this question: If nothing else happens this week, what are the most important activities or relationships I choose to pay attention to? Without making plans to focus on these priorities, you will most likely not get to them?especially if they are not urgent. Planning goes far beyond just making lists. A plan is when you have carved out specific time in your calendar (an appointment with yourself) to do something. Need help getting started with weekly planning? Visit our planning tip sheet at: http://www.orgcoach.net/sixsteps.html or participate in one of our teleclasses: http://www.orgcoach.net/teleclasses.html

2. Learn when to say NO. As Stephen Covey says, &quot;It's easy to say 'No!' when there's a deeper 'Yes!' burning inside.&quot; When we operate from a big-picture view of our priorities, it becomes much easier to decide what to say YES to and what to say NO to. Remember this truth: Every time you say yes to someone or something, you are saying no to someone or something else.

A good way to learn what to say NO to is to check your self-talk. Are you saying &quot;I should?&quot; &quot;I gotta?&quot; &quot;I have to?&quot; or are you saying &quot;I choose to?&quot;? Be at choice! Then write your not to do list and stick to it!

3. Limit your time for activities that consume you. For example, if you find that you are overwhelmed by e-mail, limit how many times a day you check it and how much time you'll spend to read and respond. When I came back from vacation to more than 1000 emails, I was amazed at how unimportant some messages became! Limiting your time can help you to prioritize.

4. De-clutter your life. My definition of clutter: Anything you own, possess, or do that does not enhance your life on a regular basis. By this definition, clutter can be things in your physical environment. Clutter can also be activities, thoughts, and even relationships that don't enhance your life. Once you clean up the non-physical clutter in your life, you'll be able to make better decisions about what to keep and what to remove from your space.

As you de-clutter your environment, you can save a lot of money on your tax returns by donating items to charity. ItsDeductible is a tool that I have used for years to help me value what I donate. Although it guarantees that you will save at least $300 on your taxes, it has actually saved me thousands of dollars on my taxes each year. Visit http://www.orgcoach.net/products/taxtools.html for more information.

Take our free Professional/Business Organizational Assessment or our Personal Organizational Assessment to help you sort out what areas need the most attention.

5. Schedule protected time. In your calendar, block out time to work on projects that require concentration without interruptions. Then identify what boundaries you need to have in place so you can keep this time sacred. Here are some ideas:

* Put a "do not disturb" sign on your door or cubicle. At Quarasan (an educational-product developer in Chicago), workers take "focus blocks" of up to three hours when they absolutely cannot be interrupted. In any given week, about 25% of the staff use this technique. Signs hang on cubicles, chairs or doors, that say something like this: I AM FEELING TOTALLY FOCUSED RIGHT NOW. PLEASE RESPECT THIS PROCESS.

* Have a conversation with co-workers about needing uninterrupted time to work on your project. At Pitt Ohio Express (a trucking company based in Pittsburgh, PA), claims auditors take turns wearing a special black baseball cap to signal that they are absorbed in a project. Employees at Basex (an information-technology research firm in New York City), use instant messaging. A simple switch to DO NOT DISTURB status signals that coworkers should not call, email or stop by to chat.

* Turn off the ringer on your phone and let voice mail pick up your calls for a while.

* Avoid checking e-mail until you're done with your project time for the day.

* Have a pen and pad of paper handy to write down the things that pop into your head that you &quot;gotta do&quot; so you don't forget and can get back to them later. Schedule a little time after your protected time for following up with your &quot;gotta do&quot; list.

6. Reduce stress. Incorporate these into your daily habit: exercise, play, meditation, relaxation or quiet time to still the mind, healthy diet, enough sleep.

7. Separate work from your personal life. If you are regularly taking work home or working overtime, develop skills to negotiate with your boss (even if that's you!) about when, where, and how results are produced. Manage by results, not by how many hours you are working. Take our free Work/Life Balance Assessment at http://www.orgcoach.net/_assessment/worklifebalance.html to determine how you are doing with this.

Visit our resource page (http://www.orgcoach.net/onlineshopping.html#prod) for more ideas about increasing productivity.

Copyright 2005 Kathy Paauw

Wouldn't you love to stumble upon a secret library of ideas to help you de-clutter your life so you can focus on what's most important? Kathy Paauw offers simple, yet powerful ideas, on how to manage your time, space, and thoughts for a more productive and fulfilling life. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.orgcoach.net">http://www.orgcoach.net</a>

10 Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals

If you feel like your life moves faster than a Nascar race, you're not alone. We are living in a time where dual income families and single parent homes are the norm, a sharp contrast to the happy sitcom families we grew up watching on TV.

So how do you get everything accomplished when there are only 24 hours in a day? The first step is to reprioritize. Does it really matter if you're house is immaculate? Does your family really need a 7-course meal on the table every night? Instead of spending time preparing an elaborate meal, wouldn't you rather use that time with your family or to catch up on some R&R for yourself?

Regardless of how your priorities are defined, we could all use some extra time in the day. The following are some time management ideas that can help increase your productivity and improve the quality of your life. Try incorporating just a few of these ideas and see how it affects your life. You will be glad you did!

1. Turn your email off. It may be hard to break away from your constant communication with the world, but if you check email twice per day instead, you will be amazed by how much time you save. Specify specific time frames during the day that you will devote to email and stick to your schedule.

One Silicon Valley company recently implemented a No Email rule on Fridays. If you need a question answered, you have to pick up the phone or walk over to the person with the answer. While this may not always be the most productive solution, it drives home the point that we rely too heavily on email for our communication. When you stop letting it rule your life, your productivity will ultimately increase.

2. Create email filters</B> to send junk mail directly to the trash bin. With the latest version of Microsoft Outlook, you can right click on a junk message and add the sender to your Blocked Senders list, preventing any future messages from that sender from landing in your Inbox.

3. Hire a Virtual Assistant to handle administrative tasks. VAs are remote office administrators who can handle tasks including large mailings, contact management and other office duties. They can be hired for a simple project or on an ongoing basis. To find a VA, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.IVAA.org">the International Virtual Assistants Association</a>.

4. Get in the habit of using a To Do list every day. At the end of each day, make a list of items to complete the following day. This helps you put closure on the day so you don't leave worried about forgetting the tasks that await you tomorrow.

5. Manage your meetings. Set expectations when beginning a meeting by announcing a cut-off time. You could say something like, &quot;I know you're busy too and I have another meeting at 3:00 so let's plan to wrap this up by 2:45.&quot; This not only keeps your schedule on track, but busy attendees will appreciate it as well. Keep an eye on the clock and stick to the time you have allotted.

6. Get your filing system in order. Do you waste time looking for invoices or receipts? Create a file folder for receipts each month and simply drop your papers into each corresponding folder. This can also be useful later on when you have a question about a credit card expense from January. Simply pull out your January folder and voila- you have your information at your fingertips!

7. Use pre-printed lists for supplies, groceries, etc. Make a list of the office supplies that you use regularly and post one on a bulletin board near your desk. Simply check off the supplies you need when you run low so you remember what you need to reorder. This system works well for groceries and household supplies too. Get your family in the habit of checking off items that are running low so you never again forget to pick something up at the grocery store.

8. Use templates for repeat projects. Do you have a daily, weekly or monthly report to write? Do you spend time calculating figures manually that could be done easily in a spreadsheet? Create templates to reuse over and over again and minimize your prep time.

9. Freeze leftovers. If you have a serving or two left of tonight's dinner and you know nobody will want it tomorrow, put it in a freezer safe container and save it for lunch or a quick dinner option in the upcoming weeks.

10. Designate a daily chore to everyone in your family. In previous generations, most kids worked for a living! Break your kids away from the video games for twenty minutes to help with garbage duty, dishes, vacuuming or taking care of the pets. Delegating one chore to everyone daily will lighten your load and keep your home organized and clean. You can even make a list or spreadsheet and rotate the chores or make it fun by offering a reward after everyone finishes.

Don't forget the most important time management tip- make time for yourself. You're no good to anyone if you're sleep deprived and miserable. We all deserve a little downtime, even if that means you have to schedule some time for yourself into your calendar each day. Your business, family and relationships will all benefit when your priorities are in order and you have balance in your life.

***This is an excerpt from &quot;100+ Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals by Stephanie Chandler. For more information, visit: <a target=new href="http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com/timemanagement.htm">http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com/timemanagement.htm</a>

Stephanie Chandler is the author of &quot;The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!&quot; and the founder of <a target="_new" href="http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com">http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com</a>, a directory of free resources for entrepreneurs. Sign up for the BusinessInfoGuide newsletter to receive hot resources and tips every month.