How To Manage Your Time

I would like to touch upon a subject that it is not too often included as part of a home business course, tutorial, ebook or web site and I feel it is vital to the success of your home-based business.

What am I talking about?

I am talking about Time Management.

In over 25 years of being self-employed, the managing of time has been the single most difficult hurdle to conquer and overcome and there are times when I still lose the battle.

In a home-based business, time management can be the difference between success and failure just as assuredly as any of the following:

<UL>

<LI>Under financing,

<LI>Miss management,

<LI>Poor customer service,

<LI>Over extension or

<LI>A lousy product. </LI>

</UL>

What falls under the term "time management"?

How about procrastination? "Putting off until tomorrow..." Well you know the rest. You can find many excuses to put a task off. "I'll do it tomorrow." or I'll do it when I have more time." But you never seem to have more time and tomorrow comes... and tomorrow... and tomorrow? and tomorrow?

What about the attitude, &quot;I am the boss!" It is so easy to goof off when you are your own boss, working at home. After all, there is no authority figure above you in the chain of command. But remember, you are the boss and as the boss you are ultimately responsible to get the job done.

Chances are, as a small one-(wo)man business, it will be solely up to you to get a lot of things done. But look on the bright side. When your business is successful you can hire someone to do all the things you don't want to do, just like your boss does now.

Miss spent time or time not spent wisely. For instance, you keep checking and reading your email and not getting other work done or you surf the Internet for no specific purpose or go off on a tangent while doing research on another subject.

You take the easier road or course of action. For instance, you know that promoting and marketing your product and web site are ongoing and daily tasks. But they can be boring, arduous and time consuming, so you put up your web site and then sit back and wait to get rich. Then you wonder why you are not successful?

I am sure you or I could find many other ways to "waste time"; I always said I had it down to an art form. But the bottom line is that time (next to your health) is probably the most important commodity an individual in his or her own business has.

Time management is crucial to your business plan. You must "control" the use of your time; because the one thing you have no control over is the "passing of time". No matter what you do, time is still going to go by, therefore, you should make the most of your time.

This is not an easy task by any means and as a big-time time waster; I do not make light of it at all. After all, I consider it important enough to devote a whole section to it in my ebook.

What will it take to conquer time? You probably never will! But if you are aware that it is a problem that plagues us all and challenge it, you can be time's master and not its slave.

What you need above all to conquer time is focus and discipline.

Here are, without a doubt, the two most important attributes a self-employed person can possess. Focus and Discipline. If you have focus and discipline, everything else will fall into place.

About the Author ---- Jim Capobianco, the author of "10 Steps to Your Own Home-Based Business", has been self-employed for over 25 years, both on and off line. At his web site, Cap-Tech.com and in his newsletter, The Cap-Tech Times, he shares his experience and expertise when it comes to owning your own business. Come pay a visit at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.cap-tech.com">http://www.cap-tech.com</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.

Vilfredo Paretos Principle: The 80-20 Rule: 80% of Results are Produced from 20% of Efforts

Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly known as the 80-20 rule. It suggests that a ratio of approximately 20% to 80% can be found as an effective measure for most things in life. Whether revenues generated per customer or value for hours worked, it usually can be found that 80% of all of our results in business and in life come from only 20% of our efforts!

As importantly, the 80-20 ratio seems to hold true for many input/outputs, causes/consequences, or efforts/results. It also holds true across the spectrum of relationships, business, finances, time- whatever the case may be.

Richard Koch, author of The 80/20 Principle, suggests that the key to earning more and working less is to pick the right thing to do and only those things that add the highest value. Contrary to public belief, "be intelligent and lazy" is NOT an oxymoron- in fact, it's an important theme of this book! Discarding low value activities in all areas of your life, the true essence of the Pareto Principle, will create the time and freedom for you to enjoy a more richly endowed lifestyle.

<h3>How can you apply Pareto's Principle?</h3>

Look for the evidence of Pareto's Principle in all areas of your life. As best you can, determine where 20% of your energies, resources, time, and talents should be invested for maximum benefit (The 80-20 Rule). Then do it.

In addition to concepts like <a target="_new" href="http://www.wizardzofwealth.com/wealth_pareto_principle_80_20_rule.php" title="Pareto's Principle">Pareto's Principle</a>, wizardZofwealth.com offers people of all income levels wealth-building strategies in the areas of small business, entrepreneurship, self development, personal finance, trading, and investing. The site's exclusive Wealth Notes presentation style makes learning easy for people seeking <a target="_new" href="http://www.wizardzofwealth.com" title="Financial Independence">financial independence</a>.

Effective Time Management Techniques

TIME MANAGEMENT

With the creation of the universe, God gave humankind a miraculous gift. A wonderful gift which cannot be seen or touched but without which there will be no meaning in life. In fact without which it would be difficult to imagine life. It is time!

God being kind and just gave this to all of us in equal quantity. He knew that some of His children would be wasteful. So He gave it in such a way that they would not be able to waste all of it. He assured a continuous and fresh supply of it. Each day He gives us a fresh supply of twenty four hours or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds per day to each of us-poor or rich, good or bad, man or woman.

We may have handicaps of education, money, and connections. But we are not handicapped by time. It is given equally to all. It is the most important ingredient in success. Use your time wisely and nobody can stop you from succeeding.

Time management is the key to keeping your New Year Resolutions.

How to use time wisely? Of course, by managing it wisely.

Here are a few tips to manage your time.

1. Eliminate Big Chunks of Wastage of Time: We are usually Pound Foolish, Penny Wise. We jump red light to save a fraction of second but before that we might have already wasted hours in some useless activity. There are big chunks of time which we usually waste-sleeping long hours, wasting time in front of TV, gossiping, in drinking and dining parties, etc. If you spend two hours each way in commuting to office, you have to find some solution to it. Either change office or residence or utilize the commuting time in reading (if traveling by bus or metro) or listening to useful audios.

2. Eliminate Wastage of Time on Irrelevant Activities: We are usually not focused in our life. Not only we should have a single goal in life but all our efforts and time should be directed towards it. If you want to write a book, not only you have to eliminate big chunks of wastage of time, but you should also avoid irrelevant activities such as, may be, a side business, politics, and involvement in activities of various social activities which may be good in themselves.

3. Plan your Time: Planning is very important for time management. One obvious benefit is that as you would never put in your plan items of big chunks of wastage of time and irrelevant activities, they would be eliminated automatically! Write down your daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and may be even more long term plans.

Gus is the writer of the recent ebook Be Happy! The Guide comes with an Action Plan. The Guide, divided into three parts of Body, Mind and Heart, and Soul, deals with various sources of happiness and how to be happy. The Action Plan gives To-Do lists, Happiness Quotations, Affirmations and Meditations, etc. For more information, please, visit: <a target="_new" href="http://www.thelifebeautiful.com">http://www.thelifebeautiful.com</a> email:gus@thelifebeautiful.com

Organization Tips That Add More Hours To Your Day

One of the most common complaints that small business owners have is lack of time. What most don't realize, however is that their lack of time stems from a lack of organization. But with a few simple tips - that you can implement immediately - you can literally add hours to your day.

--- Putting Things In Their Place

First and foremost, you should live by the motto, "A place for everything and everything in its place". When you are finished with a piece of paper, a brochure or any other physical document - file it. What usually happens is that you finish using a piece of paper, "temporarily" put it in a stack and then have to spend two hours cleaning up after yourself once a week. Or, you may leave it in a stack and spend two hours a day digging through the mess to find what you need.

Create a filing system that works for you personally and then use it! Perhaps you'd like a filing cabinet? There are also expandable folders and numerous other filing systems. Choose the one you like, create a folder for it and put it where you can find it again if need be.

--- I'll Be Right There

How many times a day do you say (or think) that? Especially if you work from home, you probably have plenty of interruptions that take valuable time out of your day. If you're a work-at-home parent with young children, it may be a bit more difficult to end interruptions all together, but these tips will help.

1. Set "office hours". As much as possible, let your family know that between 8am and 11am, you'll be working. Then again from 1pm until 6pm you'll be "in your office".

(Or whatever hours work best for you.)

2. Ignore your email. Well, partially, anyway. Unless you're expecting some urgent message, don't stop what you're going to run check your messages each time you hear the "bell" ring. Decide on the time frame that works best for you and then check your email at certain times during the day. (Perhaps every three hours or so.) During the rest of your work time, turn your email software off so you can resist the temptation to check each message as it arrives.

3. Screen your calls. These days most people have voice mail or an answering machine. Unless you're expecting a call, let the machine get it. Just as with your email schedule, you can set aside time during the day to return calls. This is a great way to avoid telemarketers, too!

--- Automate and Delegate

When those routine tasks start taking up valuable money making time in your schedule, it's time to either automate or delegate.

It's all a matter of how you use your time - make money or waste money. You can earn money each hour by performing work or you can waste money by doing every little thing yourself. There are several options you can look into in this area.

Software - There is software available today that will do practically everything! GoldMine or ACT can automate almost all of your contact information, e-mailings, prospect follow-ups, appointments and much, MUCH more. Outlook is an exceptional 'Day Timer' type tool that can help with scheduling as well as email. SystemWorks can automatically maintain your computer's "inner workings" and automatically update your virus protection. There's a program to do practically anything you need.

Assistance - I know the first thing most small business owners scream is "I can't afford an assistant"! Maybe not one that comes to your home and spends eight hours a day with you, but you CAN afford a virtual assistant, a college or a high school student.

A virtual assistant is someone who handles projects or duties for you "virtually" from their computer. Perhaps you need to have a report proofread. Just email it to him/her and, once it's done, they'll email it back to you. Virtual Assistants can also schedule appointments, follow up with clients, return routine email inquiries and perform numerous other tasks.

You can also check with the career development or job placement offices of local high schools and colleges. They often have students who are willing to work in exchange for a small fee or for the experience itself.

Whatever you do - make the most of your time. Being unorganized not only wastes hours of your day that you could be making money, but it also is a tremendous stress producer. Getting your office, your schedule and your day in order can make for a much more fulfilling and profitable business.

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> <a target="_new" href="http://madmarketer.com/diane">http://madmarketer.com/diane</a>

Busy, Busy, Busy

?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me with a wet diaper! Enough of that silliness. Most you know what I'm talking about though, right? That's us! Busy. Doing what? Stuff. What kinds of stuff? All kinds of stuff. Like what? You name it. Give me an example. Can't. Why not? Too busy?

OK ? that's it! Blow the danged whistle! We need a Time Out!

Holy Smokes, Folks! We're going outta control. No, not all of us of course. But there are enough of us pushing our physical, mental and emotional limits that it's worthwhile talking about it. Let me ask you this. When was the last time you just kicked back and looked at the clouds to see what cartoonish kinds of figures or shapes you could see in them? Or the last time you touched a plant leaf and really thought about how it felt and how amazing it was that it was an actual living thing? Or the last time you strolled leisurely down the road or path and thought about nothing in particular? Or the last time you watched a baby sleep and enjoyed the feeling of being a part of a great creation? Or the last time you leaned back in an easy chair and snoozed ? not because you were completely worn out, but just because it seemed like a neat thing to do?

How long has it been? An extremely long time? Never? Hmmm?

Many of us unfortunately, are the proud owners of the skewed assumption that we must always be doing something. OK, for those of you who have a tendency to get overly technical, we are always doing something ? even when we're doing &quot;nothing&quot;. You know what I mean. I'm referring to our obsession with physical and mental (and sometimes emotional) activity. We go to work, do stuff, talk with folks, go home, go to the store, go out to an activity, run errands, pay bills, haul the kids around, fix meals, do yard work, do house work, fix stuff, paint stuff, reorganize stuff, buy more stuff, watch TV, surf the web, and on and on. Even our vacations are so crammed with &quot;doing&quot; that we're pooped puppies by the time we get back home.

Yeah, I know. I have heard time and time again, &quot;But I just have sooo much to do that I can't get it all done in a day!&quot; Hmmm (again?). And I think to myself that there are several possible reasons for this comment. This person may be in a survival mode of operation and his/her day is filled to overflowing with more than one job, caring for loved ones and trying to meet the demands of everyday living. This can be tough, but we do what we gotta do. Or this individual may just be a bit disorganized and have a difficult time establishing logical priorities. Or, maybe he/she isn't really all that busy but for some inner reason would like others to think he/she is. Or maybe this person has a difficult time saying no for a variety of reasons. Or perhaps this individual has become so accustomed to being busy or having some type of auditory input or stimulus that to do otherwise is uncomfortable ? again, for a variety of possible reasons.

We all have our individual, special reasons for being busy and admittedly, many of the reasons are completely valid. I'm suggesting however, that none of the reasons are valid enough. Every single one of us needs time to kick back for at least a few minutes each day to recharge our physical, mental and emotional batteries. And the busier we get, the more critical this re-charge becomes.

Most of us know, or have known, people who have succumbed to the Go-Go-Go Syndrome. We have seen everything from burn-outs to complete physical, mental or emotional collapse. Suddenly, the go-go-go has turned into a stop-stop-stop. Everything that seemed to be such a high priority dropped dramatically in its ranking ? probably closer to the level it should have been at in the first place.

I think it would be very beneficial if we all made the small effort that it takes to reserve at least fifteen minutes a day just for us. Fifteen minutes for a time out to relax, meditate or just let the old brain cells cool down. Fifteen minutes to regroup and recharge our batteries. Just fifteen minutes. About one percent of our day. OK, considering all the other possible options, it might not be the absolute best fifteen minutes you've ever enjoyed in life but it's still worth doing. Give it a try. You'll like it?

About The Author

Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life's &quot;secrets for survival&quot; in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. This article is an excerpt from Gene's blog posted on 12/2/03. You can visit Gene at <a href="http://www.nupathz.com/" target="_new">http://www.nupathzcom/</a>

<a href="mailto:gene@nupathz.com">gene@nupathz.com</a>

Beyond Time Management ? Seven Ways to Leverage Your Time for Greater Results

Most of us have a to-do list ? some of us have a very long one! While a to-do list is a valuable tool to help us stay on track for the urgent tasks of the day (and while there are many ways to improve your production and use of this list), that isn't the focus of this article.

This article isn't about managing your time. It is about taking the limited time resources we have and determining how to leverage that time for greater results in our lives. When we use a lever we use specific, correct actions to create great results. That is what we all want to do with our time --find the activities that will create greater results -- personal, professional, business, financial, or others in our lives.

To use this lever we have to go beyond our daily to-do list. This lever will require 30 or preferably 60 minutes of your time each day. Considering the returns (leverage) you will get on this investment, it will be time well spent.

Exercise. We all know it is important for our health. Exercise, whether it is walking, running, weights, or some other regimen, makes us more fit, creates energy, gives us time to be with our thoughts, and releases valuable enzymes into our bloodstream. This is a highly leveraged activity. We all know its benefits, but do we do it?

Engage in your hobby. Hobbies are opportunities to learn. They keep our minds, and in many cases our bodies, active. Hobbies allow us to divert our attention from the workings of our day and allow us practice focus on a single task. Most of all, hobbies create joy. Do you have a hobby that could be your greatest time lever?

Develop a new skill. Learn how to juggle. Play a new game. Pick up a musical instrument. Or paint landscapes. Perhaps this skill is related to your hobby (or will become your hobby), or is work related, it doesn't matter. Developing new skills keeps us learning, keeps our minds active and allows us to learn other things faster. What you learn about yourself and how to learn better is the great by-product of this activity.

Work on a goal. Do your short or long term goals get enough attention on your to-do list each day? How much progress would you make towards any goal in your life if you spent 30 ? 60 minutes on it each day? Invest the time, and see the power of leverage in action.

Read. Read for learning or read for pleasure. Read relating to your hobby, or your goal. Just read. Reading will provide opportunities to learn and see things in a new light. Reading keeps your mind active. Reading gives you new ideas and information to when solving problems. Reading gives your subconscious mind time to relax while you engage in a useful and enjoyable activity.

Think and write. Many of us don't take time to think. To think about our values, our beliefs, the challenges we face, the events of our day, or just to think.. Take time to reflect on your behavior, your results, your challenges ? take time to think so that you can go through your day in a more proactive, thought-filled way. Consider using a journal or your computer as a way to stimulate and help your thinking. What you write may be designed to be shared, or just designed for you. Thinking and writing go hand in hand. If no one ever reads what you write, the process of writing has clarified and strengthened your thinking.

Be present with your family or friends. This doesn't mean sitting in the same room watching television (or at least not only this!). Listen to them. Learn about their day. Show your caring through your actions. Use this time to get out of yourself and into the lives of others you care about.

Each of the suggestions above can be a lever to catapult us forward. Each will help you think clearer, plan better, learn more, create energy and generate greater focus. These are the reasons they are such highly leveraged activities!

You may be reading and saying, I wish I could do all of those things each day ? but that would be seven hours a day ? I wouldn't get anything else done! Drop that thought and focus. Let your intuition guide you to the one or two of these that you will do each day, or alternate days, that will have the greatest impact for you. Don't let the fact that you can't do them all keep you from doing the one or two that will be the greatest lever for you.

These are powerful levers to help you achieve greater joy satisfaction and results in your life. I wish you great success in applying them ? starting today.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (<a target="_new" href="http://KevinEikenberry.com">http://KevinEikenberry.com</a>), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp">http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp</a> to learn more and subscribe.