I am often asked to conduct workshops on the topic of “time management.” Go in any bookstore and you’ll see what a hot topic this is. It seems that people are seeking the 10 Easy Steps to Time Management. A recent search on Google yielded 716 million hits from “time management!” Many people perceive they do not enough time in a day to accomplish everything. How many times have you heard (or thought!) “I wish I had a 36 hour day!”

Recently, in preparation for another time management presentation, I started thinking about “investing” time versus “spending” time. An investment provides a return. Something spent is used-up, worn out, expended, or exhausted. When applied to time, I want to invest my time and not spend it. The return may not be immediate, but long-lasting and enduring. We only have the moment we are in and then it is gone forever; do I spend it or invest it? What is the return

I want? What are the benefits when I invest my time wisely as opposed to spending it or using it?

In order to invest time, I must realize I have choices to make. Do I really have a choice? What about all those things that have to be done? I have bills to pay, kids to raise, parents to take care of, etc! Challenge your thinking to consider what options do you have? What is preferable – at this time? There doesn’t ever seem to be a “perfect” time – just now. We make a multitude of choices in a day, seemingly unconscious decisions at times. Choosing not to decide is making an equally powerful choice. What would my life look like if I made choices throughout the day based on investing in what matters most to me?

What choices will you make today to invest your gift of time?

Jan Hinton is a coach, presenter, and humorist. For more information visit: http://stonesoupcoaching.com

From downsizing to outsourcing, time management continues to be an integral part of achieving success for today’s small business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and professionals. Whether the industry is education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, not-for-profit or professional services, individuals on a daily basis make critical decisions based upon their available or not so available time.

Let’s step away the issue of time management for a moment to ask the following question: Why do I need to manage time? In my experiences as a small business coach and business consultant, the responses that I have heard are many. Yet, I have never received the following answer: I need to manage time because of my written goals.

Consider, if you didn’t have goals from being to work, meeting with clients or attending day to day business commitments, why would anyone care about time less alone the desire to manage time? HINT: Time management is an oxymoron as no one can manage a constant.

Possibly because many individuals do not connect their time management to their written goals this may help to explain why effective and sustainable time management is so illusive. Many time management workshops focus on the standard learning objectives such as:

• Identify the 3 D’s (Do It, Delegate It, Dump It)
• Differentiate between Must Do and Should Do
• Understand urgent and important
• Create a “To Do List”
• Eliminate procrastination

Yet, very few

seminars or on-site training integrate time management into goal planning and goal achievement. The W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. (Written, Habit Forming, Yours, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically High and Time Driven) criteria for goal setting, clearly demonstrates the value of time because its position is last.

Now imagine your time management system fully connected into your written goals.

• Would you not experience more consistent success?
• Would you not have a better handle on time because you have a better handle on your own self?
• And, how would you feel seeing your successes grow?

To truly be a Time Management expert requires you to be a committed goal planner and goal achievement expert, because time management is the apex of goal setting.

Leanne helps individuals, small businesses and large organizations to double performance in real time. Click here to learn the Secret of Success and sign up for a free monthly newsletter. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601. If you truly don’t believe doubling your results is possible, read some case studies where individuals and businesses took the risk and experienced unheard of results.

One quick question: If you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results.

Time in the wild reminds me how much of what I ordinarily do is mere dithering, how much of what I own is mere encumbrance. The opposite of simplicity, as I understand it, is not complexity but clutter.

Scott Sander

Time Management – the very phrase brings panic to my heart! It sounds rigid, sterile, and full of lists, which I’ll probably lose!

It doesn’t have to be like that, though. Time management is all about loving the life you’re in. Sure there are lots of tricks and tips to using your time better, but it’s not about living 90 minutes worth of stuff in the space of an hour just for the sake of being busy.

Time is like water to the hungry man in the desert. It’s rare, precious, and needs to be used wisely. However, you don’t need a pocket calendar to make that happen!

The trick is to simply pay attention and live consciously. Here are some ideas using the standard “Who, What, Where, When, Why” model of questioning:

• who is important to you? – schedule together time in your calendar with these people

• What do you passionately love to do? Schedule time for this at least weekly and keep it like you’d keep any other appointment

• Where do you want to be emotionally, intellectually, physically, in the next 10 years. Decide what steps you need to take to get there, and schedule those steps into your calendar.

• When are you going to take time to care for yourself? Schedule that in your calendar

• Keep asking yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If it’s to please someone else, look good, or because you don’t have anything else to do, well, those aren’t the best reasons.

• How can you enlist the help of others to not only make this work for themselves, but to also help them to set this up for

their own lives?

Time management is all about spending most of your time doing things that bring value and meaning to your life, but today there is an insidious sense that “busy is good, not busy is bad”. Remove that from your life right now. What could be better than having lots of time to love the people you care about and pursue the dreams you hold deep in your heart?

Once you know what you need to be spending your time doing in order to be happy and fulfilled, and serving those you love, you add “time management skills” to the equation to free up time from the busy-ness stuff to do them. For moms, that might be things like preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner before 10 am and using crock-pots and timed ovens so that dinner is ready and the kitchen is cleaned up when you get home in the evening. Or it might mean reducing activities in your week and spending time together as a family, or it might mean getting up half an hour earlier for some quiet meditation alone each morning so that you’re more centred. Maybe time management means going for a 20 stroll everyday just to breathe and connect to the world around you.

So, start with priorities, and then add the time management tricks around them to free up most of your day for living – not existing.

And remember to have fun!

Darlene is an ordinary imperfect mom and sees her mission as helping moms take better care of themselves so that they can better look after their families. She is married to Tom and has two children – Simon (12) and Christina (10.5) whom she home schools. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.mom-defrazzler.com and even download a free “Mom-Defrazzler” while you’re there.

So What Then Is The Opposite Of Procrastination?

Urgency is the opposite of procrastination. When we have a sense of urgency to get things done, we do them. Something inside motivates us to carry through. One of the most valuable habits you can develop in life is a sense of urgency, an inner drive to get on with it, to get the job done now.

Procrastination Awareness

• Recognize self-defeating patterns such as fear and anxiety, difficulty concentrating, poor time management, indecisiveness and perfection.
• Identify your goals, strengths and weaknesses, values and priorities.
• Compare your actions with your values. Are they consistent with each other?
• Discipline yourself to use time wisely. Set priorities.
• Motivate yourself: Dwell on success, not on failure. Break large assignments or projects into small, manageable tasks.
• Set realistic goals
• Modify your environment: Eliminate or minimize noise/distractions.
• Ensure you have adequate lighting and all the necessary equipment at hand to simplify and organize your workplace so everything’s within reach.
• Hire a coach to help move you through the blocks to motivation and that sense of urgency.

5 Ways to Be Aware of Procrastination

1. Create a detailed plan of action Begin by creating a clear, written plan with each part of the plan and each step organized in order of priority. Put an “A,” “B,” or “C” next to each step. Determine the most important thing you can do to get started and put a circle around that item. A written plan will lead to action.

2. Clean up your workspace Begin with only one thing, the most important thing in front of you. A clean workspace is a real motivator for action. A good time planner can be very helpful in this regard because it keeps you focused on the next task.

3. Separate the urgent from the important Remind yourself that important tasks are usually not urgent. An urgent task is usually not important. Start off working on the tasks that are both urgent and important. Ensure you don’t leave anything until the last moment.

4. Start with your most important task People tend to procrastinate on large, important tasks with considerable future value. Successful completion of these major tasks can make a major difference into your life, so plan for them in ways

   that are manageable for you.

5. Practice creative procrastination This requires that you consciously procrastinate on those tasks that contribute little or nothing to the accomplishments of your major, high-value goals. The difference between effective and ineffective people is that effective people only procrastinate on the things that don’t really matter.

Action Exercise

1. Select one major task where procrastination is holding you back.

2. Create a detailed list of every single thing you will have to do to complete that task….think on paper.

3. Identify the single most important item on your list and gather everything you will need to start and complete that one item.

4. Set a specific time when you will start and work single-mindedly on that task until it is finished.

5. Break your largest tasks and goals down into bite-size chunks, and concentrate on starting and completing one part of the job at a time.

6. Accept 100 percent responsibility for starting and finishing your major task; refuse to make excuses or rationalize pitting it off.

7. Visualize working with a sense of urgency; program your mind by repeating the words “Do it now!” over and over.

Reprinting These ArticlesYou are welcome to use one of these articles. Just be sure and include the “author’s box” below:

Cheryl Vallejos

Prime Leaders Community

www.PrimeLeaders.com

Where good managers become great leaders!

President and CEO of Endorse Success, LLC and Prime Leaders Community, Cheryl Vallejos has more than 22 years of experience in organizational business management. Her passion is helping small businesses create big profits. Cheryl’s business and personal clients include those wanting career advancement, people starting or expanding their businesses, and those needing guidance and support in setting, meeting, and exceeding their business and personal goals.

A dynamic and impressive leading-edge coach and consultant, Cheryl has combined extensive business management experience with her highly regarded talent as a certified coach to helping entrepreneurs and businesses improve productivity, cut costs by over 25% and find that elusive extra time in the day for family and friends.

Cheryl recently launched Prime Leaders Community, an excellent business resource that provides networking, leadership coaching and training, tele-seminars and much more. She has successfully started, owned and operated 3 businesses, and is the author of four books: Injecting The Juice Into Leadership

Time and money are both very important in business. Yet, like me, many business people tend to give a lot more specific thought as to how to spend their money. Too often, how we spend our time is only thought of in terms of “What am I going to do today?” or “What should I do next?”

There are only 24 hours in your day, just the same as everybody else’s and you need to know how to use those 24 hours to your advantage.There are so many simple ways to save time during our busy day that they are easily overlooked. Sometimes we just overlook the obvious. But being prepared with lists, notes, ongoing files, and systems will help you screen out those unwanted distractions and focus on the important matters at hand. So let’s get down to business!

Here are some tips to manage your time:

First and foremost, Set priorities. Determine what is most important. Everything’s not an earth-shattering emergency! Someone else’s perception of a priority does not mean it is so to you. Discern what needs your attention immediately, what can be delegated, and what can be addressed later. Remember, prioritizing is the key to mastering the use of time.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.

1. Plan your day the night before. List and prioritize the top five objectives you desire to accomplish when you get to the office. Start with the number one item on your list and stay with it until it is complete. Try to do the most difficult tasks first.

2. Get to the office early. You will never be successful in the sales profession if you get into the habit of coming to work at the “crack of noon.”

3. Use a diary or digital organizer. With so much to organise in your busy life you need to record your appointments, things to do and goals somewhere. Preferably in a paper diary or digital organiser that you can take everywhere. This is the most effective way to get things done, plan your work and your life.

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. Clean out the Clutter. You will save yourself heaps of time, energy and money if you clear out your work and home environment…paperwork, books, old equipment etc. You’ll be able to find things, save money because you won’t have to buy what you already have hidden somewhere, plus you’ll be less stressed.

6. Use the Right Tools. It’s no good having the latest whiz-bang computer when the desk that you sit at is too small to accommodate it, or the chair has poor back support, or the lighting is dull causing you eyestrain and fatigue. All these factors heavily influence how you work. Invest or ask for a decent desk, purchase a desk lamp or request the light globes be changed. Don’t avoid the warning signs your body gives you. Take action now before you have eye, back or neck problems.

7. Resolve to do today what you wanted to do tomorrow. Make a catch-up list of tasks you have avoided or put on the “back-burner” and rank them from the most important to the least important. Resolve to do at least one task from this list each day.

8. Do your most difficult work when you are in your peak performance state. If you’re an early morning person, do that extra-effort-needed project first thing in the morning. If late evening hours are more your speed, save that high-energy project for that time.

9. Place your phone on voicemail mode at strategic times of the day.Voicemail is wonderful for those times when you’re either feeling sluggish, want some quiet time, or just want to get a project

done. You can access your messages later and return calls on a priority basis.

10. Learn to say NO once your priorities are set. Avoid interruptions. Set aside a period of the day as “off-limits” during which time you will not be interrupted. Use this time to work on your “A” or top priorities, or even as a designated time to handle your mail or return calls. One way to avoid interruption is to make it clear that when your door is closed you are not to be disturbed. Other way is to Let others in your home/office know when you don’t want to be disturbed.

Constant interruptions are annoying and distracting; they are also time-zappers. Letting people know when it’s ok to interrupt and when it’s not is crucial to time management.

11. Schedule your phone calls around your peak performance levels. You want to give your customers/clients your very best attention and this requires energy and enthusiasm.

12. Avoid Unnecessary Meetings. Before agreeing to attend a meeting, check if you really need to be there. Maybe a phone call or email will be just as effective.

13. When you need a swift response, send an Email or make a phone call whenever possible to avoid time delays in receiving an answer.

14. Do What You Do Best and Delegate the Rest. At work see if there are ways you can delegate tasks which would suit someone else’s talents. Many office and home based workers are spending heaps of time on mundane secretarial tasks which would take a person who is trained in that area a quarter of the time to undertake. Assign tasks to another or others to give you more time to handle the tasks which only you can do. Effectively multiplying your time is the ultimate time management technique. Remember, everything that needs to be done does not have to be done by you. Delegating to another person can save you a lot of time in mundane tasking. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Avoid the temptation of doing administrative duties and paperwork. Salespeople historically tend to hide behind their paperwork. Focus your efforts on the things that you are licensed or hired to do and consider employing someone else to handle your paperwork. If you have any doubt, ask yourself “What is the best use of my time right now?”

15. Instead of a to-do list, create a goal for the day. Throw out the to-do list that never gets done, causes you stress and frustration, and makes you feel like a failure. Instead, set yourself a single goal for the day.

16. Schedule free time. Find at least one day each week during which you do no work or business at all. You will get a better perspective on your work after you have time away from it.

17. Look After Yourself First. Exercise regularly, eat healthily and be around positive people. Feed your mind by attending personal development courses. Read self-help and motivational books, listen to tapes. Do the right thing by yourself and you’ll have heaps of energy, be motivated which in turn will help you be more productive.

Time management really can be easy. A fact! You are in control of your time. If you take away one time management tip, remember that good time management is about knowing what’s most important and doing that the most. 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.

By following these simple yet very effective ideas you will have more control over your work and your life, experience less stress and be more proactive. All of these factors affect your general well-being, confidence and results.

Yes, these strategies are simple and you probably already knew what you need to do, you just haven’t done it yet.Isn’t it time you took action?

Guy Mendelson

guyef@walla.com

http://www.great-money.net

http://www.business-oppurtunity.com

Free e-course, send blank email to networkingcourse@FreeAutobot.com

Recently I was working with a new client who had invested hundreds of dollars for a records management organisation to set up a filing system for his business.

The system looked impressive. The only problem was it didn’t work! It had been set up in a very complicated manner. The headings were so detailed that a master sheet with a myriad of categories had to be referred to before information could be filed or retrieved.

The system was far too complex for their specific needs.

Have you ever had that experience where a filing system had been set up for you and/or your department/business and you couldn’t find or file paperwork easily? How much time have you wasted looking for information? Time management is about managing your time. Spending precious time looking for paperwork is a great way to use up even more of your time.

Did you know that The Wall Street Journal once reported in a survey they had done that the average white collar worker spends 6 weeks a year looking for paperwork? If you’re serious about your time management, then having a filing system where you can easily file and find your work is very important.

How Do You Know You Need a New Filing System?

When it takes you longer than a couple of minutes to find something.

When you run out of floor space because there are too many piles of paperwork on the floor.

When colleagues or clients ask you for information and you frequently say, ” Can I get back to you later because I’ll have to find it!”

When you catch yourself saying several times a day “I know it’s here. somewhere”.

When

the piles of paper on your desk are taller than you are.

Filing Basics

Clean out all old or irrelevant information.

Write down what types of information you need to keep.

Categories which may emerge include:

• Advertising

• Bank

• Budget

• Clients

• Equipment

• Insurance

• Resources

• Staff

• Suppliers

• Training

If required, sub-categories can be made:

• Advertising

  • Radio

  • TV

• Bank

  • Commonwealth

  • Westpac

• Budget

  • 2001/2002

  • 2002/2003

• Clients

  • A separate file for each client

• Equipment

  • Computers

  • Faxes

• Insurance

  • Building/Contents

  • Vehicles

• Resources

  • Newsletters

  • Trade Journals

• Staff

  • A separate file for each person

  • Resumes

• Suppliers

  • A separate file for each supplier

• Training

  • General

  • Files for specific areas ie. Time Management, Work/Life Balance

Depending on your situation a whole drawer/s of a filing cabinet may be required to house some of these categories ie. Clients, Suppliers, Staff.

The Final Word

When you can file your paperwork quickly and retrieve it easily, you know you’ve got a system that works well for you.

As part of your time management, being confident in having systems that are effective and take little time to use, will make your life so much easier.

It’s always the little things that make such a huge difference.

More details regarding the setting up of a successful filing system are available in my manual “How to Gain An Extra Hour in Your Day” and Get Organised-Get a LIFE! Book. (See http://www.office-organiser.com.au)

About The Author

Lorraine Pirihi is Australia’s Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including “How to Survive and Thrive at Work!”

To subscribe to her free ezine visit http://www.office-organiser.com.au

This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it’s entirety, including the author’s bio and all links. For further information please contact Lorraine Pirihi: lorraine@office-organiser.com.au

Sounds too good to be true?

It really isn’t!

In fact, studies show that after a certain amount of hours at work each week, the average worker hits diminishing returns for their labor.

Here are a couple of reasons this is true.

Family drain.

Does your spouse or family complain that you work too much? This puts strain on you when you’re at work and limits your effectiveness. Cutting out five or more hours a week and spending it with your family will make them happier and that will make you happier too, enabling you to enjoy your work more and get more done.

A healthy home life helps ensure a happy work life.

Mental fatigue.

Remember the old saying, “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy”?

After a certain amount of

time at work, your brain goes on auto-pilot and begins to work ineffectively. Taking some more time to relax and recreate will put you at a higher level of performance when you do go to the office.

Get some exercise, take up a hobby, but take some more time off. It will help your work become more effective!

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 http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was enlivened by two young girls and their mothers who hopped on. The girls, 7 years old or so, immediately danced over to the upright pole in the middle of the aisle and started twirling around it. After several minutes of this, giggling and talking and having a marvelous time chasing each other (paying no attention whatsoever to anyone else in the car), they settled into a rhythm directly across from each other. Still twirling, but more slowly, one said to the other … “everything’s blurry except for you” … and the other immediately chanted it back. Back and forth. Their delight in each other’s company was glowing in their conversation and lack of interest in anyone else on the train. They truly focused on each other, and discovered that everything else gets blurry! What a delightful example of focusing on someone when you’re with them, and giving them 100% of your attention … fully being there with them.

How easily do you focus on things? Are you able to tune out distractions, or do you find yourself readily sidetracked by things around you? As I pen this article, started during a break at the office where I work a couple days a week, there is a personification of “distraction” at work behind me … let’s call him Tom. Tom is a very vocal character who wanders into my shared office many times per day with comments, inane questions, and “lets toss a few” requests for my co-workers. I’ve learned to tune him out if I’m busy, and only stop to re-direct the nerf football when it lands on my desk. Hence the subject … how effectively do you focus on what’s in front of you? Something you’d like to do more, or less, of? Let’s take a look!

It seems we prize the ability to focus the minute a child is born … delighting in their ability to track an object, make eye contact, or spend 20 minutes discovering their own toes. What we focus on shows our attention, and often our respect as well. Do you focus 100% on someone when you talk to them, or are you planning tomorrow’s breakfast, braiding your daughter’s hair, checking your e-mail, and hunting for a pen that works all while trying to have a conversation? Sound familiar? I read recently that multitasking isn’t really doing several things at once, it’s just shifting rapidly between tasks. I’m afraid I’m very familiar with that one, having an overly-developed multi-tasking approach to life …

which works well in many arenas, but isn’t always the most pleasant or effective. Half an hour of time, free from distractions, focused on one task, produces more than 2 hours of running in circles.

How about some tips or reminders for how to find, and keep, that focus when it really counts?

1. CHOOSE your focus. Don’t let it choose you, be proactive and conscious about how you’re spending your time. Choose only one thing at a time, and do it well and with your whole being.

2. Speaking of TIME, set a limit and stick to it! I focused on a computer screen for 7 hours yesterday, working on my husband’s website, and was rewarded with a splitting headache and rumbling stomach along with the snazzier site. Not a healthy focus at all!

3. MINIMIZE distractions! If you’re blessed with the ability to tune out everything and everyone around you, at will, you may find this one irrelevant, but the rest of us take note. You need silence to write or create or work well? Find something to block the surrounding sounds … close your door, put up a “do not disturb” sign, silence your phone, or use a fan or walkman or other source of “white noise”. I was on a long overnight bus trip last week (fulfilling one of my 10 goals for this year!) when my seatmate decided to flirt with the man across the aisle all night. I have a very poor ability to filter out words of any kind, and found myself unable to fall asleep … wishing heartily that I’d taken the time to pack my Walkman and some music!

4. Take BREAKS! Remember recess? That longed-for chance to escape the classroom and run around for 15 minutes? There are good reasons behind the practice … breaks have been proven to increase productivity and ability to focus. I find it much easier to focus on what’s in front of me if I clear my mind or “change the channel” for a few minutes.

Those may all seem ridiculously simple ideas, but whether you find it hard to keep focused or hard to shift away from it, they can help you find healthier ways to approach your day.

Bethany Rule is an experienced personal and professional life coach, championing human development, encouraging change, and helping you break your own rules. Based in NYC, she works with clients all over the world. Please visit http://www.bethanyrule.com to sign up for your FREE Trial Session, FREE monthly newsletter, or to learn more about coaching with Bethany.

The most powerful resource that we have is time. Everything we do is time-dependent and changes forever with the passage of time. Even though we may think that we are repeating things in fact there is no such thing as a repeatable cycle in the pure sense of the word as time is only ever going forward and cannot be slowed, stopped or reversed.

Time can not be changed itself but it does possess the supreme power to effectuate anything it touches. Conside for a moment that Man is initially driven by basic needs like hunger, shelter, love and security but as these are slowly fulfilled, he begins to desire more and more things like cars, houses, recognition, financial security for the future, etc. The future times for which he is so busily preparing, however, will come to pass quickly even whilst he is in the process of gathering things he believes to be important in this life. In other words, what we do in our allocated time is vital to a rich and fulfilling life.

We are all employees of “Eternal Time Limited” being clocked in on our individual shifts.

Time can change our moods, aspirations and how we look at ourselves and Life itself. We evolve our thoughts to a degree and then as time passes we degenerate into a state of fear, apprehension and not being so sure about that which we were previously positive about.

So how do we control Time and become masters of it? How do we use it for our advantage, even though we know that it is measured by others around us to categorise us in terms of how efficient we are in dealing with life’s affairs. Our successes and failures are measured in terms of what we have achieved in a given time.

There is an ever-increasing pressure for us to achieve more in less time. However, most of us procrastinate every day of our lives. We let the precious time roll on by without doing anything that will lead us to an improved state. We need direction, goals, aims and objectives to achieve more in less time. We can manage our time better if we have the desire to achieve smaller goals.

Frustration grows when things around us either go faster

than what we would like them to or slower than our internal clocks allow. We find ourselves constantly adjusting to the speed of our environment, matching it as closely as possible so we can synchronize our collective aims and objectives.

One technique that works well is to impose a time limit on any task. If you mentally restrict the amount of time allocated for achieving a mini goal, and actively fight the urge to perfect the task then achievement of the overall goal becomes easier. We spend far more time in perfecting and completing tasks then we do in starting them and keeping them going towards completion. We hang on for the ultimate perfect result for self-satisfaction and admiration of others whereas we could in fact complete a whole series of mini tasks quite quickly and without stopping if we consciously enact this secret of major successes.

Another powerful way to achieve more in less is to automate your processes wherever possible. Use your computer for focussing on specific tasks. If you are a business owner, you can actually create pockets of Creative Time by removing yourself from a significant part of your business through automation of business processes. We have achieved a great deal of success at my company InfiNET Point Ltd http://www.infinetpoint.co.uk by automating many time-consuming processes.

However, you do not need to be a computer whiz-kid to achieve Automation. Automation can be a manual process that is carried out by others on your behalf. You only need to define the process once and keep on refining it until it is perfected. It should ultimately work without your physical presence.

Awareness of the passage of time is crucial because although it is good to have an end to journey toward, it is the journey that matters in the end!

Having to achieve more in less time is something that I have had to do in almost all areas of my own life and I attribute my entire success to taking action in limited time. In business we have developed various time-saving automation products including a marketing product called CMS Desktop, http://www.cmsdesktop.co.uk, geared for automation of Email Marketing and Customer Contact.

If you want to discuss Automation in any area of your business please contact moz@infinetpoint.co.uk.

If you work from home, you know the kind of day I mean. You made the calls. You revised those drafts. You sent out the emails. Where is everybody!? As much as you used to relish a slow day when you were corporate, it’s a little different when you’re playing boss to yourself. Your mind gets to wandering. Should I head out to the park? Should I hit the mall? Should I… file for unemployment?

For a freelance writer, designer or web marketer who works from home, a day without contact from the outside world can bring on anything from sluggishness and inertia to a panic attack. Such fun games the mind will play when the two of you are left alone for long periods of time! But here’s a little secret about slow days. They’re the perfect opportunity to catch up on everything that went out of your head the minute the phone stopped ringing.

How do you remember what it is you were supposed to be doing before it became unimportant? Think back to the last time you were swamped! Chances are, your mind was in overdrive, firing off ideas about how you could be improving your business. Were you mulling over a couple of articles? Pipedreaming a new web marketing strategy with an online buddy? Wishing you had remembered to meta-tag every page of your website?

A slow day is your big chance to get cracking on those little plans that will lead to big business for your company. Do you make lists of things that never get accomplished? Today’s the day you’ll be filling that goal notebook with checkmarks! Here are some tips on how to make headway on a slow day.

1. Learn a new program. Remember last month when you bought “HTML for Dummies” and then tossed it into your closet? Now’s the time to drag that book out of hiding. Remember that free software you installed along with your scanner? Take the tutorial. A day that’s free of interruption is the perfect day to pick up a few new technical pointers. Mastering some new programs can save you a huge headache when push comes to shove and you’re struggling with that last-minute project.

2. Organize your workspace. Isn’t it about time you stopped using the floor as your file cabinet? And STOP depending on your email for phone numbers; you’ll be sorry the day the server goes down and you can’t get in touch with your biggest client! Invest in some hanging file folders and a Rolodex–so you’ll have easy access to contact information, project notes, contracts and such. Stock up on printer cartridges and paper so you don’t run out in the middle of an important project. Hang a wall calendar and start using it. There are so many small things you can do to get organized and increase your productivity!

3. Write an article. Experiencing freelancer frustration with nowhere to vent? Had a recent eye-opener while doing work for a client? Being an independent contractor means something new every day. Whether it’s a challenge, a victory or a pitfall, everything you come away with is a valuable lesson to be learned. Why not share your knowledge with the world? There are thousands of websites looking for content. Many give you a byline, and some will even pay you! What a great

way to make the most of your experiences… and get your name out there in print.

4. Do some research. Ever have a conversation with a colleague, and “not really know what they’re talking about?” Say they mention ‘viral marketing’- well, you’ve heard the term, sure, but what does it mean, really? “AdSense articles… what is that?” you wonder. Down time is the perfect time to get informed and updated! Do a Google search on all those mysterious buzzwords you’ve been hearing. Go through your old emails and catch up on reading. Surf around; bookmark some good sites. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you learn in just a few hours!

5. Join a Network. Web networking’s the way to go… use your “free day” to make some new contacts and maybe even a few friends. Participate in a forum discussion where you can share your knowledge as well as learn from others! If you’re already part of a network, take this time to reconnect with people who might become future clients or business associates. When you least expect it, they’ll come out of hiding with an exciting work proposition… maybe even on your next “slow day!”

6. Update your website. There is nothing more unprofessional than a website that’s only half-built, or not up-to-date. Still have Christmas imagery bedecking your homepage in March? Get rid of it! Thought about raising your hourly rate but never got around to doing it? Now’s the time! Whether it’s adding portfolio samples, improving the general design, adding legalese or putting together a Testimonials page from satisfied clients, chances are there’s something that can be done to improve your website and increase your credibility!

7. Buy a present for your business. Got a stash of cash in your PayPal account? Invest a little of it in the future of your business. Join a freelance website with a good reputation. Take a 2-day course in something you’ve always wanted to know more about. Gifts that will broaden your professional horizons and ultimately increase sales are money well spent!

8. Learn how to become a Website Affiliate. Build business relationships, get exposure, share information and get paid for it! Affiliate Programs are usually free to join, and with a few clicks of the mouse, you can supplement your income simply by driving traffic to other people’s websites. How’s that for easy cash?

9. Create a Company Newsletter. If you don’t already have one, downtime is your chance to build a contact list and put together a company newsletter. With a little investigation you’ll discover that many websites offer free trial periods where you can learn to use their contact base and newsletter-template software. And there are tons of sites on the web that offer free articles that you can print in your publication. Maybe you can even make use of those articles you wrote the last time nothing was going on!

Now, what are you waiting for? You’ve only got half-a-slow-day left to get going on these projects. Happy Freelancing!

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. Use with permission.

Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years’ industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys”R”Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.