| Everyone watches the clock. Some watch it | | | | depends, in large part, on your personal working |
| waiting to see how long until break time, lunch | | | | rhythm. |
| time and the end of the shift. For them, time | | | | Know your interruptions. Everyone's got 'em, so |
| moves like molasses. Entrepreneurs, professionals | | | | accept that they occur and know how to handle |
| and the self-employed watch it and think, "How | | | | them. While a phone call might be an interruption |
| am I going to get this all done? Wasting time | | | | for you, it may be someone else's life blood. |
| means wasting money and lost income." For | | | | Technology has changed the way we work, so |
| them, time moves like lightening. | | | | use it. Turn your phone off and let calls go to |
| For entrepreneurs and professionals, good time | | | | voice mail during your critical blocks of working |
| management is critical. Time really is money. | | | | time. Granted, there will be exceptions, but make |
| Getting organized is the first step in the process; | | | | them be exceptions. Use caller I.D. to your |
| know what is important and what is not. Next, | | | | advantage. Know which calls you must take and |
| you need self discipline to get things done. When | | | | which can be returned during the "return calls" |
| you're self-employed, it may seem that there's no | | | | portion of your daily schedule. |
| boss watching over you dictating what has to be | | | | If you work from home, you've got another set |
| done and when. Actually, you're both the boss | | | | of challenges. Establish parameters with your |
| and the employee: you decide what has to be | | | | family regarding your working hours. Insist that |
| done and when... and then you do it. It takes | | | | they respect your time. Close the door to your |
| deciding what the really important stuff is, | | | | home office. Let them know a closed door means |
| prioritizing it, and a lot of self discipline. Those that | | | | "no interruptions." Open the door when you're in |
| lack it are the first to fail as entrepreneurs. | | | | the interruptible part of your schedule if you'd like. |
| When you're working for yourself, it's very easy | | | | Once you've established your daily routine, create |
| to get pulled in countless directions. You've got a | | | | weekly, monthly and quarterly priorities as well. |
| meeting, a project deadline, a ringing phone and a | | | | Write them down and then check them off when |
| personal commitment all converging at the same | | | | completed or reset the finish date. Again, use |
| time. Poor time management leads to stress, and | | | | technology to your advantage. Electronic calendars |
| stress leads to worry about getting it all done. | | | | and reminders are ideal. |
| Worrying leads right back to more poor time | | | | Clean house... literally. A cluttered work area leads |
| management. It's a nasty Catch-22. So how do | | | | to wasted time. While you may embrace the idea |
| you break the cycle? | | | | that a messy desk is the sign of a great mind, |
| The first step is to organize a personal routine | | | | you will waste time looking for things. Don't |
| and stick to it. The second half of that equation is | | | | believe it? Set your electronic timer the next time |
| the most important part, and it's the part that | | | | you're searching for something and see exactly |
| takes self discipline. Your routine should be just | | | | how much time you waste! |
| that: yours. Know your personal rhythms and build | | | | While you're getting rid of clutter, get rid of |
| your schedule around them. Schedule your most | | | | busywork. That doesn't mean don't do it. Much of |
| critical work during your optimum performance | | | | it is necessary; however, ask what your time is |
| times. If you're sharpest at 7:00 a.m., that's when | | | | really worth. Is busywork worth $200 an hour? |
| you should be working on your critical projects. If | | | | Of course not. Consider using a virtual assistant |
| you don't really get rolling until early afternoon, | | | | for phone reception, bookkeeping, database |
| schedule them then. | | | | management and your other administrative tasks. |
| Once you've established your optimum | | | | Correspondence is one of the quickest ways to |
| performance time, build your daily schedule around | | | | lose control of your time. Reply to emails during |
| it. Set blocks of time as your "working" time first. | | | | your allotted time, not when they hit your inbox. |
| Many performance experts suggest working in | | | | Turn off any e-mail notification sounds. Don't let |
| 25-minute segments followed by a five minute | | | | correspondence build up. Answer it or trash it, but |
| break. If you don't think you can stick to a strict | | | | don't let paper (or electronic messages) build up. |
| schedule on your own, there are downloadable | | | | Strive for a clean desk at the end of your day. |
| applications like FocusBooster© that can help. | | | | Delegate whenever possible. Use partners, |
| Typically, they have a timer that counts down | | | | colleagues, employees or capable outside sources |
| from 25 minutes, rings, and then counts down | | | | like virtual assistants. If you attempt to do it all, |
| from five minutes and rings again. Any electronic | | | | you will fail. It's that Catch-22 cycle between poor |
| timer, however, can be used to achieve the same | | | | time management and stress. |
| result. Don't allow any interruptions during your | | | | Meetings can be huge time wasters, but they |
| 25-minute blocks, and use your five-minute | | | | don't have to be. Be certain to have a formal |
| breaks to glance at email or check voice mail. | | | | agenda that spells out the purpose, time frame |
| Using a "white time" to just think and contemplate | | | | and attendee list. If you're invited to a meeting, |
| current circumstances is OK, too. | | | | ask for the agenda beforehand. |
| After you've established your "working" time, add | | | | Finally, watch out for perfection. Sometimes good |
| the daily necessities to other parts of your day. | | | | enough is, in fact, good enough. The time and |
| These include tasks like returning phone calls, | | | | effort you spend making it perfect may go |
| checking e-mail and voice mail, setting | | | | unnoticed... and unpaid. The same is true of your |
| appointments and handling correspondence. | | | | time management system. Don't worry about |
| Determine which ones need the least amount of | | | | making it elaborate. By doing so, you may end up |
| concentration and place those in the least | | | | wasting time trying to track how and when |
| optimum part of your day. That might be after | | | | you're wasting time! |
| lunch or at the very end of your day. Again, it | | | | Make it simple, stick to it and get it done. |