| Time. Tick, tick, ticking away. This moment ... | | | | just that: |
| gone. Never to return, never to be experienced | | | | 2. Manage Your Phone. Set specific times to either |
| again. The next moment ... coming up and soon to | | | | take calls or to return them. If you have voice |
| pass by. | | | | mail ... use it! And let people know when you'll be |
| When you take a few moments to contemplate | | | | calling back. If you have an assistant, have him or |
| the moments, you suddenly realize that there | | | | her schedule your return phone calls with the |
| really isn't any way to get them back. We can | | | | caller. You'd be surprised how well this works and |
| renew energy, paper, plastic, glass, even money! | | | | how little we really need to be "instantly available." |
| But not time. Which begs the question: How are | | | | 3. Get A "Virtual Assistant." What's a virtual |
| you spending the one thing you can't get any | | | | assistant (VA)? An assistant that you use on |
| more of? | | | | demand and only have to pay for the actual |
| There are myriad "systems" to help you organize | | | | hours worked. A VA can do just about anything |
| your time. Day planners, day runners, Outlook, | | | | that an in-person assistant can do, but you don't |
| Act, Goldmine, Teatime, online calendars, off-line | | | | have to pay wages or worry about employment |
| calendars, PDA calendars, clocks, alarms, | | | | issues. Here's a link for you to get a free report |
| GPS-PDA-NFL-miracle watches! Regardless of | | | | on all of the really cool ways that you can get a |
| which one(s) you use, I'll bet you $100 that you | | | | VA to work for you: Team Double-Click, Inc. - |
| are spending WAY too much time on "low | | | | 41-Page Free Report - 101 Ways to Work With a |
| value-low return" activities. | | | | Virtual Assistant |
| What do I mean by that? Well, let's do a little | | | | Close The Door To Your Office. And leave it |
| exercise first. Let's find out how much your time | | | | closed for long periods of time so that you can |
| is worth. Now you may have done this calculation, | | | | work on an uninterrupted basis. If people knock, |
| but you haven't done it my way. | | | | don't answer. If they come in, stare at them and |
| First, the "now." Take your annual earnings and | | | | say that you're busy. Just like the phone, schedule |
| divide them by 52 to get your weekly earnings. | | | | times for people to speak with you and ask them |
| Don't divide by 40 or however many hours you | | | | to bring up all of their issues then. |
| think you work per week. Think about how many | | | | 4. Respond to Emails Once Per Day. Nowhere is it |
| hours per day you actually work. Is it 5 hours? 4 | | | | written that you have to respond to emails |
| hours? Think about it and use an honest number | | | | immediately. Let them accumulate until you can |
| for your daily activity. Multiply by 5 and divide that | | | | close your door, turn off you phone, and have |
| into your weekly number. That's what your | | | | your VA go through all of the junk. THEN respond |
| current time is worth. Now do this: Do the same | | | | to ones that really need attention. |
| calculation with the income that you want to be | | | | 5. Turn Off The Cell Phone. OK, this is really a |
| making. Now you have two numbers and a | | | | blend of #1 and #4. If you don't manage your |
| difference between them. How are you going to | | | | time, then other people will! Again, call back when |
| get from "now" to "where you want to be?" | | | | you have time, can focus on the call, and have all |
| One way is to increase the number of effective | | | | of the resources you need for that call at hand. |
| hours that you work. To get more of those, you | | | | I hope that you find these useful. Since I've been |
| need to offload those tasks that can be done by | | | | using them my productivity has increased |
| someone at a lower cost per hour than your time | | | | dramatically. Try them for a week and let me |
| is worth! Here are some quick strategies for doing | | | | know how it goes for you! |