Posted inLife!
Time Management Tips
Posted by
20
20
Post navigation
Previous Post
Success Simplified Course ReviewNext Post
Save Time By Getting Organized 
Hi Joy,
One Owl to another…
I never stop reading about how we need to work early a.m. in order to squeeze out our best work.
I’ve even read about people who start at 5 a.m…. I can’t imagine lol
Anyway, whether we do our work early morn or into the wee hours, we need to be organized.
It really does begin with prioritizing things. As simple as it may sound, so many people really have NO idea what’s more important than something else.
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve coached who tell me that creating their first ebook is their “priority” while they’ve spend maybe 2 hours on the task over the last 3 months. Meanwhile they spend 2 hours every day on Facebook getting absolutely nothing for their effort except more procrastination.
I look forward to your next part in this series.
-Donna
Hi Donna,
I feel so much better knowing that you’re an “Owl” too!, because I know how hard-working you are. However “righteous” it might make me feel, 5am would just not be productive for me!
Funnily enough, on Sunday I woke up 2 hrs earlier than my normal getting up time and – try as I might – I could not get back to sleep. Most unusual. So I did something that may seem silly…. I got up and did something completely unimportant to my business. (Unravelling and re-doing a silly mistake on a sweater I’m knitting for my grand-daughter.) And I felt so pleased with myself 🙂
I agree. Procrastinating by “working” on Facebook is dangerous, but an easy trap to fall into. I’ve been very busy this last week and have hardly touched Facebook. I don’t think my business is any the worse for it!
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Hi Joy,
Time is precious and we must not waste it and I thnk you have not wasted your time by writing this post.
Thanks for great share.
Hi Robin,
Yes, time if the one thing we can never replace. Money can be earned again, but time wasted is gone for ever.
Joy – Blogging After Dark
If we live fully in the moment, no time is wasted.
Very true, Paula 🙂
Hi Joy,
If you could have seen my facial expression when I began reading your post. I think it was contorted because all I could think was RUSH, RUSH, RUSH! HURRY, HURRY, HURRY! BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! Ugh…toxic schedules.
The remix is, I have become very protective with my time (to the dismay of many).
Hi Rachel,
Oh dear – sorry to have given you such a negative experience on my blog 🙂
Well, yes – that IS how life is for me, and for many others I know.
I’m not really defending it, because I’d love to be more relaxed. Hmmm – I wrote that at the start of my reply, because I felt I SHOULD say that. But, as I finished off my comment, I don’t see me ever choosing to be relaxed.
The hard truth of my situation is that – for one example – in my offline business deadlines are imposed on me by my clients, and if I don’t meet their deadlines, they may just decide to replace me with someone who will. (As one client has just done with another supplier who didn’t deliver the goods on time.)
In their defense, they are passing on to me pressures that are imposed on them, by their customers / suppliers, and they pay me very well to smooth the cracks along the way.
Sure, money isn’t everything, but I do like my comforts.
I’m adding in some “me-time” and volunteering, but funnily enough I almost feel as stressed trying to schedule those activities in as I do the work.
No hope for me I’m afraid. I’m from a family of workaholics, and I always say that the happiest times of my life were when we were all working together for the family business. We often worked 15hrs a day, 7 days a week, but we still talk about it with happy nostalgia.
My Dad is 94 in a few days time and he has never been more miserable (and unwell) than since he STOPPED his rush, rush, hurry, and being busy like we were in the business.
I suspect I will be the same:-)
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Hi Joy,
Time management is one of my favorite subjects.
I have so many ideas and so many strategies – and they all work! The problem for me is consistency. I get sidetracked easily and need to reign myself in from time to time.
The good thing is that I am aware of it and can usually course correct.
I also allow myself some unstructured time to wander online or talk on the phone (old fashioned, I know) or do whatever. Knowing that I have a block of free time, helps me stay on track at other times.
An age old challenge is still challenging.
Hi Neena,
That’s a great tip about allowing yourself a block of free time to wander online. I do like that and can see how it would help me, because I go off at tangents very easily and I know I have to curb that instinct.
Like you, I prefer talking on the phone to many of the more modern methods – and why not? No need to throw the baby out with the bath-water.
Thanks for taking time to visit me again,
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Hi Joy, wow some great tips here for sure and boy time is such a valuable thing isn’t it? Something we can’t see, feel or touch, yet no amount of money can buy more of.
24 hours in a day might sound like a lot, but unfortunately for me I still feel it’s not enough lol.
I used to be a night owl, working until the small hours of the morning, but when my kids started school about a year ago, I slowly started to shift to daytime work. Now they’re at school for 4 days a week (little celebration dance) I have 24 hours in a week to work on my business, and you’d be surprised at how much I can get done in that time, especially when I know that’s all the time I have. The rest of the time its full throttle family chaos time.
I do struggle with the cutting point though. Even when I shut down my computer and leave my home office and head into the living room and kitchen area, I’m still thinking about work. When I’m playing with my kids and getting out and about, I’m still thinking about ideas and things I could do to improve my business.
Eventually though I do stop thinking about it and enjoy life.
OK sorry for waffling on, really enjoyed your post. Have a great weekend ahead 🙂 – Fabrizio
Hi Fabrizio,
Ah – certainly when my sons were small they (quite rightly) cut into the work-time available and that shortage helped me focus. Of course now I wish I saw more of them, but they have their own businesses and busy schedules.
It’s good that you can have creative thoughts about your business while doing other activities – just make sure you have a note-pad and pen (or something) to make a note for follow-up later!
Like you I find it hard to “shut down” my mind. I heard a tip on the radio once that you should visualize each topic like an icon on your desktop and shut them down individually – after having noted them as mentioned above.
Glad to see you back on my blog. You may notice I finally started using some of the features of Thrive 🙂
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Hi Joy,
Your ability to work into the wee hours is one I’m a little envious of. I do do it from time to time but suffer the next morning.
Your tips for prioritising are great. I’ve come across them before and they’re really useful – and work, too.
It all comes down to knowing from the start what it is you want out of having a blog (and if you’re on track to get it). For example, what end result do you want?
This gives you focus and clarity on what you need to do (and what you don’t need to do). When you know what you want to do, you get a much clearer idea of what tasks you need to do. Any tasks that don’t get you nearer your desired end result can be eliminated.
It also gives you insights into how to move forward for best results.
This has been a great help in managing my time, especially where my success online is concerned.
– Tom
Hello Joy,
There must be some time management tips. But, I am like you, I do work after the dark mostly because I love the silence. I am more concentrated on my work, and I just keep working untill they are done. But, somehow I think that it affects health, and thus, there must be some time managment tips that may decide when to work, when to take rest, and when to sleep.
I loved your tips and ideas. Thanks for the awesome post.
Enjoy the weekend ahead!
Hi Ratish,
Glad to hear I’m not the only one who feels this way – although being 3am I think I have to call it a night now:-)
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Hello Joy,
When it comes to setting priorities, this is how i classify things:
– Important but not Urgent
– Urgent but not Important
– Important and Urgent
– Unimportant and not Urgent
I prefer to focus more on the ‘Important but not Urgent’ Why? Urgent things usually put a lot of pressure on me, and probably all of us. But when we do the important things while they are not yet urgent, it will mean less pressure.
If we can learn not to leave important things till they become urgent, we’ll increase our productivity level.
Time is indeed all we have, and its best to make the best use of it.
Have a lovely weekend Joy
Hi Joy,
Time management? I avoid that subject like I avoid ‘women of a certain age’ who appear in public, shod in knee high white boots. . . for some unfathomable reason, (probably prompted by my reptilian brain) they both scare the common sense outta me.
On the other hand, I can testify that your tip of mapping out your weekly goals does work – if you work it. Good post and a great ‘reply’ to Rachel. Edward
Hi Edward,
No knee high white boots on this blog 🙂 And I’ll try to keep the time management to a minimum, although my pre-holiday “forward planning” means there are still a few to come, even now I’m back from holiday and just trying to catch up on lost time.
Weekly goal-setting can work for me too – unless I am reliant on someone else for input first!
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Hello,
Thank you for sharing these important time management tips. Being focused is important and specially if you are a blogger or a writer who works from home, it gets really tough to focus and do the work.
Over the years I have been learning different tips, and it is helping me stay focus.
Thank you.
Hi Imran,
I’m glad you found the time management tips helpful in maintaining your focus. Most people struggle like that.
Joy – Blogging After Dark