Time Management IV

Time. Its boundaries are not elastic. It has no pause button, no speed setting, and you can’t reboot when it seems to go haywire.

As we’ve seen, there’s no way to actually manage time. However, in our last three posts, we’ve looked at some practical ways by which we can make the most of its inexorable flow. Today, we’ll look at three more tools.

Beat it at its own game. Time is limited, so set limits for your tasks. There will be certain constants in your day, such as reading/answering emails or returning phone messages. Though you have to do them every day, that doesn’t mean you have to do them all day. Set a reasonable time limit for each activity and stick to it faithfully.

Organize your systems. How much time do you spend looking for files, whether electronic or physical? Sloppiness is first cousin to your old nemesis, Ima Timewaster. Time spent getting things organized is an investment that will more than pay for itself in time saved later on. Just make sure the systems you put into place are logical and efficient so you’ll be able to use them effectively on a daily basis over the long haul.

Wait productively. How many times have you sat and waited, fuming about all the better things you could be doing? Your frustration was justified; no one benefits from thumb-twiddling. That’s why, wherever you go, you should take something with you—reading you need to get caught up on, a list you need to make, a report you have to review. Today’s technology makes this easier than ever before. But even if you have an analogue mind, you can carry a pad of paper and a pen for jotting notes to yourself or making a list of groceries you need to pick up on the way home.

Time might not negotiate, but neither is it particularly clever. If you know its limitations and keep an eye out for its co-conspirators, you’ll be able to outsmart it. We hope these tips will help.

Time Management

Do you realize “time management” is a misnomer? It’s a myth. Time is inflexible; it moves inexorably at its own speed no matter what we do. Though we can’t force time to work for us, it is possible to take control of our work and arrange it to fit the time frame available.

This is especially important for business owners, who often fill multiple job descriptions in a typical day. If you feel frenzied but never seem to accomplish anything, what you need is not more time, but better organization. Realizing the problem is with your habits rather than the clock is the first step toward taking charge of your work day.

Grasp this concept, and you’re armed and ready to search out your archenemy, the sneaky Ima Timewaster. Whispering lies in your ear (It’ll only take a moment or Let me just check one thing), this thief steals your productivity. Track your daily activities and train yourself to recognize her subtle disguises wherever she lurks. These can be such innocent activities as emailing, surfing the net in the guise of “research,” personal phone calls, or repetitive tasks that can and should be automated.

What do you do when you spot her? Sometimes the little trickster will dart from one hiding place to another. The best strategy for rooting her out is to clear away the underbrush, one shrub at a time. Make a conscious effort, for instance, to make no personal phone calls at work this week; while you’re at it, limit time-sucking chit-chat in business calls and stick to the business at hand. Next week, just say “no” to your favorite computer game, or make wise use of the TV remote’s “Off” button.

Happy hunting. In our next post, we’ll share a few more goodies from our bag of tricks. 

Choose Your Hats Wisely

If you are in business for yourself, you wear many hats. OK, many, many hats. Sometimes you wear many different hats all in one day, and often you may find yourself wearing many hats at once! It's not too far-fetched to find yourself at times, wearing the wrong hat for the task at hand. (I hate when that happens!)

It doesn't matter if you are a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker....all businesses have specific tasks that are segmented into their own little 'niche.' A few examples? Client relations, sales, services, administration, marketing, advertising and record keeping.

So what is it about hats? It is not uncommon for business owners to think, "I can do that."  Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't. Trying to do too much, often leaves you feeling stretched thin, like you are caught in a whirlwind and just can't gain ground. And you can't! Very few can do it all, and do it well!

As a business owner/Entrepreneur you have to decide which niches in the business you can fill.. and fill well.  Think hard about which hats you can wear consistently, and which hats would better serve your business if someone else was wearing it!

Which hats are most effective for you, and most productive for your business?

If you need to be with clients or providing services in order for your business to grow and thrive, how is that achieved if you are wearing the administrative office hat? It is easier now to hire others as the resources to handle tasks than it has ever been.

An experienced and savvy marketing pro can put your business right in front of your target market, saving you both time and money in wasted efforts. Nothing is less effective than trying to reach the wrong market! 

Think you are going to buy a bookkeeping program and keep your own books? Think again....you still have to have bookkeeping skills and knowledge...or all of the money you've saved will go to pay for someone to make sense of it all come tax time!

For a small fee, a personal assistant or concierge could run your business errands...trips to the print shop, the office supply store, etc. All tasks that need to be done, but they can certainly waste valuable time and leave you drained when instead you could be spending time with clients or prospective clients.  

Think about your hats. Decide which hats you can wear, and wear well...and think of the impact it has on your business. Hire someone else to wear some of your hats if you need to. Choose your hats wisely.