Time Management: How To Get More Done

If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and consistently working on those items that will move me towards my clearly defined goals?" and honestly answer "Yes" then you are probably doing ok.

If not, here are a few time wasters to be aware of and some strategies for protecting your time (priorities).

MAIL: Don't waste your time on junk mail (unless you are specifically looking for good marketing ideas to borrow) - if possible get someone else to go through your mail and sort out the junk and take care of the routine items.

If you do want to save the junk mail have it placed in a box or file that you can go through when you are brainstorming for new ideas. (This is commonly called a "Swipe File" by most writers - a resource to generate good ideas that you can swipe and adapt to your own use.)

MEETINGS: Scheduled and unscheduled meetings can be a terrible waste of time. Don't allow people to just drop in on you without an appointment and a purpose. Avoid any scheduled meetings that you possibly can.

If you are in charge of a meeting - make sure you have a plan for keeping it short and focused. If you have to attend a meeting and you are not in charge - have a plan for escaping once you are done with your portion (such as a phone call or appointment at a pre-arranged time).

Also, stop meeting people at restaurants, etc. They will invariably keep you waiting. Instead have them meet you at your office. That way, if they are late, you can continue to be productive. If you must meet them outside of the office, take something with you to read or work on while you are waiting.

DOWN TIME: Meaning time that you spend waiting, traveling, sick, etc.

Always have something to do, or to listen to, or to read. Ask yourself "What is stackable?" In other words, what

tasks can I combine and do at the same time, such as listening to training tapes while commuting.

LACK OF PLANNING: There is an old saying that I often repeat to myself: "Having lost sight of our objective, we re-doubled our efforts". In other words, not knowing where we were going we got there twice as fast.

Take a little time each day to focus on your tasks at hand and make sure they are leading you towards your goals. If they are not, then eliminate them all together or delegate them if necessary.

Then chart out the day in such a way that maximizes your available time. Combine activities where possible and block out portions of the day to accomplish the most important tasks. Then keep your appointments with yourself as strictly as you would with your most important client.

INTERRUPTIONS: The greatest productivity usually comes from being able to focus on a project for an extended period of time without interruption. Interruptions not only waste the time of the interruption itself but also the time to refocus your concentration on the task at hand.

Do whatever you can to avoid interruptions. If possible, have someone else answer the phone and then return calls at a designated time for calls. Train your clients, etc. to call during that time.

Become inaccessible to those that regularly steal your time by dropping in or calling to shoot the breeze. Hide if you have too. When I worked for a real estate company many years ago I specifically asked for the office that was hidden away down in the basement. It had it's own outside entrance so I could come and go without the other agents knowing I was there, eliminating all those unnecessary little interruptions.

If you can't hide, be busy and be obvious about it so others are less apt to interrupt.

DISORGANIZATION: "A place for everything, and everything in its place" is good advice. Few things waste more time than having to hunt for something every time you need it. Keep a clean desk, work on one thing at a time and put it away when you're done. (Sorry if I sound like your mother)

PAPERWORK: This can be a great time waster. If you have stacks of paper and files all over your desk or office do yourself a favor and go buy a filing cabinet and some file folders. Set up drawers for specific types of files, etc.

Have a place for every type of file or paperwork. Go through everything in your office and either file it or throw it away. Buy dividers or organizers or whatever is necessary to systematize the flow of paperwork through your office.

LACK OF FOCUS: Anything that keeps you from focusing on your priorities during those times you have chosen to be productive must be eliminated. That means TV, radio, internet, email, mail, etc.

Another cause of lack of focus is shifting priorities. What I mean is, starting on one project or task, then shifting to another project without completing the first, then shifting to another, and so on.

The world is full of opportunities and sometimes they each look better than the previous one (Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence). Be disciplined enough that, no matter what, you will finish what you intended to finish before starting something else.

Now this doesn't mean that you can't have more than one project going at a time, but make sure you have sufficient time allotted to accomplish each goal in a specific amount of time and get it done before replacing it with another project.

"If you chase to rabbits at once, both shall escape" Ancient Proverb

Shawn Meldrum has spent the last two decades marketing everything from almonds to landscape lighting. He currently specializes in marketing for mortgage brokers, loan officers and real estate agents. For free mortgage marketing articles and much more visit: http://www.mortgagemarketingtips.com/

---

Increasing Your ROI

All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are... Read More

Will Your Epilogue Be ? I Got All My Emails Done?

Work life balance is the new Holy Grail; that search... Read More

Time Management Training - A Necessary Investment or A Waste Of Money?

Many organisations view time management training as something they'll spend... Read More

Freelance Productivity: Do One Thing Extra Each Day

This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More

7 ways To Win The Time Crunch

Are you working a "day job" while building your home-based... Read More

Making Headway on a Slow Day: 9 Ways to Turn Down-Time into Productivity Time

If you work from home, you know the kind of... Read More

Hey, Free Agent, Did You Eat Your Breakfast Today?

And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More

How to Minimize Trips to the Grocery Store

Still awaiting the birth of my baby (I am overdue),... Read More

Todays Overload: Tommorrow

Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More

Linking Purpose To Everyday Behaviors

How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More

Work, Work, Work: Making Each Moment Count

Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More

Fitting An Education Into A Busy Lifestyle

Fitting an education into a busy lifestyleMany people have aspirations... Read More

How To Pack 48 Hours Into Your Day

Too much to do, too little time, constant stress. Most... Read More

Priorities: Dont Dry Your Dishes

Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More

A Time-Saving Programming Tactic that Doesn?t Work

Let's say that you have a software project that's under... Read More

3 Ways To Do More With Less Time

We live in a world where more is expected of... Read More

Time Management: 11 Tips

Work more efficiently and be more productive using these time-management... Read More

Keeping Time

What keeping time really means is...being on time!You know, there... Read More

Achieve More With Less Through Proper Planning

One question a lot of people ask me recently is:... Read More

Prioritize with Two Questions

"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More

Handling Procrastination

"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More

How to Double Your Accomplishment Level

Here's a smart system for doubling or tripling your daily... Read More

31 Ways to Get An Extra Hour Out of Each Day

How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More

Making the Best Use of Your Time

Time - it is the one thing that we are... Read More

How A Simple Four-Letter List Can Make or Break Your Business

One of the biggest problems most people have when it... Read More

Nurturing Your Soul

Number Yourself: Count yourself as an important individual. You are... Read More

Time Management Tips - How to Have a Filing System That Works

Recently I was working with a new client who had... Read More

The Ultimate Virtual Reality

I used to think video game addictions were a joke... Read More

Top 10 Ways to Manage Yourself - Time Wise

"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More

Time Management - Keeping a Clean Desk

I have worked with so many people over the years... Read More

Taking Time Off For Your Business

As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you... Read More

Because Its Been Years Since Youve Seen a Blank Calendar

If you have ever missed an appointment, forgotten to pick... Read More

Four Simple Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life

It's been said, "That no one has enough time yet,... Read More