Management, Balance & Time - 10 Tips for Managing Overwhelm in your Business

How many of us have been in a position where we have more to do than can realistically fit into one day, or week. So we spend all of our time feeling rushed, being rushed, and wondering how on earth we are going to manage. If you are having that feeling of overwhelm in your business, it's time to take stock of what's going on.

How well you manage yourself and the time you have, is crucial to your success. Wasted time equals lost opportunities. Lost opportunities equal lost business and profits.

Time can't be "saved" ? it's an impossibility. You can't find more of it ? it's a fixed commodity. You can only manage your activities as time passes. So how are you spending the 60 seconds in each minute - the 60 minutes in each hour - the 1,440 minutes in each day?

What you need is to achieve is working on your top priorities in the most effective way. Here are 10 great strategies for doing just that.

Lesson 1: Prioritize

Aside from just listing what needs to be done, rank them from most important to least important. And then complete them in that order. Too often we start with the easy stuff or the quick stuff, regardless of how important it is. Look at the list of things that need to be done. Hi-light the activities that you could put on hold if you had to. How much time could you free up if you put some of those activities on hold?

Be realistic about the number of priorities you have. Most of the activities we are involved in are things we want to do. The problem with overwhelm is that there are many more things we want to do, than we physically have time for. So create some space by telling yourself that you are just putting some activities on hold for now. You are not giving them up forever, but you are giving yourself permission to put some activities on hold ? so you can focus on the most important priorities. This may force you to make some tough choices ? but it's a pretty empowering thing to do.|

Lesson 2: Be ruthless with e-mail

What a productivity killer email can be if misused. Use a private email address for clients and customers. Get everything else sent to a generic or alternate email address. That way you can deal with your client issues first, and the rest when you have time.

Only respond to your emails at set times during the day. I personally do emails first thing in the morning, and between 2 and 3pm each day. There's no need to respond the instant that you receive an email. This approach simply means you get interrupted all the time, and your productivity remains low.

Lesson 3: Restrict your use of the telephone

Try to devote a certain time of the day to both return and originate phone calls. Carrying a mobile telephone makes us feel as though we've got to be "connected" at all times ? but this is just plain crazy. And just because someone calls us doesn't mean we have to answer immediately. Some people I now work extremely effectively by restricting calls to two periods during the day - one period in the morning to make all their calls, and another in the afternoon to return calls and to followup. At all other times, voicemail takes any messages. This may not work for your business, but the idea of not answering the telephone unless it is at a good time for you can really help you with the continuity of your work

Lesson 4: If you don't have time for something, just say so

There is no need to listen politely if you've already decided the conversation is not of interest. Simply say ? "I am sorry to interrupt you, but I don't have time for this right now." Yes it's direct, but then you are not sitting there feeling frustrated about the time you are wasting.

Lesson 5: Limit your availability

This is one of the keys to beating overwork. Unexpected and unplanned interruptions and distractions can "steal" your day. An "open door" policy is fine, but not if it has a negative impact on productivity and profitability. Actually schedule time when you can't be interrupted, and let everyone know about it. During that time you don't answer emails, you don't answer the phone and you don't talk to others ? you just do whatever it is you've got to do ? no interruptions.

Lesson 6: Protect your productive time

Each of us knows if we are a morning person or a night owl. We know if our peak productivity times are at 7 am or at 11pm. So make sure you are free and uninterrupted at those times. Try and make this time just for you and devote the activities that need your brain the most at the times you are most productive.

Lesson 7: Plan your day the night before

I know - you've heard it before. But spending 5 minutes at the end of the day preparing for the next day helps to orient you in advance and mentally sets you up. So when you get up in the morning, you're ready to go!

Do whatever works for you - make lists of activities, check your calendar, enter tasks into your electronic task list, schedule a couple of uninterrupted hours in your diary, tidy away your papers and get tomorrow's ones ready to go. Do whatever you need to to feel comfortable about the next day's work.

Lesson 8: Don't get buried by paper

When possible, try to "touch" each piece of paper only once. File it, act on it or toss it! (Periodically, every quarter, purge your files. If you haven't touched it in 3 months, you probably never will...so toss it!). As the saying goes: "Do it, ditch it, or delegate it!"

Lesson 9: Group your appointments

If you have several appointments or errands, try to group them all in the same day so that all of your external travel and time is scheduled for one or two days in the week. That leaves you 3 full days in the office without the need to go out for meetings.

Lesson 10: Confirm appointments

Never assume that your 1 o'clock is on! The realization that you've been "stood up" is both frustrating and irritating. A simple phone call or e-mail message, saves time, energy and anxiety.

Management expert Peter Drucker, once declared, "Time is the scarcest resource." Time really isn't scarce, it's uniform and constant. However, your ability to manage it is crucial to your success. If you can't get this part right, you may not need to not worry about cash management!

Megan Tough - published writer, coach, facilitator and speaker - works with people to create outstandingly satisfying and truly successful professional lives. Make more money - have more fun! To learn more and to sign up for more FREE tips and articles like these, visit http://www.megantough.com

---

Top 10 Ways Websites Makes Me Suffer

I believe some people create and publish websites for the... Read More

10 Reasons to Use Online Banking

With today's technology and people's need for more information it... Read More

10 Marketing Tips For Your Business

Here are a few ideas to get you started, all... Read More

Top 7 Ways to Profit from Foreign Trade

Here are seven excellent ways to earn income from international... Read More

Ten Ways to Manage a Rapidly Growing Business

While some new business owners face the issue of not... Read More

Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dream

"Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out... Read More

My 7 Most Important Business Lessons

Millions of people start new small businesses in the United... Read More

Seven Keys to Get Out of a Rut

Rut -- a routine procedure, situation, or way... Read More

Top 10 Ways to Turn Clients Into Raving Fans

Do you find great joy in being a coach? If... Read More

7 Reasons Why Training Doesn?t Produce the Desired Results and What You Can Do To

Seven Reasons Why Training Doesn't Produce the Desired Results and... Read More

Top 10 Stumbling Blocks that Limit Business Growth

Never in history have more entrepreneurs launched more new businesses!... Read More

Yummy Yummy: Top 7 Business Lessons from the Wiggles

At Macquarie University in the early '90s, three Australian early... Read More

Surviving When Clients Arent Rolling In

As the holiday season starts to settle in, the workload... Read More

5 Things You Must Do Well When Buying a Business to Not Get Burned

Are you not sure what Business to buy? Need to... Read More

Top Seven Questions for Starting Projects More Effectively

We all are project managers. Some of us manage projects... Read More

10 E-mail Organization Tips

Who doesn't have issues with organizing their inbox!? I receive... Read More

Start Your Own Website in 10 Easy Steps

If you're a beginner, starting a website doesn't have to... Read More

No More Lists To Remember

Are the endless lists of Top-7's and Top-10's taxing your... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Participating in Online Business Expos

Are you ready for a BASH? Have you ever been... Read More

Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of the Next Training You Attend

Sometime soon you will be attending some training. It may... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Manage Interruptions

So many people I worked with said they got more... Read More

7 Things You Can Do To Weather The Lows Of A Business Cycle

Hey, as hard as this may be for you to... Read More

10 Budgeting Tips for Business People and Small Companies

It is possible for small companies and individual business people... Read More

Top Ten Reasons to Write a Sales Letter for Each Product? - Part 1

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know... Read More

Seven Ways to Improve Your Results with Follow-up

What follows is a bold statement, but sometimes it takes... Read More

Reminders For Running A Better Business

The following tips are from an article we contributed to... Read More

International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import... Read More

Top Ten Reasons to Write a Sales Letter for Each Product? - Part 2

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know... Read More

How To Use The Power Of Focus To Build Massive Momentum In Your Business

Getting focused on what you want to achieve and creating... Read More

10 Dos and Donts Of Customer Services

Email etiquette is the key to help calm down anxious... Read More

Private Practice Success: 10 Essentials for Starting a Practice

As a counselor, therapist or healing professional (massage therapist, physiotherapist,... Read More

Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers? Seven Passion Copywriting Tips

Web Site Blues? Need one, don't know where to start?... Read More

How To Take Daily Big Rock Actions To Jumpstart Your Business Into Massive Momentum

Do you know exactly what actions you need to do... Read More