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How Do You Manage Your Time?
I think one of my biggest challenges in being a full-time entrepreneur is going to be managing my time wisely.
I have so many projects I want to work on. It is going to be difficult to choose which one to work on first. Most advice I have heard says to focus on one project and complete it before going on to the next.
However, I do tend to get bored easily. That’s why I have several projects going at a time. I think it will work out well if I work on a few projects at once, each for a couple of hours a day.
Also, let’s not forget about health. I have a membership to the Y that I have not used in a while. This will be a great time to get back into going there a few times a week, at least.
Craig Harper recently posted that he is getting out of shape from spending too much time blogging. He has devised an ingenious fitness program for bloggers and other people in sedentary jobs. It’s a little 7-minute routine that you do once per hour.
Hmmm… I’m not sure if I want to be jumping up to do this every hour. On the other hand, it could be a really good idea. I may try it to see how it goes.
My biggest time management challenge is going to be not spending too much time reading other blogs! Terry Dean told me in a comment that he only reads blogs once a week (except for a select few). I don’t think I could limit myself to once a week, but maybe one hour per day would work.
If any of you who are already full-time entrepreneurs have any tips for me on how to manage my time, I would love to hear them in the comments!
- Pat Doyle
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I would say you simply need a structure or routine to follow. When I first went full time freelance I would sleep in until 10-11am, I wouldn’t concern myself with a working week and I’d also lose track of the day.
Now I’m busier I have to simply have a better structure, one to ensure all work is done but also one to allow me to still have that freelance lifestyle. So I (try to) ensure I’m at my desk by 9am, I limit forum and blog reading to over breakfast, lunch and at the end of the day / the evening. This way I fit 7-8 hours of work in a day.
If I’m under pressure to get something done then it’ll be done, I tend to react well to pressure where work is concerned. Of course if I can squeeze in an afternoon off then I’ll do that too
I tend to make lists of what I want to do for the day and aim to get it all ticked off. When you have so many little jobs to do like I do then it helps keep track of what’s done and what isn’t too.
Thanks, Sarah. Yes, I think getting up early is really important. Good idea about limiting the forum and blog reading too. And I like your idea of a to-do list.
Hi Pat, that is a great question!
I recommend setting office hours and sticking to them, taking regular breaks/lunch so that your brain remains fresh and you don’t get burnt out.
Make it a priority to stay balanced with the other areas of your life, this is a must.
“Make it a Project”, assign any projects a daily time block and use it until the project is finished, you can do a few at a time but don’t do too many. This really helps with focus and is my number one success tip.
Assign your self an allowable time for browsing etc, use a timer to help you stick to it (amazing how time flies!)
I feature an excellent book called “Time Management for Internet Marketers” on my blog
http://www.queenofkaos.com/WAHMblog
It really is one of my favourites. It comes with a free copy of Time Management for Mom’s as well.
I also have a few free ecourses dealing with these issues (WAHM in FOCUS is probably the best for this issue, Time Management for Mom’s is good too).
Instead of listing them here, the latest issue of WAHM Time Tips contains a link to a time management article and a listing of free ecourses etc.
http://www.a-matter-of-time.com/Queen_of_KAOS-time-management-for-mom-news.html
I always say, time management and organization can make or break you, you’re very smart in tackling it right away.
Have a Great Day!
Jan Ferrante
Jan, thanks for your excellent suggestions. I especially like your “Make it a Project” idea.
Pat – Small changes in behavior lead to huge advances in productivity. For instance, keep a current to-do list. Rewrite it every day, including all those things you didn’t accomplish the day before. Do it at the end of your work day if you can.
For more tips, I suggest Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. It’s a thin book with lots of little ideas that are effective and easy to implement.
Thanks, Ryan! I tend to keep my to-do list in my head — not the best place for it.
I will definitely check out that book.
Pat if you figure out how to manage your time, please let me know how. I think I’m a lot like you in having projects everywhere and never finding the time for all of them.
I do try what Ryan mentions in the idea of small changes. Long ago I discovered I’m a creature of habit and once I’ve gotten a routine going I can usually modify it a little to become more productive. Never as productive as I’d like, though.
Ha, ha, Steven, I’ll let you know! Seriously, I think you are right that little steps can make a big difference. And we never seem to be satisfied with our productivity – it could always use more improvement.
As soon as someone figures out how to invent the 25 hour day we’ll all be complaining that we need 26 hours.