Time Managemet Tips - Your Time is YOUR Business

Time Management Tips are valuable to all that want more out of life! Time Management is one of the greatest challenges facing the person wanting to do more with her life. It can be especially tough for the individual that works from home - particularly when that individual is also the primary caretaker of the home. It is too easy to let everything and everyone take priority so our project fades into the background and becomes just another unfinished “thing” that we will get to when we have time. Well, decide if your project is important. Here are some Time Management Tips to help.

Treat your Work with Respect - One of the challenges for anyone working out of the house – whether it be working on a first or second career or going to school – is being able to actually be productive in the home environment. In order to accomplish this, you will need to the set up your boundaries. Once you have your “work” that needs to be done, you will be more efficient and effective if you and other respect the boundaries set forth. One way to look at your “work” is to treat it like a job or career. Make it real and important. Treat your work with the same amount of diligence and effort that you would expect of an employee or associate.

Make it Official – One challenge we face is getting others around us to leave us alone to do our thing . Maybe we feel that we gently try to make them understand the importance of our work- to buy into our dream. They should understand that it is for the good of all involved, right? But have WE really made it official? Have we declared our mission or new career to exist? Have we passed out our business cards or sent announcement letters to everyone – including family and friends that may their own opinions about us? Fear of judgment or ridicule may stop us from making ourselves official with those close to us. Just like the saying about one not being seen as an expert in his own town – we have an easier time being the person we aspire to be to people that do not know us so well. How can others take us seriously when we don’t really take ourselves seriously? That’s just human nature so put out those cards and letters anyway. What’s the worst that can happen? You might just gain a bit of respect or at least you can remind family and friends that you have work obligations.

Mark your Territory - One way to make this happen is to have a space or place to work from. As Vriginia Woolf wrote about – having a room of one’s own lends itself to be more business-like and productive with your work. Working from a table in the sunroom attached to the kitchen and off the backdoor, next to the living room with the 32 inch flat screen with surround sound isn’t ideal for being able to maintain concentration. It goes double if you have children, teenagers and pets around. The whole confidentiality / credibility factor clients is questioned when your eight month old Pomeranian is yapping while zipping around your chair as he is blissfully being chased by your ancient, half-blind shitzu mutt that wants to grab that little whipper-snapper and shake some sense into him. Of course, your little angel rescue dog sitting off to the side feels obligated to add to the chaos by chiming in her own warning barks – just in case you might not be paying attention to the race. You really need to find a way to have a defined territory to work from. And that territory must be communicated to the rest of the household or your associates around you. It is best if you have an “office” to go to where you can shut the door thus shutting out distractions. My office has been my car, bathroom or walk-in closet on occasion. For writing amid chaos, I’ve also used headphones and blaring white noise.

Define your Time - Production works best if times are defined and scheduled. Time slips away very quickly when we are not paying attention or are not scheduling specific blocks of time to produce results. Being at home can be a wonderful environment or a total time waster depending on how you choose to treat it. You wouldn’t jump up from a meeting at work to throw a load of laundry into the washer…so discipline yourself to not do so during your scheduled working time at home. Don’t be your own worst enemy. Schedule your time just like you would for your routine at the office. Your “office hours” are up to you. If you can’t seem to produce during normal hours, you may need to adjust to early or late hours – for example, you may find that your best writing is done in the early a.m. while the rest of the world sleeps. I find this true for me in my world – just me, my mutts and a cup of hot black coffee.

Attend Regular Business Meetings - Get into the habit of having your own regular Business Meeting with yourself at the beginning of your day or the night before. It may also be a good idea to have a monthly Business Meeting with the Board of Directors and Associates – your close friends or family. Enlist their cooperation and help so you may meet your goals. If nothing else, your “board” may give you your space or they may even take partial ownership and give you a hand with chores or with your project.

Have a Written Plan Having an actual written plan helps guide our productivity so we can have guidelines and direction to help us navigate the pathways to take or not take. Without a plan and guiding principles for our work, we are more likely to waste time exploring and detouring along our route. Having a plan helps to guide our scheduling to accomplish what it is that needs to get done. It helps us keep our focus on what will really help our project or business as opposed to trying to do everything because we think that new idea is also great.

Prioritize - Getting overwhelmed is easy to do. We may be able to see where we want to be and may have goals to get there. That’s great! Now take the big goals and break them up into manageable tasks. Take little bites to chew away at the goals instead of trying to wolf down the whole rawhide. Avoid choking. Yes, there are other dogs out there likely doing similar work as you, but running around in circles like my crazy Pomeranian doesn’t produce effective and efficient progress. You must take control and prioritize your tasks to be successful. If say yes to too many duties and events, you risk doing poorly in all the roles in your life. Balance your time and keep your plan in mind and remember – with every yes, you will have to say no to something else – unless you have found a way to clone yourself. If that’s the case, I’ll be standing in line for your formula.

Time Management doesn’t have to be unmanageable. Just remember the Three C’s of Success: deCision, aCtion and Commitment. It’s all up to you…but there are those willing and waiting to provide help and support.

Cheers to Your SuCCess! ~ Janus Moncur - The Co-Creative Coach™