The Gift of Time

If we focus on making better choices about how we use of our time we will have better results in all areas of our life and business. The old saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines!” Simply put it means to take advantage of a brief opportunity while it is still there. I know it isn’t always easy as a small business owner to juggle all the commitments and take care of your personal obligations without getting distracted. If you are a mother or parent working at home it can become very difficult to separate work from personal distractions. These are just some of the tips I use in my workshops or with coaching clients.

#1. Schedule your personal time FIRST! Make your relationships and personal time your first priority. Your family and personal relationships and spiritual life are essential to your success and well being. Schedule that time first!

My first priority is to schedule my personal time and husband family time. Those times are in RED so I never change them unless a huge emergency arises. Next are the yellow meetings which are set client meetings, any association meetings and events for our business or consulting work. The green meetings are things that are able to be changed if needed. These might be networking appointments, spending time posting on my virtual online business or social networks and reading posts or coffee meetings with potential new business partnerships.

#2. Look at your recurring regular appointments or meetings that you maintain on a weekly or daily basis and plan to schedule everything else around them.

I spend at least 50-60 hours each week working and even more at times. I also operate two companies, volunteer for several non-profits and my local chamber of commerce and host a weekly radio program. When something unexpected or personal comes up I place it in my free space if possible. I love what I do and at times forget that it is still work and my intention right now is to slow it down and relax more and go to bed instead of staying up late working on my computer or doing projects etc.

Step #3. Choose a day either the end of your week or over the weekend to check your weekly schedule and look over your appointments. Then look over your potential drive times and locations. Do your best to make appointments closer together to conserve gas and time! Make one trip to the grocery store, pharmacy, office supplies, post office etc.

If we have a plan it is easier to self correct and get back on target. Having a top priority list that I look at weekly and then plug missed items into the red zone for the next week will help me keep up anything that might slip through the cracks.

One last hint! Do the things you dislike the most first thing each week! Get unpleasant tasks out of the way quickly and then move onto the things you really enjoy the most.



The Gift of Time - To learn more about this author, visit Kathleen R. Smart's Website.

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