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Guest post by: Mandie Crawford Become an Author

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How much would you invest to get all these things? About eight years ago I wrote a book on time management for the solo-preneur. ( an entrepreneur who works on their own) I know thousands of people that bought my book and for them it has become 'shelf- help' instead of self help! Why? Because they did not have time to read it.

The truth is - they did have time to read it, it's just that they did not TAKE time to read it. It was not on their 'top five' list of things to do. The result? They still have a shortage of time - simply because they did not make managing themselves a priority on their 'top five' list of things to do.

It's a common issue facing many small businesses. There never appears to be enough time in a day to get everything done. What does get done are the things that cry for attention - and often those things are crisis'. So instead of working towards a goal for the day or week - the business owners spend time responding to crisis' that have presented themselves because simple tasks and issues were not dealt with in a timely manner! (crisis can be anything that demands immediate attention; answering the phone, fixing a problem, last minute deadlines etc)

I have been there. When I have not taken the time to manage my events and activities - I have suffered the consequences. I know the techniques and the strategies - but many times I just do not take the time to implement them.

However, I decided that the year 2012 would be different. Using my knowledge and strategies and a few technology tools, I set my calendar up for the year. First I wrote out all the things that I did on a weekly basis. Writing, social media, administrative duties, bill paying, contract work and other things were then slotted into my calendar as recurring tasks. I rearranged them so they were spread evenly through the week - leaving time for lunch, free time and appointments that would rise over the weeks and year. I also set up reminders so that I would not miss doing something that was important.

I then set up my email and contact auto-responders to let everyone know that they could view my calendar online and see the best times to call me. I even encouraged people to book appointments. In this way they knew that they would receive my undivided attention and knew that they were not interrupting me.

I showed my calendar to a colleague and she was quite appalled that I was ruled by my calendar. I tried to explain that I could move things around and that in fact my calendar was ruled by me. It was only when I called her to have lunch with me that she realized she had no time and I appeared to have lots of time to spare! She also marveled at how much I got done!

Time is a commodity that cannot be rushed but neither can it be replaced. When it is gone - it is gone. When we say that there is not enough time to get things done, what we are really saying is that we have not taken the time to manage the events of our lives. And we suffer the consequences. Stress is the number one cause of illness in North America - and lack of time ranks second on the list of things that cause stress.

The highest stressor on the list of things that cause stress for people in North America is lack of money. And it is no different for business owners. The sad fact is that if a business owner does not manage themselves well in relation to the events of their lives they do not have time to plan and execute the plans that would help their businesses grow. And business growth would increase income and reduce stress levels.

Sad, but true, managing their events (some call it managing their time) would actually reduce stress, increase income and increase time off.

If there was an advertisement offering business owners more money, less stress and more time off - many would pay thousands to buy whatever it was that would give them these things. Interestingly enough the only investment to get this is the investment of a little time! (something they say they lack) And unfortunately there is nothing else that they can buy that will give them these things. They can have it for free - with just a little planning. Perhaps because it is something that they can have for free - they see it as having no value.

Time is a precious commodity. And even if it appears to be free - in fact it has tremendous value. We may not be able to manage time - but we can manage ourselves in relation to time. And when we do - we really do make more money. have less stress and get more time off!

For more information on managing your calendar and time management - please book an appointment with Mandie Crawford here. Two coaching sessions can help you make more money, have less stress and have more time off!

"One of the keys to effective communication and dispute resolution is understanding ourselves and how we think and also understanding how others are wired as well. Each of us has personality styles that are unique to ourselves - however there are also patterns as well. When you understand the differing personality styles and their blends - you begin to see people as they are with more understanding! For more information on understanding personality styles please contact Mandie at president@roaringwomen.com."

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