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Guest post by: Harriette Blye Become an Author

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When you feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done it is time to take a reality check. Let us face it, we all have the same 24 hours in a day. It is how we choose to use that time that is causing pause. Pause to think about how to manage ourselves better.

When we do not manage ourselves properly we feel stressed out and out of control, dashing madly from one activity to the other. It is at this time in our lives when we make unnecessary mistakes that can be costly.

The first thing to do is decide what is important to you. Prioritize your activities.

What has to be done, what is important to you and cannot be delegated or deferred?

Sleep, work, family all of these things are important. Using an average of (49) hours for sleep, (40) hours for work and (21) hours for family each week. That leaves you a whopping 58 hours to squander each week if you choose.

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of." -- Benjamin Franklin

Tips to help you manage yourself:

1. Buy a stop clock and use it.

2. Beware of time drainers. The Internet is vast. You can spend unplanned time surfing, talking, and reading on the Internet. Watching TV and chatting on the phone are big time wasters and energy drainers.

3. Become a creature of good habits and live by them. When you break your good habits you become uncomfortable.

4. Do not waste time waiting. When waiting for an appointment always take something to do with you, such as a book to read, cell phone, diary or a blank pad and pencil to record your thoughts.

5. When you are driving listen to books on CD. You can take a college course, learn a foreign language, listen to your favorite motivational mentor, and listen to a favorite novelist. There are thousands of CD's to choose from. You can get them online for a small fee or free at your local library.

6. Carry a pen and pad in the car so you can jot down ideas that can help you with a project you are working on. I get some of my best ideas when I drive or walk.

7. You may dislike this tip but it is your friend. I once hated making a list but when I realized that my list is my friend I stop resisting and begin to appreciate my list. I make a list every Sunday afternoon for the week. I make a list every night for the next day. On your weekly list jot down what you want to accomplish by the end of the week. On your daily list write the top (7) things that must get done the next day to assist you toward your weekly goal. If you cannot get an item done transfer it to the next day. If you have an item on your list that require input from someone other than yourself, allow time for that. Start at the top of the list and get the most important things done first. No exceptions. This works well and you will manage to get most things done that are important to you.

8. Delegate and defer. Every small business owner has different skills and different comfort levels. If you are a one-man show you cannot do it all. What can you have someone do for a reasonable fee or free. To succeed, you have to stay focused on, and spend time doing, what you do well.

9. Practice saying NO. This needs no explanation.

10. Practice saying YES to personal time for yourself. Time to exercise, relax, read and energize. If you think you don't have time to read a book try reading 10-20 pages a day.

11. Pace yourself. You will get more done. No more running around and feeling out of control. Take a few long deep breaths several times a day.

Ralph Waldo Emerson says, "Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life."

You can use a simple daily planner with ample space to write your weekly and daily list. If you cannot find what you need, design your own.

Honor yourself!

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Referred by: http://jaykubassek.com

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