Have you ever had one of those days when you are busy working on your business all day, but at the end of the day you feel like you’ve accomplished nothing? You’re not alone. In today’s competitive environment, it’s not enough to be busy — you need to be productive, working toward your goals and your bottom line, or your business won’t thrive.Your most important skill is being able to make TIME for your money-making business visions. That’s the difference between being a “hamster on a wheel” versus finishing that information product, starting that membership program, or hosting the live event of your dreams.
So, if you need some strategies to get your day moving in the right direction, read on for a few helpful tips:
Know your most productive time. Are you the type who jumps out of bed full of energy and your highest level of creativity, or do you not hit your stride till the afternoon or evening? Know when you hit your peak and schedule your most important tasks then.
Block your time for designated tasks. Your most vital appointment to keep is with yourself. Schedule time for getting your important goals accomplished each day and don’t let another week, month, or year go by without achieving your business visions.
Delegate your distracters. That email needs answering, and you need to update your social media accounts, and that invoice needs to get sent out. Life needs attention, but delegate everything you can to your virtual assistant to clear your decks and your mind for productive work.
Create a Zen workplace. You won’t get your best work done if the TV is blaring, the phone is ringing off the hook, and a pile of overdue bills is staring you in the face. Make your workspace a place where you love to be that is tidy, comfortable, and beautiful and that promotes your creativity.
Take breaks. It’s tempting when you are under a deadline to power through your lunch and not get up from your chair. But getting up, moving around, and getting the blood flowing will help reenergize and refocus your mind. So take 10 or 15 minutes to revitalize, and then get back to it.
Fend off the time zappers. Whether it’s your smart phone alerting you to a post on your Facebook account or your friend down the street who drops by, you need to guard your productive time. Turn off the smart phone and let your friend know you’ll touch base later and get back to work.
Keep it simple. You know how you decide to recover a chair and pretty soon you’re remodeling your entire home? It’s easy to complicate things and then they become overwhelming. Keep your goals in front of you and when you go off on tangents, gently guide yourself back to the essential task at hand.
Let go of what doesn’t matter. You can waste time obsessing about some of the little details that can be highly distracting. Step back, get some perspective, and stay focused on the big, money-making picture.
Schedule downtime. It’s tempting when your overloaded to work the weekend, but don’t do it. You need your time off to rest, recharge, and play so that you won’t get burned out. It’s amazing how much creativity emerges during these restful times. Sleep is essential as well (and recent studies reveal how important sleep is for weight loss too!).
Work on one thing at a time. In case you haven’t heard, multitasking doesn’t work. You’re less efficient at each task you try to do at the same time. Focus on your one essential objective and you’ll get it done faster and better.
If you’d like to become a true MASTER of your time, and learn how to prioritize for maximum productivity and profit, then join me on my information-packed “Millionaire Time & Productivity Secrets” telecourse. It’s only $197 to register for this 4-part course (plus a BONUS Q&A call), but only if you register by TOMORROW at midnight (EST). Grab your seat before this early bird special ends now.
© 2011 Ali International, LLC
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