10 EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS Hi, this is Carol Bentley, sharing 10 of the time management tips I use to get my projects done quicker and more effectively. If you’ve ever reached the end of your day and wondered “Where did the time go? I don’t seem to have achieved anything!” then knowing about these tips and the time management software I use could be rather useful to you. Now - let’s get something clear - these tips are not new! You’ve probably heard them before and most are really ‘plain common sense’. But just because they are ‘common sense’ doesn’t mean we always use them; so check them out - just in case… OK - let’s get started ============================= ORGANISING YOUR ACTIVITY ============================= Now don’t ‘yawn’ or switch off with this first tip, it’s an important one. . . CREATE YOUR ‘TO-DO’ LIST Do you have a list? Or is it one of those techniques you have every intention of using but… Or do you write one out, put it somewhere safe and forget about it? Let me give you two good reasons for writing AND USING a ‘to-do’ list: 1. It clears your mind. Writing it down means you don’t have to try to remember it. It leaves your mind free to concentrate. And that’s crucial for me when I’m writing a sales letter. Actually, I reckon that applies to any business activity, really - doesn’t it? 2. I love the feeling of satisfaction and achievement when I tick the completed task off. When I use a list, not only does it focus my mind on what I want to get done, at the end of the day I can see exactly what I’ve achieved and I get a real buzz from that. And of course, it means important things are tackled in good time, rather than suddenly remembering “Oh, I’ve got to get that letter done by...” and finding myself up against a tight deadline. USE CHECK-LISTS The check-list is similar to the ‘to-do’ list but it’s more for cataloguing the steps I need to do to complete a specific task or process. For example, I have a checklist of what I need to gather together before I start a copywriting project; research material, info about the client, the offer, testimonials I can use and so on. Once the sales letter is written I go through it with another checklist to make sure I’ve included everything that needs to go into a compelling letter. And I have a third checklist I use when I’m creating the order form. When all the items on my checklists are ticked off I know I haven’t missed anything and I can relax. DE-CLUTTER... YOUR DESK: Get in the habit of clearing your desk of everything that is not related to your next task. It stops you getting distracted and it means everything you need is easily to hand - no searching through piles of papers looking for a specific item (that’s my biggest problem if I don’t have a clear out first!) YOUR COMPUTER: The same goes for your computer, especially the emails in your Inbox. If I don’t keep on top of clearing out rubbish messages, and emails I’ve dealt with and don’t need to keep, I’d miss the ones that do need a response - and that could mean upsetting a client or missing an enquiry, which is never a good thing! I organise my important emails into separate folders so I can find them easily. FOCUS ON THE TASK IN HAND I’ve found it’s better to concentrate on completing one task at a time before moving onto the next. I used to let myself get distracted and often ended up with a lot of partially done tasks at the end of the day and an intense feeling of frustration. Tell me, have you ever starting closing down your computer and suddenly found an open email you thought you’d finished and sent? And realised you hadn’t sent it simply because you got distracted by something else? I have, but not any more because the system I use now helps me to finish each task before moving onto the next (I’ll share that with you a little later). ============= PLAN AHEAD ============= PLAN TOMORROW’S TASKS TODAY Doing this helps me to sleep better. At the end of the day I decide and write down the actions I plan to do the next day. It means they don’t prey on my mind overnight so much, especially if I also take the time - wherever possible - to gather together the material I need to complete that task. For example if I know I’m planning to work on a copywriting project the next day I go through my preparation checklist to make sure I’ve got everything I need to write the sales letter. ALLOCATE TASK TIMESLOTS By allocating a specific amount of time to that activity I find I can focus and get a lot more done because I know I’ve only got so long to do it in. You’ve probably come across this idea before - blocking out the time in your diary; well, you can take it one step further: BEGIN YOUR TASK AND START A TIMER Let’s say you’ve allocated an hour for a particular activity. When you start working on that action, start your timer for 1 hour. Focus on completing as much as you can in the time you’ve allowed and when the timer goes off - STOP! Don’t spend any more time on it. The first few times you do this you may not have allowed sufficient time - you’ll get better at judging how long your tasks take. The important thing is you mustn’t allow yourself to slip in a few more minutes - or even hours - to complete the job at that point; it’s tempting! Tell me, have you ever concentrated on getting particular jobs done before you leave for a holiday break? And have you, like me, realised you’ve got a lot more done than you would normally simply because you knew you couldn’t go past that ‘deadline’? Well this works on the same principle. You see, by not allowing yourself extra time you educate and programme your sub-conscious to focus on getting more done in the time you have set. And - the more often you do this - the more efficient and effective you become. Try it for a week or so - I think you’ll be surprised at just how much you do actually achieve! ============================ ELIMINATE TIME WASTERS ============================ It’s easy to waste time without realising it - especially in today’s technological and connected age! ONLINE TIME STEALERS: Social websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can be such time wasters or they can be valuable marketing tools. If they are part of your overall marketing strategy I suggest you allocate a set amount of time with a specific goal in mind - and stick to it. If they are not part of your marketing activity, but you rather enjoy browsing and connecting, then again set yourself the amount of leisure or relaxation time you are happy to allow yourself for this. Emails are the bane of my life. Well, they were until I took control! I realised that constantly checking, re-checking and getting distracted by incoming emails wasted a huge amount of my time. So now, as with the social websites, I set a specific time of day and amount of time when I deliberately read and reply to my emails. Again, if you decide to use this tip don’t allow yourself to overrun the timeframe you’ve set. INTERRUPTIONS / PHONE CALLS It’s more difficult to control some other ‘office’ time-wasters such as interruptions and incoming telephone calls. When I’m working on a project I do not accept phone calls and I actively discourage interruptions. I appreciate you may not have anyone you can delegate your incoming calls to, in which case let them go through to voicemail. If you explain to clients and work colleagues that, in order to be more effective, you only take phone calls between, say 1.30 and 2.30, and at any other time they’ll go through to voicemail where they are welcome to leave a message, I’m sure you’ll find - in the majority of cases - they will respect that decision. Obviously you need to allocate time to return those calls - but you’ll be in control of when you decide to do that. The same applies to interruptions - let the people you work with or who report to you, know they can pop in to ask questions within a set timeframe. Seemingly urgent “Have you got a minute?” type queries often miraculously resolve themselves when you are not available to consult immediately. Now I appreciate this may not be something you can implement fully - personally I wouldn’t get my copywriting done if I didn’t insist on this way of working - but it’s worth a try, don’t you think? ================================================= FREE REPORT - 13 MORE TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS ================================================= You can grab another 13 handy time-management tips (and a bit more detail on how to use the ones I’ve shared here) in the Action Unleashed PDF download available on my blog at www.copywriting4b2b.com/archives/248 =================================================== RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE =================================================== Earlier in this presentation I mentioned a new Time Management software tool I’m using. A good friend recommended The Action Machine to me a few weeks ago and I’ve been using it since. It’s a really simple concept but has proven to be a powerful ally in controlling my daily activity. It helps me to focus on the important actions I need to complete and helps to minimise distractions. It certainly beats using a stop-watch style timer! And I love the reporting function. It means I can quickly check how much time I’ve spent overall on a client’s project or on my own marketing activity. It’s got other useful features as well, but it’s probably easier for you to check those out for yourself by visiting www.carolbentley.org/am.html There’s a demo video on that website showing you how the software works. It’s not an expensive program and I highly recommend it because it has certainly helped me to get even more focused. Well, enjoy the extra time you grab back by using these time management techniques - hope to speak to you again soon. ~ Carol Bentley © 2009 Carol Bentley See the video presentation at www.copywriting4b2b.com/archives/248 Or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q-LXUm-ZKc You may pass this file to friends and / use the unedited content in newsletters or blogs provided you include the author copyright and video links as shown.