The Business Owner’s Guide to Time Management (Part 2)

This is part 2 of article we posted earlier at (Post URL).

Article by  Herb Kimble .

It is an article about ways to to Trim the Fat from Your Workload and Squeeze More Time Out of Your Day

Communicate efficiently. While it’s true that technology has allowed us the freedom to accomplish tasks more efficiently, it also can be a huge time waster. People spend a tremendous amount of time sorting through and answering e-mail or conversing with others through the use of text or instant messaging. Sometimes its best to pick up the phone and contact someone instead of sending endless emails for clarification.

Avoid excessive socializing during work hours. Excess socializing can put any project behind schedule. When friends or family call during your work hours just to chat, you need to learn how to tell them that you are working and make arrangements to contact them when you are not engaged in work-related activities. If you work from home and neighbors stop by, you’ll have to stand firm and let them know that you do not have time to socialize at the moment. There is no need to be rude or severe your ties to the outside world. Being polite, yet firm, should resolve the situation.

Divide projects into smaller segments. A large project can seem too daunting to achieve, but it isn’t. Break your large projects into bite size chunks, or steps, and list each step in the order it needs to be accomplished.

Use your “peak time.” Everyone has a time when they perform better. For some it is first thing in the morning. Others come alive in the afternoon or early evening. Focus your energy on your top priorities during the time when you are at your peak.

Ask for help. We all need help at some point in time. There are many options for obtaining the help you need. It just depends on your circumstances. Perhaps you need someone to help you with accounting or publishing. Maybe you could use the services of a virtual assistant or freelancer to help with the tasks you hate to do. You might want to hire a maid service to do your household chores. Maybe you could hire a teenager in the neighborhood to mow your lawn. You might be able to hire your children or spouse to help with tasks such as putting together a mailing. Delegate jobs to capable workers so that you can focus your time on what you do best.

Learn to say no. Learning how to say “no” to projects and activities that waste your time is just as important as knowing when to ask for help. Be careful about things you commit to. If your best friend is going out of town and wants you to pet sit, but you’re in the middle of a huge project, tell him that you would love to help, but can’t. Perhaps you can provide him with the name of a professional dog sitter or offer to help out during non-work hours. “No” is one of the hardest words for many people to say. If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to learn how to say it and stick to it.

Evaluate your time. It’s a good idea to evaluate how you are spending your time. Keep a journal of your activities for one week. This will help you have a better picture of how you are spending your time and help you identify areas where you are wasting time.

Talk to yourself. There’s nothing wrong with talking to yourself. In fact, most psychologists and self-help gurus will tell you that you already have all the answers within. Whenever you are unsure of what to do next, just ask yourself, “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?

Urgent vs. Important. A key principle in time management is that important things are not always urgent, and urgent things are not always important. Learning to distinguish between the two is essential for effective time management.

Eliminate clutter. When you have too many things on your desk or surrounding you, it can be distracting. Only keep things on your desk that are necessary. Place file folders inside your desk drawer or filing cabinet. Don’t leave stacks of papers piled up on the floor. Sort through magazines and donate the ones you no longer want to your local library.

This article was written by Herb Kimble. Herb Kimble is an entrepreneur who has ran multiples companies, including sales & marketing companies. Most recently he has launched Urban Flix, a streaming network that specializes in multi-cultural content and CineFocus Productions, a film production company.