Build a Strong Bridge
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments". J. Rohn
As a multi-tasking entrepreneur you should be working extremely hard at building a strong bridge of self-discipline. Without it--you are toast. A bridge of discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment. Often it involves sacrificing the pleasure and thrills of the moment for what matters the most in your life. When you have truly committed to a more disciplined business work style, you will have won half of the time management battle.
Level the Playing Field
Understand that you receive the same rolling 24 hours as everyone else on the planet. Knowing that no one person has more time than you should really dispel any myths rumbling around in your head that you have been somehow short-changed.
Invest Well
Each block of time that we receive is a new opportunity to accomplish something like sleep, work, goals, food, leisure or entertainment. Just like money, in order to get the most from your time you must have a plan of action. Each block of time represents a great investment opportunity. How well you invest your time determines your future return. You want more time? Invest the time you have well.
Schedule EVERYTHING!
Okay, I must confess that I'm still challenged with this one. I do attempt to schedule everything, but some smaller things like returning a phone call or taking out the trash slip through the cracks of my scheduled day. Mostly because I honestly feel that I can remember them, BUT, I usually get so busy that I still forget some of the little things I need to do. I'm sure you can relate. Remember it's not just scheduled work-related tasks. You really need to include everything; time for yourself, time with the kids, time for friends and sweeties, exercise, spiritual practice, shopping, TV shows, and break times etc.
Stop Kidding Yourself
Embrace your style and appreciate your high and low energy periods. Don't schedule something at 6am if you know darn well that you don't enjoy getting out of bed before noon! You are not trying to do this my way; you are going to schedule your day in a way that works for your lifestyle. Tip: Set up guidelines for dealing with interruptions and who you are willing to interrupt work for and who will have to wait. Creating these guidelines now will help you make quick decisions when an unexpected interruption occurs.
Make Your Word Golden
Others will respect your schedule when YOU respect your schedule.
Avoid the destructive trap of multi-tasking too much. Be mindful of taking too many calls and emails when you are working. AND when you are at play with friends or family, leave your work related tasks/calls in the office. When you continually keep your word, those around you (clients, friends and family) will begin to trust you and feel more satisfied that they will have a fair amount of time with you. Ahhhh....can you feel the harmony?
Bonus Tip:
Want to save even more time? Schedule your social media networking activities.
Like everything that I do, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are also on my daily schedule. I allocate (using a timer) 45 minutes each morning for these tasks. I also use http://ping.fm/ to quickly update each social network status at once and http://www.socialoomph.com/ to schedule tweets for the weekends so I will have more time to rest or play.
Hope these strategies will help you discover more time throughout your day~
May God Bless You with Peace and Prosperity!
Renee Walton - Director of Moms Making Money
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