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[T922]Time Management Games On Line

by Dean Caporella, Dea

Time management technique isn't just using your time wisely; it's a combination of practices all working to achieve the best possible outcome for you. It's so easy to get way laid when you are working on your own from a home environment. Applying some well worn tactics can both increase your productivity levels and boost your bottom line.

Let's have a look at some time management techniques that have served me well during the past 12 months.

Time Management Technique

1. You need to implement a plan of action. Before I started to turn my business around I would wake up in the morning and try to decide exactly what it was I was going to work on that day. Not good! By the time I'd decided, half the day was gone and then "Mr. Procrastination" would start to play with my mind by suggesting things like... "It's too late to work on this today. You are better off starting fresh tomorrow." Does this sound familiar?

2. Plan your action at least a week in advance. It makes sense. By delegating specific tasks to specific days it eliminates the wasteful time you'll spend trying to figure out what you are going to work on any given day. This will get you into a routine and eventually, your work week will begin to automatically take shape. In fact, you should get to a stage when you'll know what you'll be doing in two weeks time. It's called planning your action.

3. Dedicate a particular part of your home to your work area. This may be a spare room or an area well away from normal human traffic. This is your work space and more importantly, it's an area you can spend quiet time in to come up with new ideas.

4. Dedicate an amount of time you'll spend on the business each day. This is one area which really catapulted me out of the "doldrums" and into the area of professional. Why? Because I disciplined myself to spend 6 hours a day on the business between 8am-2pm. Nothing short of a tidal wave ( I live on the beach!) was going to distract me from my work...nothing!

Okay, so maybe something other than a tidal wave could have distracted me but it was this kind of discipline which helped me progress from the ranks of amateur. Once 2pm came along, I was free to spend some time on other activities.

This time management technique works for me. It could work for you too however, you could modify it any way you like. But remember, start with a plan of action and know days in advance what you will be working on in your business.

Let s face it, there is a lot going on out there. Our economy is on the fritz and every news story tells us that one more multimillion dollar company needs a government bailout. Foreclosures are happening right and left. We have troops in harm s way, and Christmas is only a few short weeks away. And that is just the big picture! We have not even mentioned your business and all the things that you need to keep up with on a daily basis. Here are 15 ways to keep yourself focused amid all the distraction. See what works for you!

1. Plan for Each Day. Take a few minutes every evening and plan the following day. Outline 3-5 things that you want to accomplish and stick to it.

2. Plan for Each Week. Take a few minutes on Sunday night (or the night before the first day of your workweek) and outline 3-5 things you want to accomplish during the week. Update this list every 3 days or so.

3. Get Plenty of Rest. Yes, it sounds like something your grandmother would tell you, but it makes a huge difference. You need to rest both your body and your mind in order to prepare for all the challenges you will face.

4. Get Out of the Office. At some point you, too, will be subject to the law of diminishing returns. Staying at the office until all hours becomes less productive instead of more productive, so just go home. Go home at a reasonable hour and spend time doing things you enjoy. When you clear your mind, you will find that the solutions to the problems you have been worrying about all day just come naturally.

5. Eat Right. Yep, there is your grandmother again, but she was right. You can think better when your tummy is full, and you sleep better after you have had a big lunch and small dinner.

6. Move Around. You do not have to spend every non-working moment in the gym, but take 30-45 minutes every day, or every other day, to get some exercise. Your mind functions better when your body is stimulated. You may feel like this is unproductive time, but you owe it to your health and to a healthy state of mind to get adequate exercise.

7. Stop Reading Email. OK, do not stop altogether. But only read once per day. It can turn in to a huge time suck and people will call if they really need you. And when you do read your emails, wait to respond. Not every email needs an immediate response. Skip the ones that do not. The same goes for Twitter.

8. Turn off the Phone. Do not keep the cell phone off for the entire day, but turn it off for at least a few hours each day.

9. Work in Blocks. Do not work on any project for more than 30 minutes. That is about how long it takes for your brain to turn to mush and require alternative stimulation.

10. Take Breaks. Allow for regular breaks during the day. This gives your mind a chance to wind down and allows your subconscious to step in and examine the problems you are trying to solve. And your subconscious is much better at that stuff anyway.

11. Make a Routine. This frees your mind to focus on more important things.

12. Do Not Disturb. Set aside a chunk of time each day in which you ask family and staff not to bother you. This is also beneficial for staff as they learn to solve problems without constantly asking for your help. This makes them more valuable, and that is a good thing.

13. Ask For Help. Join an online community of peers that can give you advice and be a sounding board for you.

14. Invest in Speed. Faster computers make the work happen faster, and that leaves more time for you.

15. Blow Off a Whole Weekend. Do not read any blogs. Do not read any email. Do not answer your phone. Just be. You will be surprised at how clear your mind becomes.

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Both Dean Caporella & Seomul Evans are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Dean Caporella has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Golf Guide and Surveys. Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. If you run a home business then you need to read this report on