Time Management for Your Home Based Business
Time management is key to running your home based business, as
there often does not seem to be enough hours in the day to do
all the things you want to do. However, if you focus your energy
and know how to prioritize, you will find that your business
will run more smoothly, and you will get more done in less time.
Don't be fooled by all of the people who tell you it is so
simple to develop time management skills. If you haven't
developed them by now, the process will take time and energy,
especially if you have a lot of priorities coming at you all the
time. However, those priorities are the first place to start for
better time management. Make a list of all the things that need
to be done. Then rank them in order of importance. If you have a
program like Outlook or Entourage, this process can all be done
on the computer, though a piece of paper works just as well.
It may seem that everything you have listed is important, and it
probably is, but learn to identify what is more important. Ask
yourself what would happen if you did not get to the task right
away. If there is little consequence, then it should not be
toward the top of your list. Time management always begins with
prioritizing tasks. It keeps you much more focused on what needs
to be done versus what you want to do.
The next task in time management is that you need to learn to
allocate time to your tasks properly. Even for those who have
effective time management skills, this can be a difficult thing
to do. Estimate the amount of time you think it will take to do
each task, then add 40 percent to that amount of time. Most
people grossly underestimate the time it takes to do things, so
if you add in that amount of time, you will save yourself a lot
of grief later.
Also, make sure you schedule your tasks during your peak times.
In time management, you want to do things at times of day that
you are at your best. For example, if you are at your peak in
the afternoon, then you should focus on work during that time,
because you will be able to focus better and get more done. This
strategic time management will make you much more efficient.
Finally, while you are developing your time management skills,
you may want to minimize your need to multi-task. Focus on one
thing at time. Don't worry, though, since you allocated time to
each task, you won't miss anything. You will find that being
able to give a task your full attention will make you much more
efficient.
Read the rest of the article here: Time Management for
Your Home Based Business.
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