Time marches on with or without our permission. Each of us gets 24 hours a day! But we can successfully manage Activity and De-Stress our lives!Any serious business person knows that we have more to do than hours to do it in. So what’s a person to do? Those of us in Home based business are no exception. Often you balance job, family, social responsibilities and in there somewhere is your personal home business or home internet business.
Traditional time management books sold at the Office Stores lead you through a series of calendars, lists, some goal setting and objectives. The day timer looks very professional but is highly outdated. Ops, no I don’t mean to go to put it on your computer or some fancy cell phone. Notes and plans are spread from office, to kitchen to postems long lost.
How much time each day are you spending on home chores or unimportant things (those tasks that do not move you towards your objective of financial success in your home business). Do constant interruptions impede your progress? And how often have you thought, "I could achieve so much more if I just had another half hour each day." The average person spends the majority of time on those activities that bring in the least results and bring in the largest issues of STRESS.
It’s time to say good-by to Time Management and Hello to Activity Management. Let me explain. We each get 24 hours each day and we spend each moment as we choose. But most often this is done without a real plan in place. When I changed to Activity Management my STRESS Level went down and my productivity went up. Not bad for a fairly simple change in planning.
You can do this yourself without paying for an expensive system. First gather up all your calendars, possums, lists, note books and anything else you think you use to keep yourself organized. Lay them out where you can see the jumbled mess and it will help motivate your change of habits.
Go to an Office Supply Store where they sell different styles of date books. Now you will need to design your own as Activity Management is not sold (although I’m considering it!)
Decide what size binder you will need:
* The tiny one is if you basically have very little going on in your life and is for a very simple undemanding lifestyle.
* Midsize is my choice as it is so easy to carry EVERY WHERE but big enough to really keep all my business, home, church, etc needs in ONE place.
* The large size is like a big portfolio and I find cumbersome to always have with me.
By now you must understand your Day timer goes everywhere you go so you are always on target!
Purchase: Zippered is by far the best, you won’t lose valuable information.
1 yellow highline and one mechanical pencil (never write in ink, it can’t be changed)
12 Month calendar
Weekly calendar (I like the one that runs from early am to mid or later evening M-F and good area for Saturday and Sunday
Daily plan which has on one side the day by the hours and on the other side your to do today, phone calls and emails to make.
Address Book
Items To Do Pages
Goals and Objectives
Note pages
Project Pages
Place for your business cards and brochures if needed.
You may need other sections depending on your business such as:
Clients meeting and follow up
Financial or mileage envelopes
Adjust it to your home based business
Now the fun begins, putting it into motion.
Start with the month:
* Look and fill in the monthly activities, just a quick note on the day
* Next go to the dated weekly: using your pencil mark in personal time, family time, spiritual time, fun and YOUR HOME BUSINESS. (Why is it that everyone thinks those of us that work from home have all this free time to drop whatever we are doing and jump to some non business related task? That would never happen on a ‘straight’ job).
* I use my pencil just to mark in the hours, drawing a line down from say noon to 4 pm for a project. Some of us do much better when we color code our day planers to really make it stand out when we are working and when we are not. I do my best with this method. Green for work, Yellow for family time, etc.
* Take your project sections and list each major project, breaking it down by importance and when due. Also does it have and sub parts to be done. Make sub tasks for them as needed and date due.
Items to do are for those onetime things … like call the tax man. (One step actions). You do it and cross off with your yellow marker.
* Finish filling in sections of ACTIVITIES YOU NEED TO DO … WORK RELATED OR OTHER.
*Last step: Each NIGHT before bed, sit down and look at the day you have completed. Did everything get crossed off with yellow high lighter? (there is a feeling of satisfaction when you see thing crossed off. I mark half through them if started but not finished).
* If not completed do two things: evaluate and more to a better day to manage that activity AND if you see a pattern developing of not completing activities then look to what is the problem. Are you over comiting your day or letting distractions get you off task?
* Always cross each success with your yellow pen and see if Activity Management is not one of the best de-stressors you’ve ever discovered.
Feel free to contact me for advice on this. It changed my life and I hope it will free up your life as well. Time can never be managed but Activities can!
