When women in business sit down to begin the workday, our greatest time management tool becomes knowing how to keep the most important business-building activities the most important activities of our day. Successful businesswomen know how to focus on their most productive daily activities.
1. Plan your week first thing Monday morning. Plan your week’s work around the important business-building activities of the week. I’ve found that I get more done in a shorter period of time when I begin my week identifying the most important things I want to accomplish for the week.
2. Prepare a workable daily to-do list. A to-do list is a powerful way to stay focused on what to accomplish daily. I also prioritize my list by placing a star (*) next to the most important activity I want to finish before I leave the office.
3. Chunk blocks of time for uninterrupted work time. Chunking out time so you have quiet, uninterrupted time is vital to starting, working on and completing a task from start to finish. Blocking out one, two or three hours at a time will also help cut down on distractions.
4. Use a timer to help you stay on track. My kitchen timer has become one of my favorite time management tools. I set it for fifteen minutes when I log into Facebook and when it rings, I log off. I’m amazed at how quickly time passes and the timer keeps me on track and focused.
5. Eliminate distractions. Let family and friends know when you are doing business and do not want to be disturbed. I’ve found that if I take my business seriously and respect my time, others also respect my time. Ask yourself, “Do I invite distractions by being too assessable or do I set work-time boundaries?”
6. Organize your workspace so you can find things when you need them. Personally, one of my greatest time wasters is looking for things and not being able to find them. I’ve found that if I had taken an extra five minutes to put them away or file them where they belong, I wouldn’t be wasting so much time.
7. Do business-building activities during business-building times. Cleaning out the file cabinet at 1:00 in the afternoon isn’t a business-building activity but following up with someone you met at a networking function could definitely lead to business.
8. Prioritize your business-building activities so you are keeping the most important activities first on your to-do list. Enough said.
9. Organize your computer files. Ask yourself how much time you’ve wasted looking for a computer file because you can’t remember what you named it? Take a few hours and organize Word and other files so you can find them readily and easily.
10. Decide to say “no” if it interferes with your business-building time. A powerful time management tool is the word “no.” Over committing yourself creates stress and stress can lead to all types of time wasting issues.
Productivity is about using your valuable time wisely. What can you begin doing today to eliminate the time wasters and increase your daily personal and professional productivity?
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Sharon Recommends
Here is an offsite link to Amazon.com - I'd like to recommend one of my favorite "time management" books “Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy – it's short, sweet, to the point and filled with practical suggestions: Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
I'd also like to recommend my Kindle ebook How To Keep Yourself and Your Business On Track. The empowered woman's guide to staying focused on your money making goals. Here's a direct link: How To Keep Yourself and Your Business On Track (Women Empowering Women)
I've purchased this book for myself and my opinions are solely mine. I am also an affiliate of Amazon.com and if you purchase this book through this link, I will earn a commission.
