We are all given 24 hours in a day. For most of us, that 24 hours isn’t quite enough.
How many times have you found yourself saying “‘I’d be able to market my business better if I had more time,” or how about “When I have time, I’m going to start a blog, get organized, or make more product.”
Whatever it is, we all have something we’d do if we had more time.
But guess what? We’re never going to get more time. Time is never going to fall out of the sky. It’s never going to be available to buy at the store. No one is going to drop it off at your door.
You just have to learn to make the most of the time you have.
We all have different lives, different schedules, and different things that are demanding our time.
Some of you may have full time jobs, kids, school, spouses, or other family members that need your time and attention. We all have something. None of us have been given our own room in a castle on a remote island where our sole task is to work on our business all day.
The “secret” to getting more done in the time you have is to prioritize your tasks and avoid distractions.
Easier said than done, huh?
My niece was born in November, and I watch her several days each week (just like I did for her brothers). I know that I’m not going to get much done on the days that I watch her from 8am – 5pm. So, to make up for that, I plan ahead.
I write down what I want to accomplish each week and try to get the majority of that done on my days off from babysitting. And on the days that I watch her, I might be working from 6pm – 10pm. And I may just find myself working on a Saturday or Sunday.
I barely ever watch a TV show when it actually airs. I record everything onto my DVR and watch it around my schedule. I’ve been known to juggle plans with friends and even say “no” when I’ve had things to get done.
The point is, I’ve found ways to make my schedule work for me.
To figure out how to make your schedule work for you, start out by writing out all the tasks you want to get done in your business this week. Highlight the really important ones in pink. Those are your priorities.
Once you’ve done that, highlight the next most important tasks in green. Try to get those things done this week, but don’t feel bad if you don’t get to them. Don’t worry about the things that aren’t highlighted. Chances are, they’re not really that necessary. (after all, if they were that important, they’d be highlighted in pink – for priority!)
Look at your calendar and see where you can fit the priorities in. It might mean answering emails while you’re in line for child pick-up or it might mean working on your business for an hour after the kids are in bed or an hour before they get up.
I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy. But I am telling you that you’d be really surprised at how much you could accomplish if you spent five hours each week on the priorities in your business and got rid of the distractions of TV, busy work, and other meaningless activities.
Just try it – you’ll be surprised!