With the real-time advances in technology at our beck and call 24/7, knowing what time it is is not the issue – the challenge is managing. The distractions that present themselves and compete for our attention throughout the day, can affect productivity, profit and peace of mind.
Whether you are the business owner or a part of the team, your responsibilities can include servicing the customer, managing employees, selling to new customers, or all of the above! If you find yourself struggling, it is time for you to make time to make time!
Here are three fundamental steps to building a process that that will help you organize your workday:
Write It Down
Writing and planning are at the core of effective time management. Dennis Snedden, president of Carnegie, PA-based Time Management Services, a consulting firm that works to improve personal productivity, says on his web site that the first secret to good time management is simply writing it down. “You can’t do what you can’t remember,” he says. “That doesn’t mean that you will take action on everything that you write down. It just means that you won’t forget it.” He adds, “Before you leave the office, before you stop work for the day, on the way home . . . any time before your head hits the pillow at night, have tomorrow planned.”
Focus On Your Goals
Goals are best defined by assigning priorities to your task list. By prioritizing, you can identify realistic and manageable tasks and achieve better results with the same or less effort. Say “yes” to activities that support your prioritized tasks and “no” to those that are not as important to your end goal. When you do this, you will find that you are more likely to meet your deadlines and get more done in a day than ever before.
Develop Disciplined Work Habits
Determine your peak hours of performance, focus on the plan of action, and work proactively to the end goal. “You can get two to three times more work done during your peak hour and-a-half than you can during your ‘off peak’ hours,” Snedden says. “Guard this time zealously. Let others know the best times not to interrupt and disturb you. You’ll get more done and be in control of your day, your week, your month and your life.”
It’s time to make to get a handle on your time! The bottom line is, if you don’t manage your time, someone else will and business will suffer. Organization and time management is an art that only few are born with. Most people must learn to be organized by recognizing and changing their habits, and develop a new process that works for them.
At R2R Marketing, our team is ready to assist and manage all of your marketing tasks as well as help guide you to solutions that will highlight workplace opportunities. Call us at 757-482-3492 or visit www.r2rmarkets.com to learn more!
