How do you save time?
What makes you choose to spend time over a given activity versus another?
Do you struggling with the almost impossible concept of “having it all?” Or are you just resigned to the fact you’re never going to get to do everything on your to do list?
Business owners…especially small business owners often are called upon to do – EVERYTHING in their business until things get going. Over time develops a little green monster called “Micro Management Mini Me” and before you know it – even if you HAVE help…you tend to just do everything out of habit, out of fear, out of a twisted sense of efficiency (“want something done right, do it yourself comes to mind…) Fact of the matter is – this is a sure fire recipe for insanity, burn out and if you’re not careful even a fail grade for your business – if you don’t manage your time smartly.
The following article got us thinking about time management and how we can go about it better, perhaps get a little calmer in the process and attend to the things in due time, that will really contribute to helping your business grow and you stay a little more sane. At the end of the article see our top 5 SWAT management tactics to keep you on track.
The Unknown secret of Time management – Courtesy of the blog Pschycotactics.com
Imagine a close relative needs to be driven to the hospital and you don’t have time to call an ambulance. You have to drive your relative to the hospital right away. So what do you do? You drive, don’t you? And you get your relative to the hospital.
And obvious as it may sound, you got to the hospital because you could drive.
If you couldn’t drive, you’d have to wait for an ambulance.
Or you’d have to hail a taxi (yeah, right!)
Or you’d have to persuade someone else to drive.
What you’re losing is precious time
Just like business owners do every single day. In their desire to just get the job done, most business owners miss out on the big, unknown secret of time management: namely having considerable skill to do the job. This means that if a business owner has to change stuff on their website, or tweak some graphic, or do something that’s related to their business, they have to wait for the ambulance. Or a taxi. Or someone else.
Time management SWAT tactics for women in business:
Get control of the Inbox – Reduce gratuitous email – ASAP
Don’t send anything lengthy via email…If it can’t be written in two short paragraphs, consider picking up the phone instead or scheduling a meeting
#2 – Choose to respond to email at set specific times during the day versus in a “put out the fire” mentality…A vision of Lucy and the chocolate factory episode easily comes to mind…and when you’re reacting versus pro-acting – you’re not doing anything really well anyway
#3 – Create a “commercial” account for all the newsletters and sign ups on line – that you don’t want to read right away. Keep your business email address for that – business, not to share pictures of little Suzie’s birthday
#4 – Warn people with a short – polite disclaimer where your signature is that you may not respond right away. Encourage people to call you versus sending anything that is emergency related in this format.
Here’s another useful article we found on the web:
7 Steps To Effectively Take Control Of Your Inbox And Reduce Spam by Balraj Dhaliwal