How to Be Ruthless with Time

If you've created a time management plan and still failed to reach your goals, it's likely because you're too flexible and easy on yourself and others when it comes to the schedule. The sorry fact is that time is not limitless. You can't get more. You can't work harder to get more of it; it's a finite resource that cannot be increased or replaced. 

When you realize that time is finite and that there really might not be some future distant tomorrow, you might start being more ruthless with the time you've got. Follow these tips to make time management so much easier.

* Just Say No - The biggest factor in being ruthless with your time is learning to say no. If you really do not want to do something, you must say no. There is no sin in saying no. The only reason you feel guilty about the word is that your mother taught you saying no was wrong. It's time to realize that as a grown-up you can now say no.

* Get Up on Time - This is a hard one for many but it doesn't have to be hard as you think. If you are a small business owner who works from home, it's actually pretty easy. You do not need more than seven or eight hours of sleep a night. If you can limit your sleep to no more than eight hours, you will gain time. If you typically sleep less than six you may need to get in a bit more sleep to be most productive with your time.

* Try to Be Early - If you need to drive places or you have deadlines for work, schedule your time so that you are going to be early. The reason is that this is one of the ways to eliminate urgency from your life, which in turn causes stress and can cause problems with time management. This way if something does happen out of the ordinary, you will still have time to meet a deadline and be on time.

* Turn Off Technology - The very thing that is supposed to make our time more productive can have the opposite effect too. The notifications of new emails, your Facebook stream, and unscheduled time on Pinterest can get out of hand. Turn it off. You'll gain so much more time. That includes your TV, too.

* Understand Your Internal Clock - Everyone has an internal time clock. It-s important not to fight against that and be aware of what it is. Some people are early risers and some people are night owls and others are in between. It's important for you to determine for yourself what your own internal clock is and then work with it.

* Make Lists - If you understand each step that goes behind a calendar listing, it will be more beneficial because it's easier to allocate enough time for each thing when you know what it takes to complete any given task. You won't be able to accurately determine the time it takes without all the information.

* Calendar It - Put everything in your calendar including everyday tasks, small steps for a project due in the future, and time with family, friends and yourself. Don't skip this step so that when someone asks for your time you can easily schedule them in (or not) based on your availability. 

* Avoid Meetings - Some meetings are important, such as a first client meeting to establish goals and determine tactics, but after that almost everything else can be accomplished through updates in a project management system. There is no real need for weekly meetings for updates, or to discuss anything that can easily be put into a memo.

* Touch It Only Once - Another way to be ruthless with your time is to not allow yourself to wait to do things later. If you get an email that requires a response, do it now. If you check your snail mail and a bill needs to be paid, schedule it now. If you get junk mail, delete it now. Only check your mail when you have time to deal with these issues.

Finally, don't be too hard on yourself in terms of the hours you schedule yourself to work. Yes, be ruthless about the schedule, but also schedule in fun time. Humans aren't designed to work 20 hours a day. Go ahead, schedule 8 to 10 hours a day of work. But, in between, schedule in breaks. Time with friends, family and spouses during any given work day is important too. Also, remember to schedule in breaks like weekends and vacations. If you do that, it'll be so much easier to be ruthless with time and stick to your schedule normally. 

Social Networking Productivity

Social networks can help you nurture relationships with your community and grow your business. They can also help you stay on the cutting edge of your industry and give you a way to communicate in real time.  However, the downside of using social networks is that they can become a time suck. You may have logged on to just post one update and found yourself still browsing three hours later.

Social media is too valuable a tool for most small business owners to stop using, but that doesn’t mean you have to be consumed by it. You can learn how to manage your social accounts more effectively by following these social networking productivity tips.

Use apps to track your time

You may be surprised to know how much time you’re really spending on networks like Facebook and Twitter. Try installing time tracking software on your laptop or work computer to monitor your social activity.

The biggest advantage of using a time tracking app is that it forces you to acknowledge your social media habits. Once you know how much time you waste on social networks, you can take control of your usage and change your ways.

Log off

After every social media session, you should log out of your account completely. When you stay logged in constantly, it makes it much easier to tell yourself that you’re just going to check Twitter for a ‘few minutes’. 

Schedule down time

You don’t have to stay constantly plugged into social networks. It’s not healthy and can distract you from what you’re working on in the present. Many small business owners find that having a regularly scheduled down time is helpful.

This time period could be from 8pm to 6am or any time slot you choose. Having regularly scheduled down time prevents overwhelm and boosts mood. It also shows you that the world won't crumble if you don’t respond to every comment the moment that it comes in.

Go offline when you’re working

One of the biggest productivity killers is constantly checking in on social media. When it's time to get down to work, block your internet access for an hour or two. You'll be amazed at what you're able to accomplish. If you can’t find the willpower to block it yourself, look for an app to help you. Some apps will lock down your internet access for a period of two or more hours at a time. This usually works well because the only way to re-gain internet access is to shut off your device and reload your operating system.

Social networks are valuable marketing tools. To get the most value from these tools, you need to set clear guidelines so you know when you’re being productive and when you’re not.  

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Content Productivity

You want to create content that is valuable. Your content should be helpful to your community while making your business shine. But creating quality content takes time. If you struggle with content creation, it may take you hours to write a simple blog post or article. You dread each creation session because you know it’ll be hours before you’re done.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to spend hours agonizing over each piece of content that you create. In fact, if you follow a few basic content productivity tasks, you’ll shave hours off the creation process and may even grow to enjoy it.

Start with an outline.

This is not your high school teacher’s idea of outline. Your outline can be simple with just a few bullet points or it can be more complex with complete paragraphs that will need to be fleshed out later. Whichever method works for you is fine. There’s no right way to make an outline.

The reason you want to create an outline is because it's much easier to write when you already know the main points you want to cover. Start by writing down several points you want to touch on then go back and number them in order of importance. You’ll want to share your most important points early on in your content.

Write a terrible first draft.

Many people struggle with content creation because they’re trying to craft the perfect content piece. But it’s much easier to write a terrible first draft and edit it later than it is to create perfection the first time around.

The best way to write your first draft is to set aside a timer. Using only your outline, start writing. You don’t have to start with the introduction if you don’t want to. You can start by writing your conclusion if that’s what you prefer.

Feel free to jump around as you create your content, but write it as quickly as possible. Your goal right now is just to get your ideas on the page. Later, you organize or edit those ideas.

Block out interruptions.

A common reason for difficulty with content creation is repeated interruptions. When you’re interrupted frequently, you lose your original thought and have to look back to discover where you were. Once you enter the creative state, it’s best to stay in it until you’ve completed your project. Most interruptions really can wait until later.

Create in batches.

If possible, write several blog posts or articles back to back. When you work this way, you’ll stimulate your creativity and will come up with even more ideas. As a bonus, you’ll now have content that you can schedule in advance later on.

Content productivity is a skill that anyone can learn. Don’t think you have to use every single content hack you hear about. It’s fine to ignore the advice that doesn’t work for you. Instead, just focus on the content hacks that make you the most productive.

Want more productivity hacks? Grab the workbook. Would you love a little assistance with producing content or getting started with that newsletter? Let's Chat

Email Productivity

Email is a great way to connect with your community and stay in touch with them. But just like every other business tool, you have to know how to use email properly or it can easily consume your days.

Many business owners have difficulty managing their inboxes. As a result, they stayed buried under an avalanche of ever growing messages. If that describes you, then consider trying some of these email hacks.

Don’t check your email constantly.

This one is difficult if you have your email account synced to a mobile device. It’s tempting to drop everything and check your email the second you get a new notification. But when you check your email too often, you'll be tempted to respond to messages later. This can make you more likely to forget or ignore the message.

Instead, set a designated time to check and respond to messages. It's usually best to have 1-2 times during the day that you stop and check your email. Many business owners find that checking your email in the morning and again before you stop working is the best way to go.

Create templates.

As a business owner, you may get the same questions frequently. For example, if you offer WordPress themes, you might receive emails from new buyers asking how they should install their WordPress theme. In cases like this, it’s helpful to have a saved response. Now all you have to do is copy and paste your response each time you get the same question. Let me know if you would like some help with this.

Make a decision quickly.

Procrastination is the enemy when it comes to email productivity. You only have a few basic options when it comes to handling email messages. You can respond, file, delegate, or delete your emails.

Once you make a decision, ask yourself if you’ll need the information again later. For example when you get an electronic receipt for a business purchase, it’s usually best to file it. But emails that aren’t important or that you don’t have to follow up with can be deleted.

Know when to pick up the phone.

Sometimes, an old fashioned phone call is required. With a phone call, you have the advantage of tone and inflection. This is important when dealing with situations that might be tricky like negotiating a price with one of your clients or when collaborating on a project with a business partner.

Mastering email can be difficult. But with the right systems in place, you can make it more manageable. Take control of your inbox and end the electronic avalanche.

Stop living in overwhelm…download your productivity workbook now.

Know What Your Most Valuable Tasks Are

You may have heard of the 80/20 rule. This rule states that eighty percent of your income will be generated by twenty percent of your actions. For most business owners that means they’re filling their days with tasks that aren’t truly valuable.

The best way to deal with this problem is to find the twenty percent of tasks that are the most important. When you know what these tasks are, you’ll be able to make smarter business decisions. These are the questions you need to ask yourself to determine if a business activity is truly valuable.

Can this task be done by someone else?

Your most valuable tasks will always be the ones that can only be done by you. If you're a New York Times bestselling author, then your most valuable task would be writing. If you're a coach, your most valuable task would be coaching your clients.

If you’re working on a project and there are elements that someone else can do, don’t be afraid to outsource. By outsourcing, you’ll be able to concentrate on bringing your very best work to the project.

Does this task make me money?

Your most valuable tasks are income generators. This is important to understand because many business owners spend too much time on activities that aren’t profitable. Tasks like spending two hours fussing over your Facebook header or nitpicking the colors of your website are not producing income.

If a task doesn't earn you money, then you need to ask if this is something that truly needs to be completed by you. Outsourcing mundane tasks lets you focus on big picture tasks that increase your income.

Am I energized by this task?

Your most valuable tasks are the ones that energize you. If you love a task and it fires you up, chances are high that it's a valuable task. Most business owners dread the small, mundane tasks because they already know these tasks don't matter that much.

When it comes to activities that you don’t enjoy, you need to evaluate whether they even need to be done in the first place. It could be that you’re holding onto outdated advice or that your business has changed so much that you no longer need to do this task.

At the beginning of each new year, you should evaluate your work, looking for the truly valuable tasks that are on your plate. Don’t be afraid to let go or outsource your eighty percent tasks so you can embrace your twenty percent ones.

Discover your most valuable tasks when you download the workbook.

Get Shit Done! Productivity Hacks 101

Say No To Busy Work

Busy work is a thief that steals your productivity without your knowledge. You get to the end of your day and you haven’t made any real progress on your goals. Maybe you re-organized your desk or updated your blog. But you haven’t done anything to will truly help you build your business.

Busy Work = Urgent

The important thing to understand about busy work is that feels urgent. However, busy work never adds value to your business. An example of busy work would be checking your social media accounts the second your phone dings. Doing this makes you feel productive even though you aren’t.

In order to say no to busy work, you have to be willing to say ‘no’ to seemingly urgent tasks. For example, if you’re working on a client project and you get a message that it’s time to update your website software, then it’s easy to get off track. Before you know it, your day is over and the client project is still waiting for you.

Busy Work = Procrastination

For many people, busy work is a form of procrastination. It might not look like procrastination. In fact, you may tell yourself that before you start on a project, you just need to make a giant to do list and organize your resources.

If you want to say no to busy work, you have to understand that it causes you to make a lot of plans. But it’s the follow through that makes the difference. It might be helpful to say, “Before I begin on this project, I’m going to take 10 minutes to make an outline”. When the ten minutes are up, start working even if your outline isn’t completed yet.

Busy Work = Overwhelm

Busy work frequently masks overwhelm. Maybe you're overwhelmed at the thought of learning new software or creating an e-course. So you spend most of your time doing less important tasks instead of focusing on what's going to grow your business.

If you find that you’re using busy work to avoid overwhelming projects, try to sit down and pick a deadline for just one task. You might say, “By February 30, 2016, I will hire a virtual assistant that can install this software and teach me how to use it”.

In order to keep busy work from stealing your productivity, you have to understand what it is. Even more importantly, you need to know why you’re doing this busy work, so you can tackle the real root of the problem.

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