Posts Tagged ‘productivity’

Women Entrepreneurs are among the busiest people I know. But busy does not mean effective. Do you need more time in your day? Do you need to be more effective?

Here are some 5 Minute Time Management Strategies for you to try on. Why 5 Minute Strategies? Because you’re BUSY! If it takes more than 5 minutes to implement your time management strategy, you probably won’t do it!

• Stop Answering the Phone! Now this isn’t for everyone. If you are in customer service or responsible for scheduling clients, then you probably still want to answer the phone. Most of us, though, answer the phone because it’s ringing. We react. Instead of being reactive, be proactive. Plan your calls. Pick up messages and return calls all at once when you have the time to do it, not when you’re in the middle of something else.
• Stop Checking Your Email, Facebook and Twitter! If you’re anything like me, you could probably spend your whole day in front of your computer (or on your iPhone) checking your email and your social media platforms. You will feel busy and you will look busy, but you might not get much done. Schedule 3-6 times per day (for 15 to 60 minutes) that you will check email and your social media sites and respond to whatever you need to respond to. It takes discipline, but it’s worth it. This tip alone can free you up to do some “real work” and get some real results!
• Use NET Time! NET stands for “No Extra Time”. Listen to teleclass recordings in your car, learn a language while you work out, check your email while you’re in the drop off circle to pick up your kids from school, prepare your sales presentation or your upcoming class while you’re hanging out at baseball practice. You get the idea.
• Say “No” or “Not Now.” There are a lot of distractions in life. Practice saying “no” and “not now” to distractions. If it’s something that’s really important, schedule it.
• Make a List. Top 5, Top 6 or Top 10. Every evening or every morning, make a list of your Top 5, 6 or 10 things that you must accomplish during the next 24 hours and do them.

If you want something done, ask a happy, busy person to do it for you!

You all know this girl (in fact, you probably ARE this girl) who seems to get more done than everyone else and always seems happy about it.  Sure, she’s busy and optimistic.  But, really, doesn’t anything bad ever happen to her?  Doesn’t she ever have a bad day?  The answer is YES!

The difference is that positive people don’t wallow around in their problems or spend a lot of time worrying about (and complaining about) things that they can’t do anything about.  They find what they can do and they do it.  When presented with a problem, they look for the solution.  What’s that quote?

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

I had to look it up.  I didn’t just know it.  Even though, if I didn’t tell you, you’d probably think I did.  A productive person goes and finds the answer – now.  She knows that “one day” is not a day of the week and she knows that the only time she has is NOW.  She doesn’t have any more hours in the day than any one else.

She doesn’t have to sacrifice her family, her relationships or her self care routines in order to be productive. In fact, she is probably better at keeping up with those things, finds time to play games with her kids, connect with her husband, travel and go out with her girlfriends.

She likely manages her time with a structure, whether it be a calendar or a planner or a “tickler file” (that one is for you, Tera McHugh).  Talk about it and it is a fantasy, schedule it and it becomes a reality.  I tell people all the time, “I just do what my calendar says.”  If my calendar says that it’s time to workout, well… I’m going to go work out.  If my calendar says it’s time to make follow up calls, then that’s what I do.  If I run into a conflict or I don’t feel like it, I move it to a more convenient time.  I don’t cancel!

Being positive and productive is a choice.  It is simply a set of habits that get repeated over and over again.  It doesn’t mean you won’t have problems and that you won’t have bad days.  It does mean that you (and everyone around you, for that matter) will feel a whole lot better about it.