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Are you obsessed with time management?

I think we can all agree that time management is a very good thing, however, there are situations where people tend to take the whole idea of using their time wisely to the extreme. When this happens, the crucial goal of managing your time gets lost in “the busy” and the drive to cram too much into too little time. When it gets to this point, the process of managing your time ceases to be a help and becomes a burden instead. It may be that you can become obsessed with managing your time!

There are several early warning signs that you are may be on the edge of abusing time management rather than use it to your best advantage:

 

Multitasking is your thing

In today’s world, as women we tend to pride ourselves at being able to multitask our way through the day. It’s not unusual for us to handle more than two or more tasks at a time, and we start to do this without thinking. If the tasks in question can be conducted concurrently without causing a great deal of stress we tend to overlook what’s really going on and work on autopilot by dividing our focus and our talent to get through the day. How often, for example, do we participate on a webinar or conference call while also sending instant messages and email to keep things flowing? Ok, two activities can actually work together without any real difficulty.

Things can get tricky when you attempt to take on two or more labor-intensive tasks at the same time, however. This can lead to a great deal of inner conflict and possibly have a negative impact on the quality applied to each of the tasks involved. In other words, instead of ending up with one task done well, you have two (or more) tasks that may be completed but are barely acceptable.

Some people find they just can’t stop multitasking even when it is not necessary. The idea behind this approach is that the multitasking will make it easier to finish all the action items currently on the agenda and enjoy some well-earned downtime. Unfortunately, when you become obsessed with multitasking to manage your time you’ll never really get around to having any downtime. Instead, you’ll finish one set of projects and immediately start looking for another set to do.

Multitasking as part of time management is fine, provided it’s done wisely. When it becomes an end in and of itself rather than a means to reach a goal, it is time to step back and re-evaluate your approach.

 

You Feel Guilty If You Are Not Doing Something

Many of us live our lives from the edge of guilt. We worry about doing the right thing, for the right people, at the right time and we often find ourselves agonizing over the way we do things. Guilt can be an effective tool when it comes to keeping us on track, but guilty feelings when there is nothing to feel guilty about is another matter altogether (and we’re very good at finding those matters). When guilt creeps into the time management process, it is usually an indicator that you have begun to believe on some level that unless you’re are not actively engaged in some task, you’re are not managing your time well.

While it is important to take care of necessary tasks in a timely manner, you do need some time to simply relax and recharge. If you look at it from this perspective, failing to include time for rest and recreation is a breach of good time management policies. If you deny your mind and your body of what it needs to be healthy, you are defeating the purpose of time management, and setting yourself up for a fall at some future point.

 

You become annoyed with others who don’t do as you do

One of the ways people validate their actions is by comparing them with what other people do. After all, if others are using the same approaches and methods to time management that we are, that means we are on the right track. However, when you’re in your zone and people do things differently, we may assume they are wrong and we are right, something has gone wrong with our sense of time management.

We know that everyone brings different talents and abilities to a given task, so taking this to the next level means there are in fact more than one right approach when tackling the same tasks or projects. People who have a balanced view of time management realize this and even welcome the opportunity to learn something new. However, if you assume your way is the only right way you may be on the defensive and find fault with as many aspects of the alternative method as possible.

Again, this negative point of view isn’t really in keeping with true time management principles. Not only does this mindset make it impossible to be exposed to new ways of managing tasks and possibly saving time, it also can create a great deal of stress and friction for everyone concerned. If you are working with a team or delegating responsibilities, having this mindset can upset everyone’s ability to manage time effectively, meaning no one progresses as quickly as they would if all parties could learn from one another and respect individual working styles.

It may be time to check in with yourself and the way you manage your time! The bottom line is that you can become so obsessed with time management that the good you’ve created may start to unravel, putting you in a position where you are more likely to struggle and fail. When this happens, you’ll find your obsession with structured time management may be worse than when you didn’t attempt any time management practices at all.

 

Barbara Jemmott is the founder and business strategist at Your Entrepreneurial Spirit. Her 4-point YES to Customer Acquisition Program (C.A.P.) allows her to work her passion which is helping entrepreneurial women grow their audiences and income, online. She got here through her 20+ years of experience helping businesses understand and implement systems, strategies and procedures to increase productivity as well as implementing change and streamlining operations. With experience and responsibilities to design, develop and deliver training for small to large technology training initiatives for Fortune 100 companies, she brings “Big Business” expertise to the small business space. Learn more about Your Entrepreneurial Spirit and the YES to Customer Acquisition Program at www.yourentrepreneurialspirit.com

 

 

NO TIME OR MONEY BUT I WANT TO INVEST IN REAL ESTATE!

Amina

As a mortgage agent and real estate investor, I meet many first time as well as experience investors.  Knowing that the government won’t take care of us in our golden years, most of us have come to realize that investing in real estate instead of other types of investments, such as GIC’s or mutual funds for example, can provide us with long-term growth, security not to mention monthly cash-flow.

Being a real estate investor, I write a number of blog posts about investing and I attend a lot of real estate based networking events.  There is always something to learn!

But this is where the rubber hits the road.  The difference is in the investor who takes what they have learned and applies it to purchasing properties and the other, who keeps learning but is hesitant to take action.

I always ask what does it take? Why do some people take action and other sit on the sidelines and watch?

It is lack of confidence, time, or money or a combination of all three?

I can understand “I don’t have enough money”, however there is a solution to this.

I can also understand  “I do not have the time.”  Many people already have full-time jobs and cannot take on another job, such as full-time real estate investing.

Let’s look at a solution to both of these problems.

You don’t have money so what can you do?  Believe it or not, many people find themselves in this boat.  There are people with money, who don’t have the time to invest and need an experienced investor (this is where you come in having learned everything there is to know) to partner with them.  This is a joint-venture situation.  The partner with the funds takes out the mortgage and invests the funds.  You take care of the property, finding the tenant and ongoing maintenance and rent collection.  You both split the profit 50/50.  There are numerous ways to joint-venture with somebody but this is the usual.

The above solution also works for the person who does not have the time.  He or she works 60-70 hours a week and is making great money but they want more.  They want to make a better return on their investments and the time they have vested in their full-time job.

Once they start investing, many of these people see that the return on their time is better spent investing in real estate and learning more instead of just joint-venturing with other investors who have time.

It all comes down to what is more important to you – time or money? Or both?

For me, it’s both but I am far from that place where full-time investing takes over my present full-time job.  How will I get there?  By learning, taking action and making my investments work for me.

To your Wealth!

Amina

Please “like” my facebook page here Please follow me on twitter here

Is Engagement On Social Media A Return On Your Investment?

Malene Jorgensen

When people talk about social media marketing, there seems to be a focus on what you are getting in return. How is your timely investment measured? How is that investment related to sales? Some people tend to believe that just because you start sharing links on Facebook and Twitter, you will make money. Sure, there are success stories of people making lots of money online with their businesses, but this is far from the norm.

In other words, just because you are sharing links to your e-commerce store or your online products doesn’t mean you will see any returns on this investment. Instead, you may need to change your view of social media marketing all together to see just how useful it can be.

It really isn’t about how many products you sell every time you share a link. Instead, it is about the relationships you create on the network and about how you continue to nurture them. The investment really comes down to the engagement you have on these networks. If you start conversations, chances are that you will gain some loyal customers. So, when you do end up releasing a new product or service, people are more likely to invest in them if they are suited for their needs.

If you have thousands of followers who are excited about your business and you aren’t seeing any purchases, the problem may not be with your social media marketing. One common problem I stumble upon often is that people will disregard their Twitter or Facebook followers because they aren’t seeing any sales. But your social media marketing efforts may be paying off. The followers may be coming to your website – which is the goal of social media marketing – but they are turned off by your website. Then, they leave again without making a purchase.

You can find out whether this is a problem by implementing an analytics system to your business website, so you can see how many people are coming from Twitter or Facebook. You need to analyze all the steps in your social media strategies to determine what isn’t working. Only then can you find your social media success – and see the returns on your timely investments.

 

Malene Jorgensen is an entrepreneur, author and speaker. Jorgensen is passionate about online content, blogging, online business development and e-commerce. She owns an international media publishing company and a design studio. Jorgensen has written several books that are sold in over 50 countries. She is also obsessed with coffee and Twitter. You can reach Malene Jorgensen at Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram 

Adding Value

Sheralyn

Growing up my nickname was SherSher.  My younger brother couldn’t quite say my name and “shersher” was the result.  Somehow it stuck and even today, I have a phonetic variation of this moniker as my license plate.  The problem is, often people assume the plates mean “sure, sure” and there’s a reason for that. I tend to say “sure” or “yes” to just about anything.  I am the “go to” person when it comes to volunteering and getting the job done for others but at what cost?

The self-employed face unique challenges when it comes to placing a value on our time. This questioning of our worth comes both from within, (that niggly little devil on the shoulder who voices all our doubts and insecurities) and occasionally from external sources as well – your mother in law perhaps, who thinks you should get a “real” job. Often we feel pushed or pulled in different directions and as a result, may end up directionless. Combined with the dueling forces of the excitement and passion for whatever our small business is vs. the guilt (whether mommy guilt or the good old female guilt we all seem to be born with) it’s a wonder we get anything done! As an entrepreneur you may have a flexible schedule and equate this flexibility with more “free” time to do something that a “9 to 5er” just couldn’t do.  If you’re also a mom this translates into convincing yourself you “should” do more. Organize that fundraiser, bake those peanut free cookies or volunteer for the reading program at school.  Just because you can however, doesn’t always mean you should. When you commit to something other than your business, what you are really doing is undermining its value and robbing your business of its primary investment – you.

Faced with multiple priorities and struggling under the load of guilt we all shoulder, how do you determine your value and how do you measure your success?  When you are self-employed you need to be VERY clear about these questions. First, you must have an overall goal. Corporations call them Mission Statements or Value Statements, even Visions.  Be clear about what your Goal is. Then, you need to determine your monetary desires.  It might help to think of your work as being paid by the hour, even if that is not how you define your contracts with clients. How many hours should a project take? Have you included research time, sourcing, travel expenses to meet with clients or other costs like advertising? When we work from home we don’t tend to think about some of these overhead costs in the same way that “big business” would. Try considering this: treat your business as if you were renting office space and you had to pay for that space by the hour.  Would you still take time away from your “office” if you factored in that cost? Would you volunteer for the cookie baking or take time away from your desk to throw a load of laundry in the machine if you knew the financial implications? If you keep getting bogged down in the “daily details” your business gets bogged down too.

Get up, get dressed and get over the guilt. I know people who say they love the flexibility of working from home because they can stay in their pajamas if they want to.  This too undervalues the importance of what you do and your commitment to yourself and your business.  Have a scheduled start time.  Don’t deviate from your plan, no matter who calls you or asks could you “do me a quick favour.” Schedule your calls, emails and client meetings just as you would in the “real world” and then the world (perhaps even your mother in law!) will come to respect that what you are doing is of real value.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t ever want to be the “sorry I’m too busy to help” person.  Everyone is busy and it’s important to me to make time for others and to volunteer where I can. But I don’t have to do it all and neither do you. After all, “many hand make light work” as the saying goes. Just be “sure-sure.” That is, be sure to prioritize your schedule, attaching an appropriate value to ALL that you do.  Respect your time commitment to yourself and your business and others will come to respect it as well.

WRiting Right For You
“At a loss for words? I can help you find them!”
Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Business: 416-420-9415
Email: writingrightforyou@gmail.com
Website:http://writingrightforyou.weebly.com

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