Archive for May, 2007



Time Management for Busy Businessowners

Wednesday 30 May 2007 @ 4:05 am

by Alicia Forest
More and more often, clients have been asking me, “how do you get it all done, Alicia?”

“I don’t know you how do it, Alicia…with a little one running around and so few hours in the day to actually focus on your work. Somehow you manage to write your weekly ezine, hold a bunch of teleseminars each month, run your 10-week group coaching program, AND be creating and promoting new offers and new products all the time. I’m so impressed and inspired by you, but more than that, I want to know how you do it all!?”

To be honest, sometimes I wonder myself! Something I often say to other, especially new, mothers is, “despite what everyone tells you to do, do whatever works for YOU.” In a way, that’s how I started running my business after I had my daughter. I just did whatever worked. I still do.

Now that she’s a bit older, it’s easier to manage both being a fulltime mother along with running a successful business. Notice I said it was easier - not easy!

Over time, I’ve figured out how to get the most important things done while still being able to focus the majority of my time on my family (after all, that’s one of the reasons why I went into business for myself in the first place).

Here are the top three things that are working for me right now:

1. Setting my work hours

My typical work day looks like this: I get up shortly before my daughter to get organized for the day. This jump-starts my day and makes me feel like I’ve already accomplished something before I spend the next several hours having tea parties, blowing bubbles, exploring the neighborhood or running errands.

But I don’t get any real work done until her naptime. I work for about two hours while she naps in the afternoon, four days a week. Then for another two hours after she goes to bed at night three evenings a week. My biggest block of focused time, usually reserved for writing and product creation, is on Saturdays, when I work approximately 6 hours. During a perfect week, that would give me about 20 hours of time dedicated to business. However, there’s never a perfect week (Chloe doesn’t nap, I have some pressing non-business-related task that I can only take care of when she’s sleeping, etc.), so my best guess is that this gives me about 15 productive hours to work on my business each week.

2. Ignoring the phone

I’m serious when I say that I ignore the phone. Some of my clients get heart palpitations when I tell them that I NEVER jump when the phone rings and suggest they do the same. (It drives some of my friends batty, too.) The ringer on our phones are either off or set to soft alert that you can’t even hear it ring unless you’re really listening for it. Does this mean I miss some important calls? Probably. But I am good about checking messages quickly to make sure it’s not an emergency, and then calling people back at a more convenient time for me.

3. Quick consults

Until recently, when a prospective client wanted to speak with me about ‘just a few questions’, I used to gladly schedule a time to talk. But instead of a few questions, I’d be on the phone for at least a half hour, basically giving a free coaching/consulting session, and being frustrated with myself for not valuing my time more.

Now when a potential client or customer requests to talk with me further about working with me or about one of my products, they can scheduled time to talk to me for a much smaller fee than my usual hourly rate, and if they decide to go forward with working with me, they can apply the fee they paid towards the program or product they were interested in. It’s fair and values both our time and investment in the process.

BONUS: Make and use lists

I’d be lost without my lists! I’d never remember to do anything if I didn’t write it down. I keep a bunch of reporter’s notebooks around the house and anytime I think of something I need to do, I write it down in whatever room I’m in - whether it’s business or personal. Then I periodically gather the lists and separate them into three main lists; personal, business, and other (which includes the “someday I’d like to…” stuff; things that aren’t a priority but that I want to remember to do at some point), and check things off in priority order from there.

If you start applying some of these steps now, I guarantee the number of productive hours you spend on your business will increase. And you’ll also feel less overwhelmed and lessed stressed about trying to get it all done!

© 2007 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach™, founder of ClientAbundance.com and creator of 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System™, teaches coaches, consultants, online entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com .

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In Search of Prosperity - Time Management Guidelines For Business Prosperity

Monday 28 May 2007 @ 3:05 pm

by Lolly M.
When I first started out in search of Prosperity by way of an Internet Business Income Opportunity, I was very easily distracted by the overwhelming amount of information that flowed into my in-box each day. Sign up for this, sign up for that. I felt like I spent most of my days signing up for one Internet Business Opportunity after another.

Before I knew it, my day would be over and about the only thing I accomplished was giving myself blisters on my fingers from tapping out my details on the keyboard all day. I did acquire useful snippets of information from time to time, but was often left feeling frustrated that I was not actually making progress in real terms, in fact, all I was doing was playing the Internet Income Opportunity Game.

I began to realize that if I were going to have any chance of debt free prosperous living using an Internet Income Opportunity I would need a plan and a plan that I could work with each day. A plan that I would follow regardless of the hundreds of Internet Income Opportunities that ventured my way. My time management was terrible, in fact I had no time management skills whatsoever and I was certainly not working towards developing a prosperous Internet business.

It was only when I implemented some really simple Time Management Guidelines that I saw results from my efforts and my dream of debt free prosperous living started to become a reality.

Apply the following Time Management Guidelines in your Internet Business every day. They work well and help keep you focused on the tasks at hand. This is a critical factor in determining how prosperous your Internet Business will be. Developing these strategies as a daily habit will give you a very clear and definite picture of what you have achieved so far and what tasks still need to be worked on. Invest a couple of dollars in an exercise book that you can use solely for the purpose of implementing these Guidelines. Do not use it for anything else.

On the first couple of pages, clarify your objectives (your goals) for your Internet Business and your desired Internet Income. For example, what kind of Internet Business do you want? How much Internet Income do you want to earn? Seriously, I know you have probably heard this before but having your objectives in writing really helps you work out in your mind what it is that you want not just in your Internet Business but in your personal life as well.

I have my list not only in my book, but pinned up to my wall right next to my computer desk so that I can see them everyday. Prioritize your objectives in order of importance. Work out a time frame for each of these objectives eg. 5 years, 2 years, 1 year, 6 months, two months, 1 month etc, get the picture?

Keep in the forefront of your mind what your objectives are. I am not suggesting you daydream your life away thinking about how safely prosperous or really rich your going to be in 5 years. However, sometimes when you are working on a task that is rather dull that does need to be done, focusing on your objectives rather than the tasks will help maintain you maintain a positive frame of mind. Overcome the desire to procrastinate. Learn to do it now as tomorrow will never come.

Plan your time around achieving these objectives. Write out an activity plan for each day, each week, and each month. Ask yourself what tasks you need to undertake and accomplish by the end of the time frames you have set so that you can achieve a debt free prosperous living business.

Single out the most important task, the one that will be the most beneficial in developing a debt free prosperous living business and complete it. It’s important to note however, that you do need to be realistic with time frames. Do not set your self up to complete a task in a day that realistically will take you a week. This will only lead to further frustration and disappointment.

Always make the first hour of your workday productive. This will set the tone the rest of the day and typically, if the first hour is productive the rest of the day will be as well.

Always leave time allocated for the unexpected or for interruptions. Just remember that tasks that are scheduled always have a better opportunity of working out than tasks that are unscheduled.

Be meticulous with your work. Take the time to do it right the first time and don’t rush through a task just because you want to get it done. Do the work ONCE.

Develop a habit of finishing any task you start. Don’t jump from one thing to another (one of my bad habits). This just leaves a string of unfinished tasks behind.

Periodically, keep a log of how you use your time; this will help to identify bad time management habits that you can eliminate. In fact, you should analyze everything you do in terms of your objectives. Record what you do, when you do it and why you do it. If it becomes apparent that something is a waste of time, eliminate it from your plan and replace it with something else.

Allocate an hour each day of uninterrupted time for your most important tasks. Pick a time where you are most productive, for some it is in the morning for others it is at night.

Make better time management a daily habit. This takes practice, but believe me, you will get better if you stick to these guidelines. Set your objectives, identify your priorities, plan and schedule your time. Do important tasks first and resist the impulse to go off on tangents. Always complete weekly reviews of what you have and have not accomplished.

Lastly, but in no way the least important, is to make time for some fun in your day. Something that you like to do that is not about Business. Relax and recharge your batteries. This will help you to remain focused, energetic and maintain a positive frame of mind.

Follow these Time Management Guidelines, for you too can be prosperous in business. They will help you succeed in your journey to debt free prosperous living. Safely prosperous or really rich, which is your goal?

==================================
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Can Believe In PLUS All The Info To Make It
Succeed, Visit Lolly M. Editor and Owner:
Internet Business Income Opportunity Site
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Internet Business in our Money Maker Newsletter
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1 Simple Reason Why Time Management Seminars Can Assist You?

Monday 28 May 2007 @ 9:05 am

by Eddy K Elgin
Nowadays, more and more people are beginning to realise the importance of time management. Therefore, if you would like to learn how you can spend your time more wisely, you should attend a time management seminar.

This type of seminar will teach you the basics on how to save yourself time and money. If you are running a business, time managing is essential. With every employee using time management, more projects are being done and in a faster period of time. This makes your business more profitable. Sending your employees to a time management seminar can bring out the best in your business.

It will show you how you can set your list of priorities. They will explain to you the importance of spending time wisely. They will tell you how you are in control of the way you spend time, but you aren’t in control of how many hours in a day there are. They will tell you not to overwork yourself. Do not schedule yourself more than 168 hours in a week. This includes both business and personal time in your schedule. You have to remember to take time out for yourself.

What to expect at this seminar?

This kind of personal development seminar will show you how to create your schedules. They will teach you how to be realistic with the times you are giving yourself. They will teach you how you can use small amounts of time in your day that would normally be wasted without your control and turn them into usable time.

These seminars teach you how to set goals for yourself. These goals, if followed correctly can save you a lot of time in your life. Your life will become less hectic and you will be more successful in the business world.

The much important seminar will show you not everything in life is a priority. They will teach you how to fix the areas that are wasted time. By the time you are done with your time management seminar, you will be able to handle your time and appointments in a clear way.

You won’t feel like you’ve run around all day long and not accomplished anything. You will keep time in your life for everything you want to accomplish and not just one area.

If this sounds like a good plan of action for you, there are plenty of such seminars all over the internet. Simply search for the one that seems to get to the point right away. Your time is valuable. Don’t let it slip through your fingertips.

Whether you are an employee or employer, you have to know there are such time management seminars available, however no actions does not really bring you to greater heights.

Take action now is the most right thing to do if you want you goals realized.

Without an effective and proper time management system, there will not be much goal-oriented lifestyle to hope for.

Eddy K Elgin is the author of the 17 Minutes Time Management Secrets. Drop by at time management seminar for more details.

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The Truth About Time Management At Work!

Wednesday 23 May 2007 @ 4:05 am

by Dean Caporella
Time management at work…have you got it mastered? If you are still complaining there are not enough hours in a day then we have a simple solution to your problem. In fact, it could be as easy as reading an activity statement after a few days. Few people realize being productive is not simply a matter of being busy; if you are not focussing on results then anything else you try may be a waste of time.

Activity Statements Could Be The Answer

When information is recorded in black and white, it usually doesn’t lie. Time management at work can be hard to accomplish, whether you are self employed or working in a group environment.

There are so many distractions to overcome such as the telephone, speaking with work colleagues, checking email messages or going down the corridor to get a coffee and bumping into someone who’s just returned from vacation. You know what I mean… “Hi Ron, how was your vacation? What did you do? Give me all the goss!” Before you know it, half an hour has passed an you are “behind the eight ball!”

Time activity statements are a sure fire way to account for wasted and unproductive time. They are especially handy for self employed people like those working a business from home. They are almost like a hired conscious on paper and if they cannot get you motivated to make some changes to the way you structure your time, then you have an uphill battle on your hands.

An activity statement is so simple in it’s application they should become mandatory in most work environments. In fact, many companies are adopting similar methods with their employees to get a guage on effective use of work company time.

Simply, there is no standard issue activity statement you need to look for. You can draw one up yourself. The idea is to record every activity you perform during your nominated work time as you perform it. Details such as projected completion time and time taken to complete a task will be included. Also, recording breaks of any nature such as coffee, phone or talk breaks are a must. After several days, analyze your statement but sit down while you are doing it; the shock could cause you to faint!

Time Management Facts

Recent studies have shown people will have at least 50 interruptions during the course of a day. In fact, given a working day is still eight hours, this can equate to almost half the working day being wasted because of unproductive distractions.
Time Management At Work - Dealing With The Revelation

For many, realizing they’ve been wasteful in applying allotted work hours can come as a bit of a shock. This is not surprising. For example, saying no is an art form which many people simply cannot do.

In work situations, to get approval, many will do the job of someone else thinking it will get them more highly thought of. An activity statement will bring home the harsh reality that in a lot of cases, the reason why some people fail to get their work completed in the allotted time is because they’ve been doing tasks others should be doing.

This also applies to workers in management positions who are doing work which should be delegated to others. It’s a real eye opener so if you are at your wits end trying to figure out how to work smarter and not harder, try using a time management activity statement. You’ll be glad you did!

Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. There is an easy answer to more effective time management at work. Get the best strategies with our tips and tricks plus, get the latest time management news and tips at:http://www.timemanagementsite.com

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24 Gold Coins - Teachable Moment

Wednesday 23 May 2007 @ 2:05 am

by John Bishop
A man I know was given six months to live, yet his outlook on life was inspiring. I asked how he could stay so positive knowing he only had a short time to live. He shared these thoughts with me.

“Each day when I wake up I receive twenty-four gold coins, one for each hour of the day. I have to spend some of those coins for eating, sleeping, time with my family, and taking care of the day’s responsibilities. I choose to spend some of my daily hours (coins) having fun and helping others. At the end of each day there are usually a couple of special gold coins left over. I spend these with particular care. “

What an invaluable life lesson for us and our children. We live in a hectic, “there is never enough time to get everything done” world. Our future success, and that of our children, will be determined by how wisely we invest our daily gold coins.

Suggestions for implementation:

Some ideas for spending your special gold coins include:
• Helping someone without being asked
• Starting a new book or project that you have “been meaning to get to”
• Spending an extra thirty minutes a day on homework

Questions for discussion:
1. How did you spend your gold coins yesterday? Today?
2. Discuss with your family how you might spend your coins more wisely.

Quote for discussion:
“The time is always right to do what is right”
Martin Luther King

Please visit www.TeachingMoments.com for more life skills
ideas to help children succeed.

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Need more time? Go on a TV diet.

Friday 18 May 2007 @ 4:05 pm

by Denise Olesky
On September 21, 2006, Nielsen Media Research, Inc reported that the total average time a household watched television during the 2005-2006 television years was 8 hours and 14 minutes per day. And the average amount of television watched by an individual viewer increased 3 minutes per day to 4 hours and 35 minutes. American Idol and Deal or No Deal can certainly provide entertainment and the edge of your seat thrill you are looking for, but if the television has become the newest addition to your family, these simple tips can help reduce your TV time.

Read before bed. Reading can give your mind a break by redirecting your thoughts away from your day to day activity. And by giving your mind a rest, you can in turn reduce stress and fatigue.

Reading can also increase vocabulary. In an article written by Anne E Cunningham, What Reading Does for the Mind, past research has shown that vocabulary is grown more through reading then through oral language. In analyzing the English language, words were ranked by their frequency of use. “A rare word is defined as one with a rank lower than 10,000; roughly a word that is outside the vocabulary of a fourth to sixth grader.” 68.3 rare words per 1000 occur in newspapers, 65.7 in 1000 occur in popular magazines, and 52.7 rare words per 1000 occur in adult books; as opposed to the 22.7 per 1000 words that occur in popular prime-time adult shows.

Don’t “take on” new shows in the fall. Last fall the major networks premiered sixteen new series; this fall they planned to premiere twenty-three. What does this mean for you? More television hours to add to your already busy schedule. Of course you’ll need to tune in to the new season of Survivor or the new season of The Amazing Race, but do you need to tune in to a new show you have no time invested in so far? Probably not. Compile a list of shows you currently watch, leave off the season premiers, and stick to the list.

Don’t turn on the TV as soon as you come home. Instead of reaching for the remote, reach for the stereo. If the radio is not what you’re looking for, relaxation CD’s with sounds of the forest, rivers, and rain are sure to fill the background noise you need.

Set designated times each night for viewing. Organize your compiled list of TV shows and schedule a block of time each night for viewing. Use your time without the TV to pick up with an old hobby or involve yourself with a new one. Working two to three hours per day can also lend itself to the degree you’ve wanted to get - with online programs such as Devry, Phoenix, and Capella University, it’s now possible to earn a degree in your spare time at home. And I certainly could not forget using your new found time for writing. Writing can be a form of expression, an outlet for emotion, or simply a way to track daily thoughts through a journal.

Record shows for later viewing. Shorten show time by skipping commercials. DVR and TIVO make it possible to record shows for later, and lately more and more sites are offering viewers their missed TV shows on the internet — in full length. So during your scheduled TV time when there are no good shows to watch, queue up your prerecorded shows, and off you go.

And if you are truly looking for more time, waking up a half hour or hour earlier can give you the extra time you need. Using this time for walking, jogging, yoga, reading, or writing, can give you a short amount of time each day to focus on you. And fulfilling personal needs can help eliminate the “blahs” by taking the focus off work or a hectic schedule.

So the next time you hear a friend say, “There just isn’t enough time in the day,” tell them to try a TV diet!

http://www.deniseolesky.com

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Time Management- A Must for Success in Home Based Internet Business Opportunities

Wednesday 16 May 2007 @ 5:05 pm

by Aaron Meredith
Time management is a subject where there is an enormous amount of information available yet seemingly many still are not able to manage their time effectively. To be successful in promoting home based internet business opportunities, effectively managing your time is an absolute must. Individuals who have poor time management skills are setting themselves up for failure. We are going to look into why time management is an absolute must when working from home and what you can do to improve it.

The primary reason time management is such a vital skill to posses for people promoting home based internet business opportunities is for the simple fact that it is very easy to get distracted when being home and being online. In the home, people can become easily distracted by their children, by wanting to relax and watch television, and the numerous other distractions that are present in a person’s home. When you actually get online and sit down to do work the distractions now present are infinite. You have email and instant messaging, forums, advertisements craving your attention everywhere you look, as well as getting caught up surfing and checking out things that are of interest to you personally. With distractions like these in place, you must really manage your time well so you are able to get the work done that needs to be done. Let’s face it; if the work does not get done, no money is going to be made.

There are several things one can do to become effective in managing their time and subsequently greatly improve their chances of success promoting home based internet opportunities. One simple thing that can greatly improve one’s time management is to plan out your next day in advance, either when you have completed your work for that particular day or prior to your going to bed in the evening. By planning your day out in advance, you can block out times to devote towards certain activities and ensure you schedule in adequate time to focus on income producing activities. This can also give you more balance as you can schedule in family time, work time, and whatever else you would like to devote time to in your day. Also by scheduling your next day’s activities in advance, you allow your mind to go to work and think about what needs to be accomplished the next day. This simple exercise of writing out your schedule for the next day in advance can make you much more efficient and allow you to get more done.

Another tip to increase your time management skills that will help you succeed in promoting home based internet business opportunities is to prioritize everything you must do. When you prioritize what you need to get done, you can see which activities are of greater importance and which ones are not as important. Once you have your activities organized with respect to priority, go to work on the one of greatest importance and don’t move on until it is complete. Continue down your prioritized list in this manner and you will be spending your time much more effectively because you will be completing activities that are of the greatest importance. A big mistake many make is spending time on activities that are of little or no value when they could be spending time on activities that really matter and have an impact on their business.

One last tip to become a better manager of time that will make you more likely to succeed promoting home based internet business opportunities is constantly asking yourself the following questions. Is what I’m doing right now growing my business or helping me make money? Is this the absolute most effective use of my time right now? By asking yourself these questions on a regular basis, you can help ensure you’re not getting sidetracked and that you’re spending time on things that are truly important to your business. When you spend your time working on the most important things to your business, you’re chances of success are far greater.

We all have the same amount of time each day, how you choose to use it is up to you. Plan your days out on paper in advance, prioritize your activities, and resolve to complete the most important before moving on to the next. People who are successful in life and prosper in home based internet business opportunities know how to manage their time and focus on key income producing activities. They complete these key activities before moving on to other less important tasks and make a habit doing this on a consistent, daily basis.

Aaron Meredith is a successful entrepreneur who has been involved in network marketing since 2003. He now builds his business primarily online via internet marketing. For a limited time, Aaron is offering mentoring to those serious about achieving success online.For information on how you can take control of your financial situation and achieve real success online, visit http://www.jobfreein30.com . Aaron may be reached at 856-630-1109

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How To Have More Time… A Few Tips

Wednesday 16 May 2007 @ 5:05 pm

by Ben Franklin -
Time Management

To get a better grasp on your productivity and success both at work and at home it is essential to learn some time management techniques. Effective Time management will help you better prioritize your day, helping to focus on the things that need to be done and seeing where you are wasting the most time. Each of us starts our day with the same amount of time but what you do with that time and how much you accomplish with it depends solely on your and your choices. You do not have to have set times for every waking moment but there are things that you can do to instill time saving habits, which will greatly increase your productivity.

Perhaps one of the first things you will want to do is learn what some of the biggest time wasters are. Below is a sample of some things that may be draining your time.

• Surfing the internet can make the time fly and before you know an hour has passed and you have accomplished nothing.

• Telephone calls — especially personal calls during work hours

• E-mail- constantly checking your email during the day.

• Lack of planning for specific tasks

• Idle chat with friends or co-workers

• Clutter Workspace

• Poor tools and resources- trying to get things done with the wrong tools can waste hours of time every week

Most of the bad time management habits that we have picked up can be switched into good ones with a few simple steps.

• Limit your internet use when working or trying to accomplish tasks At home.

• Limit your personal telephone calls to set break times so they will not monopolize your day.

• Use your break times as well to do such tasks as checking your email

• Make a list of things that have to be done and give them each a time limit, then follow the list to better stay organized and on task.

• Let your friends and co-workers know that you are in the middle of doing something but you can get back with them when you’re on a break.

• Clean up your work space so everything has a place making it simpler to find things

• Make sure that you have the proper tools for the job at hand.

Managing your time should be easy once you get some good habits down and stick to them. You will find that by better managing your time, you will not only be more productive but you will have an overall enriched sense of well being.

BenFranklin is a self-made entrepreneur & active investor. Download the Free Report, which is a recent interview with Bob Proctor (creator-“The Secret”) that reveals the missing ingredient to turbo-charge the Law of Attraction. Get it here for free @ http://www.studyofgettingprosperous.com/report

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The Secret to Managing Your Inbox

Wednesday 16 May 2007 @ 2:05 pm

by Bill Tyler
I’m very excited about this post today because I believe that I have solved a problem that has been plaguing me for quite some time. What I’m about to tell you is the Holy Grail of cleaning out your inbox.

It all started a couple of months ago when I acquired another job (without giving up my current one). Immediately, I started receiving over 300 messages a day, which is about 3 times my normal mail volume. My old method of processing e-mail was putting me further and further behind until my computer crashed, which took about a week. Essentially, my hard drive ran out of space, then, Outlook quit sending messages. It locked me out until I deleted files off of my computer.

So, here’s what I did to dig out. Prior to my new rule, I allowed about 1 minute to read and respond to each message. Doing some quick math, I realized that it would take over 5 hours every day just to keep up with my e-mail. Thus, when I received my new computer, I implemented, The 10 Second Rule.

The 10 Second Rule

This solution is so simple, it’s scary, but it works. First, check your e-mail at intervals and don’t keep it up all day long. Constantly checking your e-mail is a distraction, at best, and a form of neurosis, at worst. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Extreme Multi-Tasking is a Mental Disorder (why would anyone in their right mind type on their CrackBerry while driving?). I recommend the following time table: upon arrival, 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 1 hour before departure.

Second, when you process your messages, allow no more than 10 seconds per message to filter. There are only three actions that you should consider in this step. I call them the Triple D.

1. Do - If it will take less than 2 minutes to resolve, do it right away.

2. Delegate - The Bubble Planner has an excellent tracking tool for items that you have empowered someone else to complete. Here’s a sample of one of the forms.

3. Delay - If it will take longer than 2 minutes, file it in an action folder, add it to your Bubble List, and move onto the next message.

Bill Tyler is Co-Founder of Bubble UP! maker of The Bubble Planner, The Left-Handed Planner, My Daily Bubble for Women, and other unique time management tools. He has written several hundred personal development articles specializing in Life Manageme

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Did You Know Youre Bleeding Money Because of The Darn Phone??

Monday 14 May 2007 @ 2:05 am

by Joe Plazo
You’re in the midst of work then …

Aw… man.

Or you’re finishing a 97% complete report then ….

Okay. Familiar? I can imagine your blood pressure rising when that happens. What is an interruption? An interruption is anything that seizes your attention from an activity you have chosen to do to for an activity that someone else has purposely or inadvertently chosen for you. Interruptions are normally random and without any consideration for the importance of, or impact on, your time and your personal priorities. Interruptions chew up time and energy. They cost you loads of money if you consder wasted man hours.

There are two primary causes of interruptions you face daily at home or at the office: telephones and people dropping by. The telephone rings, and you automatically pause what you are doing to answer it. The doorbell rings, and the same thing happens regardless of the importance of the task at hand. Someone is forcing you to switch gears instantly even though it is not your choice. “I’m not interrupting, am I?” is the typical remark. “Of course not,” you answer politely without an ounce of integrity. Whether people interrupt you in person or on the telephone, they always seem to have something on their minds that just can’t wait.

The time wasted because of an interruption extends beyond than the time span of the actual interruption. For instance, you are focusing on writing a report, business plan, or important letter when your concentration is shattered by the ringing of your phone. Not only do you lose the time you actually talk on the phone, but it will normally take you several additional minutes to regain your focus and get back up to speed with what you were working on. Switching gears takes time.

The good ole phone has become the primarysource of interruptions. Fact us, it is an electronic tool designed to interrupt. For some reason you and I were ledt to believe that when the telephone beckons, all else must be dropped in a race to answer it before it stops bleating. That habit is like having someone follow you around yelling “Freeze” twenty times a day and expecting you to stop in your tracks for three to ten minutes each time. The danger is that old phone habits unnecessarily eat up hours of your valuable time - time that cannot be replaced. Your level of effectiveness in life is determined both by the number of hours you have available to work on specific objectives and by how effectively you use those hours. The more time that wasted, the less efficient you become.

Heeding the phone just because it rings means bequeating your time and attention to someone else at but a moment’s notice. Obviously, winning your goals and dreams becomes far more difficult when you are constantly working someone else’s agenda and at someone else’s pace. The fact that a ringing telephone is given highest priority shows how illogical people have become about the use of Graham Bell’s little toy.

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