Posts Tagged ‘time management’

The Trouble With “I’ll Do It Later”

16
Jan
2012

We’re not here to admonish you for putting something off; it happens to the best of us and with crazy schedules, some “to-do” items get hustled to the side. However, how many times have you said, “I’ll do it later”, yet you never did? The next time you’re tempted to utter these words, pause just one moment and think if postponing that is just an excuse for not taking care of it now, while it’s top of mind. Think of one thing you should do for your business, but haven’t. Would it help if you put it in action today?

Your challenge: if it will help your business, commit to inking it and following through, both on your calendar and in your mind. The trouble with postponing beneficial things is they may never get done, and thus, your business never gets to enjoy the rewards. The other problem is when you really decide you MUST do it, there are usually a bunch of other things screaming for your attention at the same time. By putting it in writing that you are going to do it, you’re one big step from having completed it. You’ll be surprised how easy it will be to just finish it up, then get to that other thing you’ve been postponing. Running your business is really a series of little things, all put together to form the whole. With each piece taken care of, the entirety performs better.

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7 Steps to Slay Your To-do List

15
Mar
2011

DILO: To DoPeople tend to either love or hate to-do lists (often in the same day). On one hand, it can be quite helpful to have a record of what needs to be done and extremely satisfying to tick off those items you’ve completed. On the other hand, it’s easy to get bogged down when you haven’t accomplished what you expected or when too many items simply overwhelm you. Luckily, with a few simple tricks and some handy tools, these pitfalls can be easily avoided and maybe even have you swooning over your to-do list. Okay, well at least maybe no longer hating it :)

A little honesty goes a long way
First, be realistic about what you can and will accomplish and when, paying special attention to promises you’ve made to your clients. The best way to begin is to sit in a quiet place and jot everything down you can, no matter how small or large. Don’t organize just yet, just get stuff down, preferably on that antiquated thing we call “paper”. This exercise of writing it in your hand and seeing it will help your mind sort things. Sometimes this is a painful process: you realize just how much stuff you have ahead, but really, it will get better.

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Managing Your Socal Media Presence

14
Feb
2011

 

social crmHave you spent what you believe to be lots of time developing up your social media identity, but feel like you’re not seeing results? Or maybe you never have time to blog or update your Facebook or Twitter accounts? While setting up your social media connections is certainly a necessary jumping off point, the most important way to make these resources work for you is through careful and regular management. Like all marketing you you pursue, you have to create a path and a plan. Here are a few simple ideas to make sure you are getting the most out of your social media presence:

1) Be consistent! Set aside a little time each day to check in with your social media links. Blogging once a week will do more good than blogging everyday for a couple of weeks and then doing nothing for a couple of weeks. Regular posts attract readers and new and varied content helps your site feature highly in search engines.

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Say No To Bad Clients and Bad Shoes

14
Sep
2010

Me & Chuck in Central ParkThey seem awesome when you’re buying them (they’ll stretch out, right?), but once you start walking around in shoes that don’t fit, you begin to feel the misery of your investment in the soles of your feet.  In running your business, it’s a similar scenario: you take on business you know isn’t a good fit, then lament the fact as you’re toiling over the project for that client. The better tack is to address things in the very beginning, during what I call the “courtship” stage. You need to formulate questions for yourself in order to really smoke out the “vampire” client when they appear on your radar:

  • Do you know what they need and can you provide it?
  • Are they sincere or just “tire-kicking” to get your ideas, then find a cheaper vendor?
  • Have they shared their budget? (If they don’t, this is always an immediate, glowing red flag for me.)
  • When do they want deliverables? Is it a reasonable timeline or pie-in-the-sky?
  • Have you had an exploratory talk to get things out in the open, leaving little room for surprises?
  • How’s the vibe in your conversation with this potential client and would you like working with them?
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Efficient Meetings: 5 Easy Ways To Make Them A Reality

01
Apr
2010

Let’s hear it for meetings!!! Woohoo! Wait, why aren’t you all excited and bubbling with enthusiasm? Come on, it’ll be fun: We’ll catch up, talk about the kids,  what happened on Idol last night, what a ditz that Genevieve in accounting is…Hold a Meeting

The scenario above is the edict for some when it comes to meetings:  To them, it’s really a social forum that helps them feel a part of things, which is good, until it derails the initial intent of your meeting and you’re starting 15 minutes later than you wanted.  Some even belief that this  “face time” some how translates into actual results, as if the term “meeting” equals productivity. Sometimes it does, but often times it doesn’t. It’s not that meetings are unnecessary, because certainly they have a place in the grand scheme of GTD. Just bear in mind the point of the meeting:  unless your meeting accomplishes something right then and there, your meeting has actually failed. Don’t believe me?  Now be honest:

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