Four Habits, Four Tools to Help You Manage Time Better
TIME is our greatest commodity – I firmly believe that, and most of you do too. We all wish for more hours in a day. If we believe time is so valuable, why is it so hard for us to manage it? Simple: Lack of discipline!
Think about this. How much time have you wasted:
- Scheduling a lunch meeting via email, rather than just picking up the phone?
- In meetings and shuffling between them, when the goals of most meetings can be accomplished with a few phone calls?
- On things that are 8, 9, or 10 on your priority list, instead of focusing on the number 1 priority?
Four Habits
Starting and running a business is about being disciplined. You can’t expect continuous, positive results when you have no routine. Here are a few of my habits that help me manage my time and be more productive:
- Time block: From 3:15 to 4:00 every day I read my book of the month.
- Review my schedule the night before: Each night before heading to bed I review my schedule for the following day. Knowing what to expect the next day gives me peace of mind and helps me be more focused and productive from the moment I wake up.
- Create a routine: Every Tuesday I eat breakfast at the exact same restaurant and table. This is my dedicated time to blog.
- Pre-determine what will make the day a success: I decide what 2 or 3 items I need to check off by the week’s end and intentionally schedule them for completion.
Four Tools
In addition, there are a number of free technology tools that can assist with time management. Here are a few of our favorites at SalesCocktail that help us manage time, prioritize tasks, and track progress:
- Calendly -Very helpful for time blocking; auto-schedule meetings and phone calls
- Trello – Project management tool for individual or team setting
- Toggl – Track how much time you spend on each project
- Wunderlist – Daily task management app
SalesCocktail: Discover today’s techniques and technologies to eliminate the digital divide for minority and woman-owned enterprises. Use technology to accelerate your sales, replicate daily tasks and manage your time!
