I'm rarely "busy." I'm usually working on a project. I might be writing a book, recording a CD program, writing an article for my weekly international EZine, Coffee with Kevin Hogan, creating an ad or promotion, giving a presentation, consulting, speaking, or researching.

Now, when I'm doing one of those things, I'm not busy, I'm working on a project. And there is a difference.

Busy means very little is actually getting accomplished.

Today I went to the hardware store to pick up an odd shaped light. Then I went to Barnes and Noble, just for the heck of it. Next I popped in at Target and picked up some laundry soap, yard maintenance stuff, some vacuum cleaner bags and some raspberry preserves. Then it was over to the gas station to fill up the gas can for the lawn mower. (I haven't filled the car's gas tank since Christmas....no kiddin'....)

Got home...and replaced the vacuum bag, scoped out some of the books I lugged home and then dealt with some legal issues that have no upside.

There isn't one thing there that was a project. It was all just busy stuff. I got into the world, found people still there and came home.

...could have had someone go do those things and it would have cost me all of twenty bucks to get that done. Instead i lost two hours of project time because I wanted to get out.

Don't get me wrong, I made the right decision.

I needed to get out.

I hadn't started the car since I got back from Vegas a few weeks ago, so it's nice to know it still loves me.

But if I did this everyday, I'd be a "busy guy...." and broke.

Busy people don't get anything done. And this morning I got nothing done. It "felt" kind of good to be out and about, so I probably did my health and psyche some good.

All well and good. No regrets.

But it could become addictive.

KEYPOINT: Being busy, FEELS like something is getting accomplished when of course in reality, NOTHING of significance is getting done.

Go back up to the project list above. That is where my world happens.

Busy is like a piece of chocolate. Tastes great...empty calories.

Are you the poster child for "busyness", the one who is never able to get your business projects done (the perpetual starter, then avoider syndrome)?

Or even worse, are you the one who has decided to throw the towel because you simply "do not have time"?

What I'd like to show you here is a simple time management system to become more productive and achieve your goals.

The key to all this is to focus your efforts on incorporating some simple but profound principles into your life, which are going to allow you to get more done in the limited amount of time you have.

I watched hundreds of "busy people" today. Some of them probably thought they were getting something done. They went home exhausted from their shopping and fueling and whatever. For me it was rather exhilarating....

Let's start here...

The Art of the Tradeoff

(A.K.A. Stop the "I don't have time" Nonsense)

KEYPOINT: The concept of tradeoff is pretty much the notion of giving up something to get something else.

No big complicated formula there...

It does not necessarily have to be "hurt" if you know that it is going to pay off at the end of the day by helping you create a stream of income that will help you achieve financial freedom.

This is simply about reprioritizing and giving up unnecessary things and non-productive activities such as spending hours in front of mindless TV shows, sleeping too much, playing video games non-stop, chatting for hours on myspace or the phone, etc.

Now STOP.

Two things are common at this point that screw everyone up.

First, a lot of people work on "their goal" and get that stuff done, thinking that everything is cool.

But it's not. Working on a goal is not the same as having the rewards IF everything works out.

KEYPOINT: What's critical is to put your contingency plans into your goal structure and time "management" plan each day.

Second, a lot of people think that they can't watch Lost or 24 or whatever because they have a goal.

This is crazy.

Each week, take 10 hours and assign it to non-goal activities. This can be taking the kids to Cub Scouts, going to church, having the relatives over, watching a movie or going out to eat.

Obviously if you choose to cut the lawn, (busy work) then that's the same as watching a TV show. The point is to plan these things at the end of the week for the following week.

There are plenty of non-productive activities that each of us engage in that we could easily give up (or at least reduce the time we spend indulging in them) in order to make our dream of financial freedom or simply a life of freedom, come true.

This is a very important. Make the time available by planning non goal activities at the end of the week...for the following week.

The Intensely Focused State

Tomorrow I'll cut the lawn. That's an hour. If I want that to be one of my 10 hours of nongoal activity, all I do when I cut the lawn is cut the lawn....

But that isn't the case.

I'll work on a presentation or plan a product while I cut the lawn. Cutting the lawn requires no thought so I essentially get an hour of exercise while focused on something that will be extremely important.

You can't write a book while you cut the lawn, and that's a good thing.

The importance of, "I get things done," (Your new mantra) is since we all have a limited amount of time, it is imperative that whenever you are working on a significant task, you give it your absolute undivided attention and energy until it is completed.

It pretty much means giving yourself 100% to what you are doing when you are working on your business or anything else that is important for the matter.

I apply this philosophy to all areas of my life and it works without fail. This is pretty much about not approaching your task or project with a non- commitmental attitude and ending up producing some half-a**ed work and results. You can double your productivity just by applying this principle alone. I personally do not like spending an excessive amount of time on any task, so I put all the concentration and energy necessary to get it done in the most reasonable time possible.

OK...not always reasonable...fast...

Every successful person I know gets things done....fast.

In order to make this possible when you are going to be working during your business time, do not allow any distractions to interfere with your work. That means: NO PHONE CALLS,

Here are some tips you can use to make it easier for you:

1. Create a productive work environment (maybe w/ music or complete silence whichever you prefer, coffee, etc) for yourself. Create the kind of environment that allows you to feel relaxed and focused.

2. If that means working outside of your house (e.g.: at a library) like I had to do, then by all means do it. I've had offices over the years but I just hated going to the office. It reminded me too much of school, so, I eventually closed my office door and work from home.

No commute time. No lease on an office. No car expenses. (Don't even need a car.) Two hours of time saved each day. Better food eaten.

If you are lucky (smart) enough to be a salesperson or entrepreneur, you can take home and earn almost 50% more income by closing the office. (No car, no insurance, no gas, deductible mortgage for 1/3-1/2 of the house, inexpensive healthy food and TONS of extra FREE bonus hours each DAY. If you have kids, you'll be there when they get home.

If that isn't compelling...I don't know what is.

3. I hate work.

Work is anything that I am obligated to do that I really don't like and is almost always a waste of time. Taxes, paperwork, book keeping, yuk.

But ya' gotta do it. (or pay someone to...)

Create a list of what you want to get accomplished during each "work" session. This will help you avoid working in a disorganized manner and create a sense of urgency in you to get everything done. When you approach your work session with a clear plan and sense of purpose, you will automatically feel more focused and energized.

You will be surprised with how much you can accomplish just by applying this principle. On the Internet, I know people who have such intense focus that they are able, for example, to put up a website and launch an entire list building and affiliate marketing campaign in only four hours flat.

Busy work can be done FAST so you can get to your passions...

Motivation's Force

Motivation is an interesting things. We are often motivated to learn...learn a lot and then get overwhelmed and quit.

It's all pretty simple really: If Jack can do it, you can too.

The best strategy, is, JUST DO IT.

Without a high level of motivation, it is going to be very difficult for you to get anything done, especially since it takes some time before starting to see tangible results.

Becoming motivated enough comes down to two things: having a sense of clarity and having some incentive to get you going.

Clarity means that you know exactly what you are trying to achieve and how you are planning to achieve it. With all the choices and business strategies available out there, it's easy to be jumping from opportunity to opportunity without really accomplishing anything concrete.

You are also going to need to have clear goals. By that I mean tangible goals that are measurable and that you feel connected to (it is realistic enough that you feel you could achieve it).

Then proceeded to break down goals into sub-goals and mini-steps to help you move forward.

Eventually you don't think in terms of goals. You simply write down, "Write Secret Language of Influence."

(The book that Wiley and Sons will be publishing in October.)

And then you go do it.

For now, there won't be anything to implement if you do not have clear goals. You need to know what exactly it is that you want.

Knowing WHY really helps too.

What kind of lifestyle are you envisioning?

How much would you like to earn?

What type of people would you like to form relationships with?

I could go on and on with different types of questions you need to ask for yourself but I will let you come up with your own.

This process is very important for two main reasons:

- You get a sense of relief and power when you know exactly what you are going after rather than shooting aimlessly at whatever life throws at you. You get to control how and where to spend your time, energy and resources

- You need to be clear on your objective if you ever expect to engage in business, whether online or offline. If you don't, you will be drowned under the sea of new information, opportunities and scams constantly thrown at you.

Another important point is that you need to reward yourself for your efforts. Don't make it food or you'll just get fat.

Do not discount this because it is a powerful driving psychological force. It's hard to brain wash yourself if you don't use the classical conditioning methods!

Self reward, will help your brain create a positive association with the act of getting your work done, and before you realize it you will feel compelled to do it without any self-convincing.

Keep a business journal to record your goals and their evolution. It will help you take a step back and analyze your experience more objectively. Your business journal can also be a great therapy book where you can record your fears and doubts, since you most likely will not be able or willing to share this with your relatives or friends.

Efficiency and Proficiency

(a.k.a "work hard, work smart")

Just about every book in the self help section now says, "Work smart not hard."

That and other idiotic thinking will cause self sabotage!

Working smart is very important. Working hard is very important.

I don't know anyone who has financial freedom who doesn't do both.

What you really want is to work efficiently and with complete optimization.

You and I get 168 hours this week, so work on the activities that will generate the most return on your time and effort investment.

If you are familiar with the Pareto principle (or 80/20 rule) you know that in most situations 80% of the results come from 20% of the input (or effort).

The trick here is to be able to identify what are these critical input activities that you need to be focusing on to generate most of the desired results. If you make the mistake of allocating most of your time to the other 80% of the activities, which is simply busy work (e.g.: answering emails) that will only generate 20% of your results, you are setting yourself up for a lot of waste of time and frustration.

YUK.

1. You need to identify the most important activities among the maze of tasks you will have to get done for the type of business you are engaged in.

2. You need to allocate your time appropriately to these tasks according to their value in terms of impact on your overall project.

3. When you are able to (or can afford) consider outsourcing the least critical tasks and focus on the top 20% of the revenue generating activities.

The Power of Systemization

One sure way to save time and get your work done quickly and efficiently is to have a set system for as many of your business activities as possible.

I think in terms of projects. Whenever I'm back on a schedule, I get frustrated because it means I've increased appointments which have a certain length and no chance for optimization.

Having and following a system is advantageous because following an organized set of procedures rather than always improvising makes your life easier, saves time and gives you a sense of control.

If you want to learn how I create time out of thin air and produce about as much as anyone....check out Time for Love, Time for Money ....because you NEED BOTH.

Like most women, you’re probably juggling many balls at once. Most likely you have a job, whether it’s inside or outside the home, as well as volunteer and family-related responsibilities. You might also have a spouse or significant other to attend to; kids to care for; a household to run (and clean!); cats to feed... The list goes on, and on.

The problem is, with 24 hours in a day, eight or more of which are spent in your pajamas, it’s possible – no, make that probable – that you’re not accomplishing as much as you’d like. Chances are, you feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.

But 24 hours is actually a lot of time. The reason why it doesn’t feel like much is that, quite simply, a huge amount of this time is wasted. Squandered, pilfered and frittered away. And before you know it – Poof! – the day is over. Your bed is still unmade; your errands are still undone; your emails are still unanswered, and you’re left there wondering, “Where did the time go?”

The good news is, help is on the way. Below, you’ll find 10 ways to grab your time back, before it slips through your fingers once again (and again, and again)…

--> 1. Make a list, and check it twice. Buy bread. Replace the heels on your favorite pumps. Fill up the gas tank. Get a mammogram… the list seems endless. How can a person possibly remember all this stuff long enough to actually accomplish it? Simple: Write it down.

Most time-efficiency experts agree: In order to keep on top of things, you need to have a clear, detailed to-do list, to help manage your tasks and declutter your brain. Think about it: If you write things down, each task that needs to be accomplished is no longer a nagging thought in the back of your mind, competing for your attention and wasting your time. Instead, it’s right there in black and white, waiting to be taken care of. If you’re a techie type, check out MyLife Organized, a nifty task-management software program that helps you to prioritize your work and personal projects. For Windows and PocketPC; $46 at www.mylifeorganized.net. Later, if you feel like rewarding yourself for a job well done, go for it. You deserve it!

--> 2. Resist the urge to hit the snooze button. Sure, puttering around the house in your PJs is awfully nice, but blowing the most valuable part of the day, the early-morning hours, is more than a waste of time: It’s counterproductive. Studies have shown that the early-morning hours are, in fact, the most productive hours of the entire day. If you start your around-the-house activities or get to the office a half an hour earlier, say, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. (And don’t forget to tackle your highest-priority projects first, when your brain is at its sharpest.)

--> 3. Multi-tisket, multitask it... Trying to juggle 10 balls at once is hard, because, ultimately, you’re bound to drop one or two (or all of them!) at any given moment. At the same time, who says you can’t juggle two, or even three if you feel like it? There’s nothing wrong with chatting on the phone with a girlfriend while pasting photos into a scrapbook or photo album, for instance. Or how about folding laundry, ironing or walking on the treadmill while listening to a book-on-tape or the news on your iPod? As long as you’re not trying to accomplish something that requires your concentrated or undivided attention (i.e., writing your dissertation; reading War and Peace; chopping wood), you should be able to handle it.

--> 4. Put yourself on a schedule. You know the saying, “If you want something done, give it to the busiest person you know”? Well, there’s a reason for that. Most busy people are on a tight schedule. They know that they have a specific amount of time to get something done, so they don’t dilly-dally or waste time. They buckle down and do what needs to be done. If you know that you have only two hours to accomplish a certain task, for instance, you’re more likely to focus on the task at hand and get it done in a speedy, time-efficient manner. In fact, the more time you have to do something, the longer you’re likely to spend doing it (read: all day!) If you’d like to see where your time’s really going, check out TaskCapture, a software program that monitors how long you spend working on files. For Windows and Mac; $79 at www.captureworks.com/taskcapture. Still not sure? Download a free, 15-day demo.

--> 5. Don’t be a Martha! With so much going on – emails to answer; calls to make; lunches to pack; clothes to launder; gifts to buy; meetings to attend – keeping your head above water can feel like a Herculean task. One way to handle this stressed-out, overwhelmed feeling is to focus on the big picture and cut yourself some serious slack. For instance, if you need to bake 24 cupcakes for your daughter’s kindergarten class, don’t worry about decorating each one with a perfect little buttercream rosette. You’re not Martha Stewart! The cupcakes will taste just as yummy rosette-free, and no one will notice the difference. The less pressure you place on yourself, the more time you’ll have to stop and smell the roses (or the cupcakes, as the case may be…).

--> 6. Learn how to delegate. If you’re one of those “If-you-want-something-done-right, do-it-yourself” kind of gals, well… get over it! Like any new skill, accepting help can take time to learn. But once you do it, you’ll be surprised at how good it feels to cede control to others. Therefore, instead of trying to do it all, superhero-style, ask for help. If you’re the one in your household who usually cooks and serves dinner, clears the table and then washes up afterwards, try this: Have your kids or spouse set the table, or chop and peel vegetables. Have them clear, wash up and take the garbage out. Make your requests known, and your expectations clear. Once you’re in the habit of asking others to pitch in, you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish (or, if you feel like, indulge in some well deserved time to yourself). Remember, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

--> 7. Get more sleep. As counterintuitive as this may sound, getting more shut-eye actually allows a person to enjoy more waking hours in a day. The reason is simple: people who don’t get enough sleep at night tend to feel cranky, fuzzy, unmotivated and unproductive during the day. And not only are cranky, fuzzy, unmotivated and unproductive people not a lot of fun to be around, they end up wasting gobs of time because they’re too tired to focus – or even function! (Why do you think sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture, anyway?) The moral of this story? Get at least seven hours of sleep (eight is better), and don’t feel guilty for hitting the hay early. You deserve a good night’s rest.

--> 8. Step out of line! Lots of precious time is wasted in the check-out line. In the supermarket; at the post office; the bakery; the bank. Basically, anywhere that you can find a cash register, you’ll find a line. It will be long, and it won’t move. And if it does move, it will move slowly. Very, very s l o w l y. Plus, not only is waiting in line more tedious than watching paint dry, it’s a complete and utter waste of time. Time that could be spent engaged in other, more meaningful activities. One way to avoid these time-sapping lines is by ordering as much as humanly possible – from bananas to bicycles; nail polish to novels; violins to Volvos – online. Buying in bulk helps too (think: toilet paper; diapers; bottled water, etc). The bottom line? One less trip to the store is one less time-waster for you.

--> 9. Block temptations. As wondrous as the Internet is – and it is! It is! – it is also the greatest time-waster on earth. (Case in point: How many times have you bid on useless junk on eBay, or Googled hapless ex-boyfriends? And let’s not forget about PerezHilton.com!) Now, that’s not to pooh-pooh technology. It’s great, and you can’t stop the steady march of progress. But unless we keep our baser technological impulses in check, well, Houston…we’ve got a problem. Email is a perfect example. They suck up more time than an Electrolux. So, instead of clicking on each new message that bounces into your in-box, check your emails once per hour (or half hour, if you are truly addicted). If demonstrating this kind of restraint feels too difficult or downright impossible, you can always block your computer from certain programs – such as pesky emails – for a set period of time. For Windows only, try a free download at www.sourceforge.net/projects/temptblocker.

--> 10. Keep it in perspective. Of course, keeping lists, multitasking, scheduling, delegating and buying in bulk isn’t for all of us. Like rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time, some can do it effortlessly while others find it impossibly hard. If you fall into the latter category, don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, accept the fact that you, like everyone else, have your limitations, and be kind to yourself. You might also find that having your own system of doing things works best for you. If that’s the case, be inventive. Create your own time-saving devices, and celebrate the fact that you’ve discovered something new. Oh, and don’t forget to share!

Surfing around the world of blogs this past month, I ran across the "Ultimate Guide to Productivity" project started by Ben Yoskovitz at the Instigator Blog. Ben solicited bloggers around cyberspace to contribute their best tips for getting things done, and I was inspired (once I realized that reading blogs is the archenemy of productivity!), to catalog my own proven tips:

1. Immediate deadlines. The key to productivity is focus, and the best way to get focused is to have a deadline (have you ever noticed how much you get done the day before you leave on vacation?). So I try to create momentum and a sense of urgency during a regular workday with "immediate" deadlines. Instead of just doing something for as long as it takes, I determine beforehand how much time I'm going to spend, whether it's writing a proposal, making phone calls or paying my bills. A time limit -- 15-30 minutes are best for maintaining urgency -- also adds a competitive element that makes even the most tedious activity seem more like a game.

Those of you who have read my articles on “flow” may remember my use of this technique at a Japanese bank where I had the brain-numbing task of processing corporate requests for bank balances. To prevent myself from committing harakiri, I challenged myself to “finishing 15 applications by lunchtime,” reorganizing the various steps of the process to minimize delays. By shifting my focus from the tedious nature of the work to beating the clock, I was so much more productive than my predecessor, that I created a backlog in the department where the completed applications were sent (and was able to negotiate a sanity-saving four-day workweek!).

2. Mini-goals. The companion to immediate deadlines is mini-goals. For each activity, zero in and ask yourself: “What am I trying to achieve?” “What am I trying to say?” You may think you don't have time to plan for every little task but have you ever spent 20 minutes writing – deleting, typing, deleting – a three-line email? Mini-goals sharpen your focus, raise your efficiency and signal when you're done!

3. Top-three list. How many of you scribble out long, multi-page to-do lists for the day that are unrealistic, overwhelming and make you feel like a slug when you don’t get it all done? Why not try a “top-three” list instead: sure, keep your master list of 79 “to-dos,” but choose the three most important things you absolutely, positively are going to get done that day. Throughout a day filled with inevitable distractions, your top-three will act as a compass to keep you on track. (And since everything is relative, you will likely derive greater satisfaction from completing the three designated tasks than if you had completed 7 from a list of 15.)

4. Control email.Timothy Ferriss, author of Four-Hour Workweek, advises disciplining yourself to check email twice a day (or less) – virtual heresy in this world where instant response (“Did you get the email I sent 10 minutes ago?”) has become the norm. He suggests setting up an email autoresponder that indicates you will be checking e-mail twice per day or less, but if you don’t want to go that far you need only train people to learn when they can expect a response from you. (Seems to work for Timothy: he speaks six languages, runs a multinational firm from wireless locations worldwide, and has been a world-record holder in tango, a national champion in Chinese kickboxing, and an actor on a hit television series in Hong Kong. Oh, and he’s 29 years old.)

5. Write it down. As productivity guru David Allen says, there is one part of the brain that is not that smart: the part that doesn’t wait to remind you to do something when you could actually do something about it. If you’re out of milk, when does your brain remind you that you need to buy more? When you’re pouring the last few drops into your cereal – if it were smart, it would only remind you when you’re passing the dairy section at the grocery store. How many times today have you had a thought that you needed to get something done that you still haven’t done? It’s a waste of time and energy to keep thinking about something that you make no progress on. Write it down, make a list and your brain will feel less compelled to keep reminding you, reassured that it’s being taken care of.

6. Stop multi-tasking. In an effort to get more done, many people pride themselves on their ability to multi-task. But research at the University of Michigan has shown that the brain has limited total capacity and that instead of working harder when engaged in more than one activity, the amount of cortex activation actually decreases as the brain establishes priorities among tasks and allocates the mind's resources to them. Moreover, the subjects in the study all lost time when switching from one task to another, and the more complex the task, the more time lost. You know what that means: no more conversations on the cell phone while driving!

7. Take a break. You may think you’ll get more done if you just keep working but taking a 10-minute break every 50 minutes or so – ideally a stroll or some stretching and deep breathing if you’ve been sitting in front of the computer – will recharge your powers of concentration and stimulate your brain to produce solutions or ideas that have been eluding you.

Follow these tips and you may even start to enjoy your productive days as much as a vacation. As former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher says: “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do and you've done it.”

Does your home office look like a tornado tore through it? Did you know that the average disorganized person has approximately 3,000 documents at home? Disorganization can cost you lost production time and money. It is a fact that people will spend one year of their life looking for lost objects or documents. That is one year that you could spend being productive, if you were organized.

If the thought of organizing your home office is overwhelming to you, try separating your office into sections. Start with one small section of the room and once that section is organized move to the next small section. This may take a little longer, but remember, it took a little while for your office to get in such a mess, therefore it may take a little while to straighten it out. Whatever you do, once you get one small section done, maintain it.

The easiest place to start would probably be your desk. Step back and take a long look at it. Is it so cluttered with papers and computer equipment that you find it difficult to work on? If so, go through all the papers on your desk. Throw away any documents not needed and file away ones that you will use later. Only keep the ones available that are relevant to your current project. Can these documents be scanned and saved on a disk or on your computer? This will help reduce clutter even more.

Now look at your computer equipment It is taking up too much room on your desk? Get a flat screen monitor. This will free up a lot of space. Buy a separate table for the printer. Get one that has plenty of storage space underneath for printing supplies. Invest in a keyboard tray that mounts under the desk to keep the keyboard off of your workspace. If your desk is against a wall, utilize the space on the wall above the desk. Mount attractive cabinets or shelves here to use for more storage for files, reference material and computer disks or cds.

Now attack the papers that are cluttering up your office. Have two bins available. One is the shredding bin for papers that need shredded and the other is the keep bin for papers that need filed away. Tackle the paper piles one pile at a time. Read through them carefully to make sure it is nothing that you have to keep, and then throw it in the appropriate bin. There is no reason to hang onto that old utility bill unless you need it for tax purposes. The same with receipts. If you are keeping a receipt for warranty purposes, staple it to the user's manual.

Once all the papers are weeded through, go through your filing cabinet and clean out all the old papers that you do not need. File your current documents and create new files as needed. Shred everything, even if you think it doesn't need shredded. Shredded paper takes up less room and therefore you will be able to get more into the trash bin.

These are some general ideas for organizing your home office. Search the web for more ideas or look through organizing magazines. The most important thing to remember about organizing your home office is, once it is organized, keep it that way!

Remember when you were a kid, the summer days seemed to last forever? Now that you are all grown up, there just aren't enough hours in the day to get things accomplished.

If you are struggling to fit everything in, then improving your time management skills can help. Here are some helpful suggestions that have assist in making my days operate more smoothly.

*Start your day with a plan. List the tasks you would like to get done, and prioritize them.

*Be sure to block out time for appointments and family time. It is very important to balance between family and work.

*Divide large projects into smaller more manageable steps. Doing so not only will make finishing easier but also makes starting feel less overwhelming.

*Once you get going don't interrupt your day to answer the telephone or by checking email unless you are expecting an important message.

*Instead designate a time for checking messages and replying to those that need to be addressed immediately. The others can go on your to do list.

*Determine what time of day your energy level is at its highest, and schedule important or difficult tasks for this time. This is when your mind is at its freshest.

*Carry the simple things that can be done on your downtime such as when you are waiting for an appointment or a meeting to get started.

*Take advantage of outsourcing training of your team by using a well respected skills and training team such as Mentoring For Free. This will free you up in having to train each person individually, plus give you time to work on other important business matters.

Choosing to undertake a college course online can provide many advantages for certain individuals. It gives people the option to study around existing commitments, gives them the freedom to complete assignments whenever they want and above all gives them a chance to get education when other traditional routes to take are just not viable. However, in order to pursue a continuing course education online, an individual must have great time management skills, or else the ability to work on them enough to ensure that he or she submits assignments on time and completes the college course online.

Some people are naturally gifted when it comes to time management. They can quite easily set aside blocks of time for different tasks and complete each one successfully. However, there are very few of those people around. Most of us do have some trouble remaining within self-imposed timetables and completing tasks well within given time periods. It is easy to get distracted by outside influences. Maybe something comes up that needs your urgent attention, which then distracts you from your assignments and costs you valuable time. The likelihood is that you will then only return to your assignments the day before they are due and rush to complete them in a panic. You will ultimately end up submitting inferior work or worse, not submit any at all.

As there is no course tutor in your immediate vicinity to rally you and remind you of deadlines, it is easy to leave work until the last minute or disregard it completely, but there are exercises that can help you to practice your time management and set you on the right course for completing your college course online.

1. Draw up an advance timetable. Estimate how much work you have to do for your continuing course education online and double the time span of how long you think it will take. Pencil in that amount of time in two places on your timetable for the week. College courses online offer flexibility and so should you. You should aim to get your work done in the first slot so the second is your time – a reward for completing it originally. If something does come up though, you have a fallback slot that must be honoured.

2. Plan to start your work for your college course online at least a week before the due date. This will discourage you from leaving it until the last minute or not completing at all and will ease the stress that continuing your course education online could put you under.

3. Get into a routine. For example, go to a coffee shop on a Sunday morning for three hours. Drink your latte and do your work at the same time. This will make your college course online an enjoyable and relaxing experience and will also provide you with a space in which you can work instead of sitting at home and procrastinating.

Remember that these are just a few of the ways that can help you to manage your time more effectively. The best thing to do where college courses online are concerned is work out what is best for you. If you can do that, you are half way there!

When it comes to trying to manage our time, we usually put a focus on putting more effort into the job. We really think that work has to equal hard work. Then comes the realization that although we’re working hard, we don’t seem to be moving forward at a particularly fast pace—if at all…

This is because we often look at a job as having a certain level of difficulty which is set in stone. No matter how hard we try, certain jobs take a certain amount of time and that’s it.

Is there a way around this problem?

There is, and it isn’t to work harder. What is needed it to make a distinction between the effort we expend on completing a task and the quality of the work we produce. Concentrating only on the effort we expend leads us to be concerned with how hard we work and not how well we work. Working with this view of reality leads us to look at the results at the end of the project and then (usually) being disappointed at those results. We also usually wonder why the time seemed to be nowhere near enough to do the job properly.

We all suffer from this type of thinking at some time or other—and it’s seen at it’s most obvious in the workaholic, the person for whom the most important thing is to be moving rather than producing great results. In this case the effort is mainly used to stay still, a little like treading water—lots of effort but no progress.

What we have to do is stop thinking about the amount of time we spend on something, and begin to look at how efficiently we do it. One of the best ways of doing this is to undergo training in order to improve our performance. We have to stop thinking about hard work and look more at easy work.

The difficulty is that when we find ourselves up your neck in work it can be difficult to stop and to spend some time to look at how we do things. However, taking time to train ourselves will pay off big time a little bit further down the line. The reason we don’t do it is that we have to keep moving forward in order to get the job done – or least that’s what we think. The trouble is that we’re moving forward but not getting things done effectively.

If you find yourself struggling what you need to do is think about how the job could be done more easily, and a good way to do this is to simply look at how other people do it and take their ideas. It’s a fact that almost any job has already been done by someone else, and they discovered the solution, and all that you really need to do is copy the way that they did it and do it that way yourself. It’s amazing how something so simple as copying someone else’s idea can shave hours of the time it takes you to complete a task

Take something as simple as driving a car, for instance. When we first learn to drive we aren’t very good at it, so that means it takes a long time to get from A to B.. But if we undergo a period of training with a driving instructor we’ll eventually become better at driving and getting from A to B. becomes a much simpler and easier task. In short, we learn to do the task quicker. Once we’ve undergone training, we find that the job is a lot quicker to do. The same thing can be applied to almost anything in your life. Do some training in whatever did you find difficult and you find the time taken to do it will shorten amazingly.

The good thing about training yourself to do things better is that it can save a lot of time when taken over the long term. Even if you saved just one hour day you can even be easily saving 25 hours a month. Training yourself to do things better is an amazingly simple and effective time management technique. Today, take a look at something which takes a long time to do, and ask yourself a simple question such as: could I do this quicker if I was better trained? The answer is invariably yes. Then undertake training, and you’ll be amazed at how much less time you need to complete that once difficult task.

In the late 1800s, an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto observed that, in Italy, a small group of people held nearly all the power, influence, and money, which they used to create a significant advantage over the rest of the population. He theorized that, in most countries, about 80% of the wealth and power was controlled by about 20% of the people. He called this a “predictable imbalance,” which eventually became known as the 80:20 rule.

Over the 1900s, researchers realized that the theory of a “vital few and trivial many” – 20% of the participants accounting for 80% of the results – applies across many fields of expertise. Most certainly, it is true when it comes to time investment, and here’s what that means to you:

• 80% of your results will be generated by 20% of your efforts. Conversely, 20% of your results will be generated by 80% of your efforts. In other words, one-fifth of your time-consuming activities will deliver four-fifths of your gross sales or gross commissions.
• You can increase the productivity that results from your time investment by assessing which activities achieve the highest-quality results. Too many Agents allow their time to be consumed by activities that generate a mere 20% of their revenue. The moment they shift their time investment into higher-return activities, they see dramatic income results.

The 80:20 rule holds true across a spectrum of life activities. Whether you’re investing in your career, relationships, health, wealth, or personal development, 20% of your efforts will deliver 80% of the results you seek. The secret is to learn which activities deliver the highest-quality returns and invest your time accordingly.

My son, Wesley, loves to play games, read books, and cook in the kitchen. I’ve learned that an hour spent baking cookies with him gives him real joy and contributes greatly to our relationship. It’s a minor time investment, clearly fitting into the 20% category, yet the results are significant in proportion.

Do you make time for the few activities that return the most significant results? Or are you, like most people in the world, giving your time to the time-gobbling 80% of activities that deliver a meager return?

Top performers in nearly any field quickly learn which actions account for the greatest majority of results, and they weight their time toward those activities, performing them with great regularity and intensity.

Following is the list of the half-dozen important activities that I share with all of my real estate coaching clients:

1. Prospecting
2. Lead follow-up
3. Listing presentations
4. Buyer interview presentations
5. Showing property to qualified buyers
6. Writing and negotiating contracts

If you dedicate yourself to the above six activities, you’ll see high returns on your time investment. I’ve studied the time allocation of Agents for more than 15 years. I know for certain that, on average, real estate Agents spend fewer than two hours a day engaged in the activities on the above list. Instead, they work long hours, often putting in more than ten hours a day, spending 80% or more of their time on activities that generate less than 20% of their revenue. Flip the principle to your advantage. Begin spending more and more of your time on the activities that are proven to deliver results and refuse to be crushed by the weight and waste of those that don’t.

Twenty four hours. That’s all we get. No amount of wishing, complaining, or creative time management will ever change that. Each day contains only so many hours, each week just so many days. Yet the amount of work we must try to squeeze into those hours can be mind-boggling. Not to mention the family responsibilities, household maintenance, social commitments, and life in general.

We sometimes comfort ourselves with the notion that it will get easier as we become more established. Once we’ve landed that corner office or taken our business to the next level. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. Yes, the work demands change. But it is rarely the case that they become less intense or time consuming.

We must be aware that there are significant risks posed by our over-scheduled, chronically demanding, not-enough-hours-in-the-day lives. When life is imbalanced, relationships suffer, work performance deteriorates, and parenting skills go down the tubes. Potential emotional effects include feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, and hopelessness.

What can be done to protect ourselves from burnout in the midst of what sometimes feels like life run amok? The following tried-and-true techniques can help:

• Prioritize. Not everything is urgent or even necessary. Focus on what’s most important and set other things on the back burner. Some things can be taken off your plate altogether.

• Ask for help. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do it all on your own. Hire help where appropriate. Call upon a friend, family member, or colleague. People are often glad to lend a helping hand. (Wouldn’t you do the same for them?)

• Take a break. In 30 minutes or less, you can de-stress, refocus, and re-energize yourself. Why not read a book, take a walk, or ride your bike? You can play with your pet, listen to music, or flip through a magazine. You can work in your garden or simply take a catnap. When time’s up, get back to work. Your improved effectiveness and productivity will more than make up for the 30 minutes of “down time.”

• Say no! You don’t have to agree to every request that comes your way. Both at work and at home, it’s perfectly appropriate, healthy (and necessary) to set limits on which tasks and activities you will add to your already full schedule.

• Stop trying to be perfect. There’s very little in life that has to be done to the point of perfection. Few people notice the difference between a job well done and a job perfectly done. Do it well and then move on.

The reality is that it will never be easy to balance the demands of work, family, and life itself. Make the most of your time by following the above techniques, and remember to appreciate the good stuff. Find gratification in your work, enjoy your family and friends, take pride in your accomplishments. With the proper balance and perspective, life can be more than simply manageable. It can and should be rewarding, engaging, and at times simply magnificent.

Liz Bywater, PhD, is president of Bywater Consulting Group, an organizational consulting firm based in the Philadelphia area. Dr. Bywater helps her clients dramatically improve individual and organizational performance, resulting in enhanced job satisfaction, maximized productivity, and heightened profitability for the organization.

Dr. Bywater is a specialist in human behavior and behavioral change. She brings her sophisticated understanding of people, relationships, and communication to the corporate environment to help her clients effect meaningful and lasting improvements in job effectiveness. Dr. Bywater writes and speaks on a variety of workplace topics, including the power of collaboration, effective workplace communication, and outstanding leadership. She has been published and has been quoted in the NY Times, Executive Decisions, on Yahoo! Hot Jobs, and more.

Here is a question that you must ask yourself: why do you work harder for your boss than for yourself? Why do you get up early each morning and go to the office to make him rich, but when given the opportunity to increase your own value, you choose to sleep in?

Most people want to work for themselves, and will even tell you to your face that they want to work for themselves and become financially free. But then on a day off from work, like during a holiday or a weekend they will sleep in.

If you ever want to become financially free in your lifetime you need to start working harder for yourself than your boss. You also must value your time more than the time you spend at work.

In order to help get your own business running you need to commit a few hours a day to it, even one hour will do. The most important thing to do is set an appointment with yourself about when and what you are going to do in that hour to increase your income and get started on the path to financial freedom.

The best time to do this is to get up one hour early. The morning is a better time because you will have more energy and a clearer mind, and other things are less likely to interfere with your hour.

Now some people will say that getting up in the morning is too hard. Well, let me ask my original question again; why are you working harder for your boss than yourself?

When I begin coaching someone in developing Life Balance we brainstorm about all they want to accomplish. Once we have this on paper it is easier to see where they want to be and then sort through what is and is not important at this time. What I have noticed however is people get off track because they do not take time to review their list or even glance at the goals they have set. This is how I believe you should break down your time to get the most items accomplished.

1. Take 2 days to one complete week each year to review what you have done over the last year, then decide what you want to accomplish for the next year. Before you start making excuses let me tell you this, (If you want to accomplish all your dreams then you must stop and take time out to make a plan). Find a way! Get a babysitter, get a hotel room, go away to somewhere so you can think whatever it takes to get alone and think. Do this individually first then with your spouse or business partner or who ever is involved. (If you are doing this for the first time others may not want to do it. Do not force others into joining you pray that they will become involved and slowly speak to them about what you are doing.) During this time you will get everything down on paper and organized.

2. Take 1 day per month. This will help you refocus and plan the next month. Again you are putting down what you want to accomplish over the next month in order of priority. Reread your goals and refocus where you have lost footing.

3. Take 2-3 hour per week. This is where you focus intently on the upcoming week. This list will be short and precise; your weekly planning time is where you save yourself the most time and energy. Remember 20% of the items on your list will bring you 80% of your results. Decide what your most important tasks are and list them in order.

4. Take 15 minute every evening to set-up you list for the next day. Things might have come up during the day before that need to be addressed tomorrow so review and revise your to-do list. Read your goals. You must read your goals at least daily so they are fresh in your mind; I prefer to read them in the morning and evening so they are ingrained in my thought process.

This process must be ingrained with prayer. What you want must be what God wants for you or it will be for nothing.

Time is a very precious and costly commodity that many of us take for granted. Few people will readily admit that large parts of our working day are wasted through countless interruptions, procrastination, and clutter. Maximize your life through minimizing what is in it by starting with these ten creative strategies for managing and organizing a more successful enterprise.

1. Create a time management system that suits your lifestyle, preferences, and values.

Throw away all the expensive time management systems that do not work for you. We all have preferences about how, when, and where to complete certain tasks and activities. By honoring those preferences, it will be much easier to accomplish more in less time.

2. Establish visiting hours.

By establishing and announcing visiting hours (one hour per day,) you can reduce unnecessary interruptions while offering people the opportunity to communicate with you in a relaxed setting.

3. Create a brain dump.

Creative people need space and a place for recording sudden inspirations, ideas, and thoughts that are often distracting during task mode. Keep a notebook, tape recorder, or file on hand to record both complex and simple ideas. Be creative by recording music, sketching and drawing, or journaling through storytelling.

4. Assign a dollar value to the total time wasted in one day.

How much time do you spend per day: Locating papers? Looking for misplaced items? Duplicating efforts? Being annoyed because you can't find things? Dealing with interruptions that are unnecessary? Total this time, set a dollar amount per hour, and estimate what your time is worth. Cut wasted time in half, and pay yourself a weekly salary based on the time you saved. Reward yourself with something meaningful with the money earned.

5. Adopt a worst in, first out policy or delegate undesirable tasks to someone else.

Procrastination is one of the biggest enemies of a well-managed day. Often, we procrastinate because we do not like the task, do not have the right equipment, or we do not have enough information to make a decision. Handle the worst problems first, get them done, and move on to the fun stuff. If you continue to procrastinate, delegate the task or hire someone to take the task off your hands.

6. Close the door.

For one hour each morning, close the door, turn off the phone, and place a sign on your door which reads: "Man or woman at work. Please return at 10:00." Use this hour as an uninterrupted time for concentrated work. Write this time on your calendar every day, and stick with it.

7. If you are in an open space or cubicle, rearrange your desk or chair to avoid easy eye contact.

People are less likely to interrupt you when they cannot make eye contact. If you cannot rearrange your desk or chair, place plants on the periphery of your desk to create a physical boundary between you and the open environment.

8. Establish a time management remodeling day one day per month.

Spend one day each month analyzing your time management system. Ask yourself what needs to be deleted, changed, modified, rearranged, enhanced, or minimized. Do you need more or less space, equipment, light, air, or beauty? This one day each month can provide you with the solitude needed for accomplishing your goals and dreams.

9. Practice saying "No" ten times each day.

More often than not, the act of saving time involves saying "no" to other people. If it is hard for you to say "no," practice a variety of responses ten times of day. Examples of appropriate responses include: "I would love to attend, but unfortunately, I cannot make it," or "I am flattered that you asked me, and I am unfortunately too busy to do justice to the project at this time," or "No, thank-you," or "No." By saying "no" you are honoring your own life and goals.

10. Keep a master travel checklist and a pre-packed toiletries bag.

For people who travel frequently, a master travel checklist should include a basic wardrobe and accessories (basic black is always safe,)plane or train tickets, passports, camera, medicines, mobile phone, and one small first aid kit. Keep a toiletries bag packed with soap, travel sizes of shampoo and lotion, cosmetics, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.

Organize your closet. Purge first, remembering that if you didn’t wear it last year, you probably won’t wear it this year. Separate the things you want to keep, and bag the things to give away or consign, and dump the rest. Then Arrange your closet by seasons and styles (casual/business), keeping like things together (all your pants/skirts, jackets, blouses/shirts should be grouped together), sorting the colors light to dark. If you never mix and match, hang complete outfits together. Keep two baskets in the floor of your closet—one for clothes that will go to the cleaners, and the other for clothes that need repairing. Don’t rehang soiled clothes.

Iron next weeks clothes over the weekend. Get this over with early Saturday morning or set up a routine to do it during the week. (Spray starch makes ironing easier.)

Hang clocks all over the house, especially near the bathroom and dressing areas. You’ll then be able to pace yourself better because you’ll have a clear sense of time.Set each clock at a different time and forget about it. The only clocks I have that are set correctly are the ones in my car and office (and my watch). Buy a battery back‑up for your alarm clock.

Buy a synthetic wig that fits you. They come in handy for those bad hair days or early morning meetings—every woman should have at least one. Another option is to have your hair cut into a no fuss style.

Gas up the car for the week. If you ride public transportation every day, buy a monthly pass. If you pay tolls, either keep change in your car, or better yet, purchase a cruise card if your area offers it so you won’t have to stop at all.

De‑junk the garage so you can put your car in it. Time spent deicing windows this winter can be spent doing something important, like talking to your spouse or children, or reading the paper.

Buy and pre-cook food for the coming week. To help the food keep, only reheat the portions you’re going to eat that day. After you get accustomed to cooking large amounts of food, try cooking and preparing food by the month. Buy a coffee pot with an automatic timer.

Clean out and organize your purse. Dump everything out and only put back the things you need. Establish a home for everything and carry the same pocketbook every day. You'll also want to use one that has a lot of compartments so you can establish a set place for everything, especially for your keys.

THINGS TO DO THE NIGHT BEFORE

Set the breakfast table after dinner. Set out the cereal box, and put the milk in a container smaller kids can handle. Fill your coffee pot, and set the timer for tomorrow morning.

Make the lunches (right after dinner is the best time). If I make a lunch, I put an empty grocery bag by the door that leads to my garage as my cue to remember it the next morning. It sounds silly, I know, but it works.

Check your calendar so you’ll be prepared with everything you’ll need the next day. Go ahead and pack the car with all the things you’ll need to take with you the next day (or put everything by the door you leave out of). Do this the moment you think about it, or you’ll forget it. (If I’m doing something special like giving a seminar, I always make a checklist ahead of time so I won’t forget anything.)

Lay out your entire outfit, including accessories (or at least have a good idea of what you’ll wear the next day). Lay clothes out for the children too. Keep your wardrobe and jewelry very simple, especially when you’re traveling.

THINGS TO DO THAT MORNING

Get up first. You'll have quiet time alone. Awaken people based on how long it takes them to get dressed. If you have to comb your daughter’s hair, it’s going to take you longer to get her ready than your son, so get her up first (or set her alarm to go off first).

Time everything you do so you can create a morning schedule that works for you. A kitchen timer works great for doing this. Every second has to count in the morning like no other time. Count backwards from the time you're at your desk at work to the moment you have to get up.

Turn off the TV. Don’t watch TV or listen to the radio unless you’ve built extra time into your schedule. (They distract you from your routine.)

Determine how long it takes you to get somewhere. Start from the time you leave to the time you’re inside where you need to be. Adjust your morning schedule accordingly. You can’t change how much time you get every day, but you can get more out of the time you have by changing your habits.

"You were FABULOUS. I so enjoyed your presentation, and I laughed and laughed as well as learned. Thank you for your insights, your information, your energy.... you have my appreciation, my awe, my thanks. I look forward to working with you again," Betty Spence, Ph.D. President, The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)

Time Management programs, tips and techniques offered across the Internet are full of smoke and mirrors.

Do you remember the kids story about ‘the boy who cried wolf’? It was a hoax right…

Well as an efficiency trainer and time management coach I’ve found many time management techniques taught are good ideas but fail under the pressures of real life.

Before I show you someone’s big time management tip and rip it apart before your eyes, consider this hope that many people have. ‘More free time’. In fact it’s a big new years resolution. ‘Have more free time’. But is it accurate or actually adding to the problem?

Well consider this… You do NOT actually want more free time - What you want is more QUALITY time - which means more productive and more enjoyable.

The fact is that if you enjoyed your time more, you wouldn’t be after ‘free’ time as you’d be happy with what you do in the majority of your time anyway.

The problem is dissatisfaction. It’s a terrible approach to life to begrudgingly get through the daily chores only to hope for scraping the barrel of the day for a little free time to your self right at the end.

That’s no way to live. Certainly not the lifestyle of efficient organized living and well managed time.

Here is one time management technique I strongly disagree with that I found published on a time management program web site. This kind of thinking creates trouble for your natural time management skill and blocks your success.

Let’s take a quick look at this so called Time Management Technique from a time management site:

> Limiting choice: Most self help books start by saying

> make a to-do list. It asks to dump everything you need

> to do on a piece of paper. But what this inadvertently

> does is overwhelm you.

Who says it overwhelms you. Whose ‘you’. Speak for yourself buddy. It might overwhelm you. But for me personally if I don’t write down a full list of things I have to do, then I’m mentally stressed by them all floating around my head.

David Allen, renowned personal productivity expert and author of Getting Things Done (GTD) explains that we have a certain capacity in our ‘psychic ram’ for storing information. The best place to store things is not in our head, it’s on computer or paper. The head should be used for making decisions.

So all those ideas floating around your head. I recommend getting them down in lists. Worry about how you could possibly handle all those things once you have perspective and can actually see them face to face for what they are by them being in black and white in front of you.

His time management technique continues…

> I've sat down to create to-do lists. Written down

> 40 things to-do. Got overwhelmed and thrown the

> to-do list in the dustbin.

What a sucker! By limiting the things to do to 6 items, do you really stop yourself from getting overwhelmed?

Perhaps for a limited time, but you might lose your job, or get evicted, forget to pick your kids up, or not have anything in the fridge when dinner time arrives.

Be very careful of how you use time management techniques.

"I don't have time to start that now!"

Have you said that recently?

You might be contemplating a project that has real heart and meaning for you - one of those big-goal projects that really matter. Or it could be a straightforward "to do" around the house or in your garden.

You could just be thinking about decluttering your clothes closet.

"I don't have time to start that now!"

For some people, it's a habit they learned in grade school. Teachers and parents are fond of creating Good Work Habits. Once you start something, you're supposed to persevere until you finish it. And that means you need a nice big chunk of time.

Maybe it's something you learned at work. Skillful project management includes accurately estimating how long project tasks will take. Then you plot those tasks on a calendar in nice big chunks of time, and off you go.

Now, there are certainly some tasks that require those nice big chunks of time. I'd hate to paint a room in five-minute increments!

But a lot of goals you probably think of in terms of hours or even days are very well suited to nibbling at in fifteen- or even five-minute increments.

Decluttering is one of my favorite examples of how effective getting incremental can be. I've had clients tell me that they need to spend a whole weekend decluttering their office, garage, or clothes closet. And maybe it's true - maybe, all told, it will take fifteen or twenty hours to really complete the project.

I don't know about you, but just thinking about that makes me feel tired. And with everything else I need to do on any given weekend, my immediate reaction is - you guessed it! - "I don't have time to start that now!"

Get incremental.

The easiest way to get incremental about a project is to pick a nibble of time and then go for it. Got ten minutes before leaving for an appointment? You've got a ten-minute time-nibble (a.k.a. increment).

Decluttering? Start picking things up and dealing with them for the next ten minutes.

Garden maintenance? Pick up your pruning shears, rake, or weeding tool of choice, and get to work - for ten minutes.

Researching a new career? Spend ten minutes Googling. Start a list of websites and other resources to investigate later, when you have another time increment available.

Menu planning and shopping list? Take your ten minutes and decide on dinner for the week. Write it down. Do the shopping list later.

Get creative about what you can do in the time you have. Obviously, you're not going to mow the lawn in ten minutes (but you might be surprised at how long - or short! - it really takes; time yourself next time and see!). But once you pick the topic area - gardening, menu-planning, changing careers, cleaning the garage, decluttering your closet, or whatever it may be - you'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in fifteen, ten, or just five minutes.

And those five, ten, and fifteen minutes add up. You'll quickly start seeing progress, which will encourage you to keep on nibbling.

When you're done with one project, you'll discover you've created a habit. Next time you have a time increment available, you'll look for another project to start nibbling at.

Who knows what you might be able to accomplish? Certainly a lot more than if you just keep saying, "I don't have time start that now!"

"People get trapped into thinking about just one way of doing things." Erik Weihenmayer, U.S. acrobatic skydiver, long distance biker, marathon runner, skier, mountaineer, ice climber, and rock climber - and blind since age 13! 1968 - .

Buddhists call ignorance a "poison of the mind."

Indeed it is, especially when it comes to planning and time management.

HOW DOES IGNORANCE POISON THE MIND?

Progress in the area of personal growth often means seeing things differently than you have in the past. But ignorance keeps you trapped within the boundaries of what you already know.

And what makes ignorance even more dangerous is that it's usually invisible. What I mean by that is, if you don't know something, there's a good chance YOU DON'T KNOW you don't know it!

So, in your planning, ignorance can show up in two ways:

1. You're not clear on what's most important to you because you've never asked yourself that question.

2. You've "forgotten" what's most important to you because you aren't focusing on it.

You can address these two challenges head on by training yourself to plan by the week.

PLAN BY THE WEEK

Weekly planning--when done correctly--forces you to get clear on what's most important to you each week and what actions you need to take. It also keeps you focused on what's important through the scheduling and execution of those actions.

Using the week instead of the day as your time management building block forces you to look at things differently--literally.

Get a planner with a week-at-a-glance format so that you can see the whole week at once, and follow these steps at the beginning of each week:

1. Identify your top weekly goals by asking yourself, "What are the most important goals I want to accomplish this week?"

2. For each of these goals, ask yourself, "What actions do I need to take to achieve this goal?"

3. From this list of actions, schedule any time-sensitive appointments first. This will reveal blocks of "open" time that you can use to complete actions that are not time-sensitive.

4. For actions that are not time-sensitive, assign them to the days where they fit best.

But as powerful as weekly planning is, it cannot by itself free you from the prison of your own mind.

CREATE A DIALOGUE

You can expand the power of weekly planning by getting out of your head and into someone else's. Try this:

1. The next time you do your weekly planning, invite someone who knows you well to join you.

2. As you ask yourself the first question described in the 4-step planning process above, ask your friend to answer that same question, too (for you, not for himself).

3. Compare your answers--what you think your most important goals are and what he thinks your most important goals are--and see what you can learn from your friend's perspective.

Einstein said, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."

Through the combination of weekly planning and a powerful dialogue with a friend, mentor, or coach, you can expand your perspective and prevent being boxed in by ignorance.

We all have the ability to decide to make decisions that will determine the ultimate outcome and the achievement of our WHY in life!

There is a very thin line between being a Gold Medal winner and just being there.

The Olympic games are a great example of this statement. You could win a Gold Medal by beating your competitor by the tiniest 1/1000th of a second! (Less than it takes to blink.)

When you compare life to the Olympics it is the same. You need to always maintain a "Winner's Mindset" in order to attain your WHY in Life!

The following is a comparison of a Winner's Mindset vs. a Loser's Mindset

Where is your mindset?

Even better yet...Where are the people who are on your Mastermind (Olympic) Team mindset?

W - The winner is always part of the answer;
I - The loser is always part of the problem;
N - The winner always has a program;
N - The loser always has an excuse;
E - The winner says, "Let me do it for you;"
E - The loser says, "That's not my job;"
R - The winner sees an answer for every problem;

VS. - The loser sees a problem for every answer;

L - The winner sees a green near every sand trap;
O - The loser sees two or three sand traps near every green;
S - The winner says, "It may be difficult, but it's possible;
E - The loser says, "It may be possible, but it's too difficult."
R - BE A WINNER

Now you truly need to make a conscious decision to be a winner and always maintain a winner's mindset in order to win the Gold Medal in YOUR life!

Just like Olympian athletes, you need to train EACH AND EVERY DAY CONSISTENTLY to win your Gold Medal!

The #1 training method is to continually feed your mind with top-quality mental and motivational nourishment.

As I say, you must be absolutely clear about your goal and be relentless in pursuit of Your "WHY!"

I know that you are saying...

"John, what do you mean by 24 Hour Car Wash - Open?"

I am going to break down that exact title.

*24*

24 hours in a day. What do we all have in common? We all have 24 hours in a day. Specifically, we all have 86,400 seconds to maximize and predict our future each and every day.

The question you have to ask yourself is...

Are you taking advantage of the 24 hours, or is the 24 hours taking advantage of you?

Most people, after 65 years of 24 hours a day, are dead or dead broke - 97% of them.

What do the 3% do versus the 97%?

They all had 24 hours a day for them to take advantage of. The answer is they made different decisions and they were accountable for their actions each day and they focused on their Why. They focused on their daily goals, and they made things occur. The difference of the 97%er's versus the 3%er's is they took advantage of the 86,400 seconds over time.

See most people focus on working overtime.

Take advantage of time over working overtime, which means, 86,400 seconds, that is 24 hours open every day for you, in order for you to fulfill, sustain, manifest, and predict your future.

Now let's move forward to 24 hour car wash.

*Car*

What is a Car? A car is a vehicle that moves us, takes us from Point A to Point B. As an entrepreneur, the vehicle you are in right now is your business. Remember, you are always building your business; you are not working your business. People that have a job, work a job. People that build a business, entrepreneurs, build long term.

You have to start to understand the power that lies within your car, which is the business vehicle that you are in.

You drive it.

You steer it.

You control it.

It only goes where the driver drives it too. That is why you must take advantage of the time. You must understand the power that lies within the vehicle. You must absolutely predict your future to be a 3%er.

*Wash*

What does Wash mean? 24 Hour Car Wash. How many of you brush your teeth everyday? I know all of you do. How many of you take a shower everyday? I hope all of you do....

It's when you cleanse your physical body to rid it of the toxins and dirt that build up on the external part of your body. Yet, the most important part of predicting your future is the internal toxins and waste that build up. You must create the habit of personal development each day, to wash the negative toxins that the mind, heart, and sprit get bombarded by each day.

Not lightly....BOMBARDED...it's like a category 5 hurricane that comes through South Florida.....versus scattered showers.

There is a BIG difference. Your mind is bombarded each day. It is like a category 5 hurricane of negative words. Negative words are in the background while the radio is playing, in magazines, advertisements, billboards, newspapers, etc. 97% of what is in print and what your eyes see every day is and what your ears receive every day is negative.

You have to absolutely commit to washing those toxins away.

I believe you are a Champion. Therefore, you have to commit to 60 minutes minimum of personal development each day of your 86,400 seconds, and you must commit to one hour of personal development washing. When you combine those two things, you begin to use your 24 hours to your advantage.

Understand the power that lies within your vehicle, your car, the business you are building, and commit to washing your mind, heart, and spirit every day.

The 24 Hour Car Wash concept will change your life forever.

That is the goal.

Take advantage of it.

I look forward to hearing the results from it.

And remember......

Simplicity to Success Lies In the Basic Fundamentals

Creating 1000 Millionaires by the Day!

John Di Lemme was a 24-year-old stutterer working in his family art gallery that dreamed of becoming a world-renowned motivational speaker. Desperate to achieve his goal, he answered an ad that allowed him to break free of the art gallery and build his own business. Through his business, John built a massive marketing team of over 25,000 representatives in 10 countries and earned a seven figure passive residual income. Seven years later, John retired to Palm Beach, Florida where he continues to live the life of the rich and not so famous.

As business owners, we spend a fair amount of time on the phone speaking to different people: potential clients, existing clients, virtual assistants, web hosting companies, etc. If we allowed each conversation to be unclear and unfocused, we could be spending additional time on the telephone and less time on our work and the things that we need to do to build our business. So, ask yourself - how much time do you spend on the phone?

Spending less time on the phone is easy if you know how. Here are a few tips to get back some of that lost time:

(1) Before You Call, Get Clear and Focused

If you place a call to someone without being clear and focused on what it is you need to talk about, you can spend a lot of time trying to remember what it is you wanted to talk about and / or discussing things that weren’t on the agenda. Before you make your call, list the items you need to talk to that person about so that once you are on the phone, you can be clear, concise and quick! What I do is keep my appointment in Microsoft Outlook and when I think of items I want to bring to the conversation, I open up that appointment and make a note in the notes section of the appointment.

(2) Bring the Discussion Back

A lot of phone conversations go on for longer than anticipated because a lot of social banter and idle chat occurs. While this is normal and helps build relationships, you should also be aware of it and bring it back to the reason for the call. Socializing is wonderful but there has to be some sort of time limit or you’ll never be able to get any work done! If you notice the conversation veering off and you want to bring it back, just say “So, going back to the ‘x’, what are your thoughts on that?”

(3) Schedule the Calls in a Strategic Manner

Choose one or two days (depending on how many calls you are on) in your work week to have your calls. By doing so, you’ll save the other workdays for uninterrupted work. You’ll start to get into a routine and when that particular day hits, you’ll be prepared for your telephone call and you’ll stay focused and on task. Schedule the calls far enough apart to give yourself some time to discuss your items but don’t give it too much time. By having a deadline, you can keep the call within a set amount of time and not go over that.

In your business do you have to keep track of billable hours for your clients? Do you find it absolutely annoying to constantly keep track of thirty different timesheets in Excel?

I just have to share with you this new tool a fellow VA shared with me . It’s called MyHours and it simply is the greatest software to track your billable hours. I signed up for a free MyHours account (which they state will be going to a paid system at some point… I’m kind of keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll forget about that little note they’ve made on their website…) and I started using it immediately.

Once you sign up, the first place you need to go to is the Projects tab so you can set up your clients and the various projects you may do for each client. The next place you should go is the Tasks tab and set up a few of the regular tasks that you do. For myself, I used this area to put in things like “Transcription”, “Web Maintenance” and “Administrative Support.”

Once you have those two areas filled out, you can begin using MyHours (I told you it was easy!) in one of two ways – regular daily view entry or entry through the MHlite interface. The difference is that the regular daily view entry uses up the whole screen and you have to manually put in your start and stop times. With MHlite, it works much like a punch clock. You hit “Start Work” to begin and “Finish Work” to end and it calculates the time you’ve spent on that project / task.

One thing I want to note is that whether you are using the daily view or the lite version, there is one row in the data entry that says “Notes.” I would highly recommend using these and getting into the habit of putting data in there from the time you start. I add a more detailed note so that my client knows exactly what it was I worked on. It also allows me to look back and see precisely where my time was spent.

The reporting function of MyHours is also excellent. You can pull reports that are sorted by client, by project or by task. It automatically adds up the hours spent in each area which makes invoicing your clients a breeze!

I also think it is neat to use the software to track how much time I am spending on the various areas of my own business. Writing e-zine submissions or blog entries for example. You can see how much of your time is spent ON your business instead of IN your business.

Regardless of your own primary use of this software program, we give it two giant thumbs up. The ease of set up and use is extraordinary and I love that you can access it from anywhere. Enjoy!

Your time. It’s yours you know. I know it may not feel like it, but it really is yours. Yes, you can give it away. It’s very easy to do that. But to take it back, now that can be a hard one!

I am always amazed at how differently people look at time. I am sure you have heard this at least a hundred times, “We all have 24 hours in the day.” But it’s true! It’s what we do with those 24 hours that can make such an incredible difference in our lives.

I love helping people get organized. It’s a passion of mine and the biggest complaint I hear is that they don’t have the time to get organized. That’s why I believe that if you want to live a more simplified, organized and productive life, you must start with the way you spend your 24 hours.

Here are a few steps for you to Take Back Your Time:

1. Buy a spiral notebook.

Don’t go out and buy a Day Planner just yet. You may not even need one. Get a spiral notebook and use it for about a month. I will give you a list at the end of what kinds of things to write down in this notebook.

If you find yourself not using the notebook but heading to the computer to jot some things down, you are probably the electronic organizer type. After a month, you should definitely know if you need a Day Planner or a Palm Pilot. Or, you may be completely satisfied with your spiral notebook. My number one organizing rule: Don’t do what your neighbor does. Organize according to YOUR personality.

2. Write down everything that you do throughout the day.

This means the little and big things like making your kids lunches to volunteering at the school to that business meeting.

This is to help you see how you fill your day, your week and your month. Are you spreading yourself to thin? This will help you find that out. You may be shocked at how much you do or you may be shocked at how much time you are wasting on the little things here and there.

3. Evaluate your list. Learning your ABC’s.

Put an A next to all the things that you absolutely have to do and that ONLY you can do. Here are some possible examples: going to church, getting your haircut or volunteering at your child’s school. Now really think about this list. Volunteering at your child’s school is important, but are you doing too much of it? Are you doing all the parties yourself? Can you delegate some things and ask for help?

Put a B next to the things that have to be done but that you can possibly delegate to others. Also put a B by the activities that you can possibly combine in one trip. Here are some examples: going to the grocery store every day after work, going to the post office, the dry cleaners, etc. Can someone else do this for you or can you make one afternoon your errand time and get all the errands done for that week all at once. Can one of your children, your spouse do some of the grocery shopping? Can you hire someone to clean your house? Really stop and think about the items you put a B by and see how you can so them faster or hand them off if you can.

Put a C next to the things that you can probably take off your list and not do at all. Here are some examples: Volunteers jobs – I am not saying to not volunteer. I am saying to take a look at how much of it you are doing. Can you do one volunteer job a month and basically rotate them? How about driving your kids all over town to all of their practices - Can you trade off with another parent and take turns? Can your spouse help? Those are some ideas to help get you started.

4. Some other ways to use your notebook for the month.

Here are some other things you can write down in your notebook:
• Grocery list – when you open a new container of something, write it down.
• Family and friends’ birthdays
• A daily to-do list: for work and home
• Important dates to remember – appointments, deadlines

When you feel that your time is in control, then you can start tackling those areas of your home and office that are filled with clutter. Un-clutter your time first and then start to take care of the rest. Alright, are you ready? Now... go Take Back Your Time!

Have you made a resolution or two already? Are you starting to realize that it’s just not as easy to follow through with as you had hoped?

And if you haven’t made a formal resolution, have you been telling yourself that “this year will be different,” only to find that it’s starting to seem like the same old, same old, all over again?

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

January is a time when ADDers across the world vow to never again be late for another appointment, end procrastination for good, go to bed on time each night, and finally get organized! If only it were that easy. In actuality, many people set themselves up for failure.

Making positive change in life is not about willpower. If you’re setting goals for yourself this year and thinking that you’ll achieve them simply because you want to, then you’re missing some important pieces of the puzzle.

Firstly, no one ever sets out to fail or disappoint. We all have the best intentions…but intentions can only take you so far.

Secondly, we all do the best we can with the tools and skills that we have available to us. If you want to make a positive change in your life, you’ll have to find the tools and develop the skills that were previously unavailable to you. This takes time, patience, and dedication.

Instead of becoming frustrated and discouraged when you fall away from your resolutions in 2007, try asking yourself: what do I need to learn in order to achieve my goal?

Successful utilization of time is the bottom-line for any successful venture. It is one single resource that can never be purchased but can only be spent. It all depends, how effectively we spend t, to be successful in life. All of us must have gone through various books and articles, and may be through some of the effective seminars as well. Yes, all of those definitely add a value and give some concrete guidelines to improve ourselves. However, many a times we find it difficult to follow the instructions in detail and create a flop of it. Here are some basic tips, which you may find useful.

1. Before going to sleep every night plan 10 must dos for the next day and note it in a rough page.
2. Square it down to 5 points, which are simply unavoidable.
3. Finalize 3 points out of it that you simply can not leave incomplete on the next day. Please note it down in your diary, preferable with time tags on each of it, or with a priority level.
4. First thing that you must do in the morning, after your first cup of your tea, is to look into your diary and plan a tentative work schedule to complete the three major tasks.
5. Before going to sleep, you must mark all three, as completed task, and work on the schedule for the next day, in the same manner.

I am sure that if you can follow these simple steps, for a week at least, you will be able to see the changes in you time management.

We often blame the pace of our lives to be the real culprit for not finding time for the many jobs we thought we should have done but could not do in the end, and believe that if we manage our time better we will be able to equalize time spent on our priorities. We often see our balance problems as coming from too many conflicting demands. These demands come from work, home, personal commitments, society, and our own personal needs.

With all the competing demands on our time, we usually tend to slot our own personal priorities in last. Because they are last, we rarely get to them. And interestingly enough, that is when we feel most out of balance and the most stressed. Did you ever notice that when you’re feeling most out of balance, much of the world around you seems to be in a chaos?

Well, our world is a reflection of our inner world. Whenever we are disturbed or irritated, the reason for any wrong-happening is always somebody else. Imbalance invariably makes our vision other-oriented. The search for balance is so elusive because we are looking in the wrong place. We are seeking to fix things outside of or around us in order to achieve balance. Balance comes from inside first and then it is reflected around us. If that is the case then, how, do we go about achieving balance?

It is in understanding ourselves better - our priorities, motivations and values. Self-evaluation, contemplation, meditation - all those that work to still and settle the mind - are necessary to lead a more meaningful and purposeful life, because from these come a sense of balance and a mind more discerning. We can be responsible and perceptive only when we are centred from within. It is the peace and not the pace of our lives that is the problem. Internal calm, or the lack of it, are the states of our minds that lead us to feel in – or out of – balance.

It's difficult to juggle a job, family life, and school. That's why it's extremely important to maximize your study time.

Here are 7 keys to help you improve your study time and avoid distractions:

1. Choose Your Best Study Time

Most people study when they can find time, but it might not be the best study time. Do you study better in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Whenever possible, study when you feel you're at your best. Time studying during those periods will maximize your study time. And it's a lot better than studying when you're overly tired.

2. Choose the Best Location

Most people study at home because it's the most convenient, but it's also the place with the most distractions. If possible, find a location you think you can study best in. If you study better with background noise, consider studying in a local coffee shop or bookstore. And if you need total silence, consider a city library or college library.

3. Use Note Cards

Note cards allow you to study whenever you have a free moment. Leave the note cards in your pocket or purse and pull them out whenever you have a free moment. You'll be amazed how much studying you can get done just by referring to note cards throughout the day.

4. Don't Procrastinate

Most students procrastinate on huge projects or tests because it seems like it will take a long time to finish.

To avoid procrastination, don't think of your assignment as something monstrous; instead break the project up into small, manageable projects. For example, if you have to write a 10 page paper; spend one day doing research; spend another day writing an outline for the paper; spend two days writing the paper; spend another day editing and revising; etc. If you break up the project into manageable tasks, you should hopefully put an end to procrastination.

5. Reward Yourself

Another key to studying well is to think positively about your study time. Plan on rewarding yourself after spending time studying.

6. Study Groups

Time spent in a study group can really help make studying more enjoyable and more effective. It might not always be practical to meet with a study group, but even a brief meeting with other students can help you focus on key areas to study. They can also clue you in on something you might have missed in class.

7. Take Breaks

Take breaks regularly to relax your mind. It's refreshing to take a break, and it gives your whole body time to rejuvenate. It's recommended that you spend your break walking around and stretching a little bit. You'll feel better, and it will probably make your mind more focused when you return.

The word “siesta” is used for describing the time off between two and five in which many traditional shops, beyond the influence of the big cities, close in Spain. The other siesta is the time right after lunch in which many people still take a nap. This latest siesta is the topic of this article.

The interesting thing about the siesta is that, although it is a traditional custom, will help you to extent your day. And who would not want to be able to live longer; well here is the solution!

The idea is simple. You take a short nap from fifteen minutes to half hour right after your lunch. In Spain this lunch is for many people what is the dinner at six in many other countries. It might be difficult at first to get accustomed to this short sleep halfway through your day, but you will get used to it. Try it during the weekends.

We sleep to recuperate our body and mind that we use during the day. And the factor that extents your day is the fact that by introducing a short nap you regain more energy than the half hour you invest in the rest (search on the net for evidence). Sacrificing up to a half hour of your time will give you in return at least an hour extra, although this might be different for each of us. If your daily schedule is from 07:00 – 24:00 you could extent your day easily from 07:00 to 01:00 or 01:30 by a midday nap from 14:00 to 14:30 or less.

There is only one disadvantage about the siesta which is the problematic "use" at work, so you have to drive back home. This is the reason why the siesta is losing ground in Spain, which is a pity. It is only efficient if you do not have to drive home in which case you will loose more (time) than you gain. But this could be solved by some innovative idea at work. Think about it. It is worth it.

If you are new to working at home online, one of the hardest things you have to do will be to learn effective time management. Time is too precious to be wasted, so it is essential to remain focussed on the task you set out to do and complete that task before starting another. There will be numerous distractions all inviting you to wander off course and spend a little time in some completely unplanned activity. For anyone working at home, there will be distractions such as a ringing phone, a parcel delivery, a demanding child, a bright day that just begs you to wax the car, a dog that wants walking etc.

When you are working at home online it is worse because, in addition to all the normal domestic distractions, you have the Internet's own array of distractions to contend with. If you thought controlling domestic life while working at home was complicated, the early days working online will probably seem like trying to perform delicate surgery in the middle of a three ring circus. Offline distractions will quietly tempt you to wander off course, the distractions you will encounter on the Internet positively clamour for your attention.

Working for yourself at home gives you the freedom to make your own schedule and the flexibility to work at any hour of day or night you choose. One of the main attractions of working at home is the fact that there will be no boss breathing down your neck. In the absence of deadlines set by a boss, it is up to you to use self discipline to get your work done.

When you start working for yourself, you will undoubtedly start off with every intention of managing your time sensibly and following a schedule that will enable you to effectively balance work and family life. Working at home online involves more than just good intentions. It requires planning, determination, persistence and unwavering self discipline.

When you first start working at home online, you will be tempted to check your website at regular intervals, you will be tempted to check your sales figures several times a day, you will feel the need to check in at your favourite forums and your email inbox will have an almost irresistible attraction. It is quite natural to feel like this but, although each of these detours from your planned day won't take long on its own, if you add up the time spent on each one you will be looking at an hour or more wasted each day.

Those self inflicted time wasters are a danger in themselves but, worse still is the danger lurking within them. Every visit you make to a forum and every email you read can potentially contain a link that you won't be able to resist clicking. This is where working at home online has unique dangers that you wouldn't experience if you had an offline home business. Clicking any one of those links can lead you to a website full of information that looks as if it might be of benefit to you. There will be offers of tools to save you time, e-books to educate you and advertising that promises to make you a fortune. Your decision to read just one email can lead you down a path that costs you another half hour in wasted time.

The problem with these online temptations is that they tend to arrive disguised as something that will help you in your home business. Ironically, many of them will claim to be able to save you time while you are building your business. After working online for some time, you will develop an instinct that enables you to ignore these offers because you've seen it all (or something very similar) before, but the early days are a dangerous time. Your best defence in the early days of working online is self discipline. The solution is not always easy but it is simple: make a plan and stick to it. Have a list of things to do each day and make yourself work through the list step by step. The best way to do this is to use a system of small goals and rewards to keep you on the straight and narrow path until good time management replaces those bad habits.

If you fail to exercise self discipline and resist the temptation to wander the Internet back roads, you will find yourself spending long hours at your computer with nothing to show for the time spent apart maybe from a touch of eye strain.