There is MORE than enough time to do what you want!

There is MORE than enough time to do what you want!

Changing things up in my business and life has shown me that there is MORE THAN ENOUGH time to get what you want done.

This isn’t about TIME management. It’s about YOU MANAGEMENT. It’s about your ACTIVITY management.

The trouble is, most people fill their working hours with time fillers. Stuff that might make a minuscule difference to their life and work, but really, on the scale of 1-10, it’s a MEH.

Here are some of the ways you can get the IMPORTANT stuff done, claim back hours and make even more progress than you thought possible. And when I say the important stuff, it’s the things that are going to make the biggest difference in your business (that you LOVE doing, of course) and not the piddly things that only contribute 1%. Forget that stuff!

Only YOU can decide what the really important stuff is but if you are stuck here’s my personal guide;

  • How does what I’m about to do make me feel? (Happiness)
  • How does this increase my reach; today, this week, this month? (Marketing)
  • How does this increase my wealth; today, this week, this month? (Money)

Appointments/Meetings

Is there anything that can’t be discussed over the phone rather than meet up in person? I have an aversion to meetings.  A 30 minute meeting, a quick cup of coffee, a ‘I wanna pick your brain’ can actually take up half a day; arranging, getting ready, travel to the meeting point and back again. Not to mention the mental distraction it causes for the day. And it’ll be the same for you. I rarely do meetings now – and there has never been anything that can’t be discussed over the phone/skype/email. How do you think international business is done? Ain’t nobody got time to be hopping on planes all year long.

Is it your job to have meetings? (I hope not!)

And I know you may be here to learn more about running an online business and if that’s the case are you going to run a business where you have to turn up in person to do it?

As part of my business, I run coaching calls and these are done over skype with clients from many different countries. To work more efficiently I have a system set up with my available time so my clients can go to my online calendar and book their calls. There are many online tools like this you can use and I’m using Timendo at the moment.

Emails

If you are a slave to emails then that’s of your own doing. You CAN set up your business how you want it. And part of that is setting up your clients expectations when it comes to email correspondence.

And whilst we are talking emails, it’s NOT your first job of the day to check your emails.  The first job of the day is based on my personal guide above! Are you going to start your day in reactive mode? And an extension of that; are you going to run your business in reactive mode? Remember, email ISN’T INSTANT MESSAGING.

If you are sending a lot of emails. Expect a lot back. From my experience, the wordier and lengthier the email you send, the wordier and lengthier the response, unless you luckily get someone who understands that life is not meant to be lived writing emails and you are blessed with a one-line response.

Get to the point. Get straight to the question/comment. Press send.

If you are being swamped by email then you need to make some changes.

Decide on what you WANT to be your email rules. If client’s are involved, tell them what to expect from now on.

Phone calls

My phone calls are scheduled and arranged in advance WHEN IT’S PHONE CALL TIME!

Phone call time is NOT when someone decides THEY want to pick up the phone to me.

24 hours my phone is on silent. Yep, not a beep or a squeak out of it. BLISS!

Remember there is voice mail! It’s there for a reason. When it’s YOUR phone call time – preferably nearer the end of the day – then you can return the calls. Or reply by email. Or tweet. Whatever is quicker. You aren’t under any obligation to spend any longer on the phone in your business than you want to be.

What changes are you going to make now?

Today? I’ve given you just a few really easy to do ways to shave hours off your work week, if not your work DAY!

You can set up your LIFE and BUSINESS whatever way you like. In fact you MUST. It would be crazy to do otherwise.

Right?!

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karen strunksABOUT Karen Strunks is a speaker and author and helps daring, rebellious, non-conforming women create a No Compromise life and business doing exactly what they love.

She left her ‘cubicle cage’ and made a break for freedom to follow her passions. Today, empowering women to step away from the norm, break the rules and follow their passions.

Her work has been featured in print, TV and radio such as The Guardian, BBC, Radio 4, Time Out NYC, The Telegraph, BBC Radio Wales, and she has worked with national and international brands.

Karen regularly speaks at conferences and lectures at universities on entrepreneurship, and about her story of leaving the 9-5 to pursue a life less ordinary. Come and join Karen's FREE community on Facebook; Rebel Business Bitches and pick up a FREE gift to help you create the life you want. YOUR way. Website | Twitter | Youtube | Facebook

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