Continued from page 1
Now that you know what you need to focus on, start to put a bit of pressure on yourself. Not major pressure; that would be counter productive. Start to structure your future, whether one day, one month or one year. Set yourself achievable targets each day, week and month; a list of tasks that you need to do to help your business and you to grow. I use a good old fashioned diary, just to get my eyes away from
screen a while, at
beginning and end of
day, and at intervals as each task is completed. Here are a few tips that I try to stick to:
• Set out a series of tasks to do each day. Make sure they are achievable.
• If you have any regular daily, weekly or monthly tasks (you should have), build them into your diary in advance so they do not get forgotten. For example, I do a daily Blog. That’s there in my diary every day of
week. You will need time set aside to consider finances. Put it in your diary in advance.
• If you have a long task to do, split it over a few days, rather than spend a whole day on
same thing. If it can be split into sub-tasks, all
better. For example, if you’re building a website, you may be able to split it into content headings or pages. Give yourself an achievable amount to do each day, allowing time for other things.
• Try to include one task per day that involves you increasing your knowledge and expertise. For example, if you have a new instructive ebook to read, set aside some time each day for it until finished. When finished, note in your diary to check on your implementation of suggestions you want to adopt. The same goes for new software and other new technology. A steady build up of knowledge can be planned for just by putting these things in your diary and sticking to
plan. Trying to master something new all in one go may cause unnecessary frustration and weariness.
• If you really must surf for advertising credits, do that as your last set task of
day, otherwise you may not achieve as much as you would have.
• If there’s something you can do away from
computer screen, try to plan for it. For example, if you need to plan website content or write an article, you will benefit from at least thinking of
main points by relaxing. If it’s warm, sit in
garden, somewhere to give you a break from
computer.
• If you think you will benefit from so doing, use
same diary to schedule in domestic activities too. Don’t forget, this is your home business. The home and your family are part of it. If you want to take
children to
beach after school, schedule it in. You can do that and still achieve something for your business that day.
• If you find that a task cannot be completed, or its priority should be lessened, don’t try to force yourself to do it
day first scheduled. Reschedule it for another day.
Time management is a very personal thing, especially when you have your own business at home. I am sure you can adopt your own techniques that suit you best. The most important thing to remember, though, is that time needs to be managed. If you’re alone in
business, time is a major limiting factor. It is important you make
most of your time, and for your own morale, to end each working day feeling you’ve achieved something.

Roy Thomsitt is the owner of the home business websites http://www.change-direction.com and http://www.home-working-start-up.com