How do You Eat An Elephant?

7 Tricks to Getting More Done

Do you have more "To Do" list at the end of the day than when you started? With all you have to accomplish, it seems like there’s never enough time for the important things, much less the things you want to do. Wouldn’t it be great if life were like TiVo? If only we could pause, rewind, playback, and record life’s moments to access later, when we had the time.

Well, I've got some sad news for you: we ALL have the very same 24 hours in a day. So how is it that some people seem to be so productive, while you feel like you're just spinning your wheels?

I don't believe we can "manage" time. We can only manage the tasks we do in the time that is available to us. You’d be surprised at how much time you waste each day—and those extra minutes can really add up.

So, how can you get more done? Here are 7 ways to stop time drains in your life and accomplish what you need to do, so you can get to the things you want.

Let it Go
For one week, carry a diary with you and jot down all the recurring, administrative, or chore-related tasks you do daily. At the end of the week, identify the tasks that you can get someone else to do. Let's do the math here for a second. Here's a sample list of things you might do during the week:
3 Hours - food shopping (includes driving, shopping, standing in line, putting groceries away)
1 hour - post office run, pick up mail, open and sort
2 hours - straighten and clean house
1/2 hour - change litter
1/2 hour - dry cleaner run
1 hour - laundry, wash, fold, put away
8 Hours - TOTAL (That's a full work day gone!)

Have you ever driven across town to save a few cents when filling up your gas tank? Think about it: a five-cent difference in the price per gallon of gas will save you a whopping dollar for a 20-gallon fill-up. Isn’t an extra half-hour of your time worth a dollar? Let it go.

Now let's say you find someone to work for $8 an hour to do these tasks for you. That's about $64 a week (or about $250 a month). Now with that extra 32 (!) hours a month, could you generate that $250 back plus some if you focused on your business? The answer is a resounding "Yes!"

I have a post-it on my computer monitor that asks me every time I start a task:
"Does this Action bring you toward or away from your target?" If my target is to increase sales by 20% by the end of the month, does doing the laundry bring me closer to that goal?

Set Goals and Prioritize
What do you want out of your life? In order to determine the most effective use of your time, you need to know what you want to do with it! It’s important to have both long- and short-term plans for accomplishing your goals, and equally important to understand what is most important to you.

Long-term goals: Whether you’re dreaming of becoming a superstar or opening your own business, keep this in mind: a goal is a dream with a deadline. You can achieve anything if you plan it out. Whatever your goal, find out what you must do to make it happen, and then break it into manageable chunks and work toward it every day. Make your priorities clear: do you want financial success? Is your ultimate goal to spend more time with your family by working for yourself? Concentrate on your top priorities.

Short-term goals: Daily to-do lists help keep you on track—but listing too much can make you feel as though you’ve accomplished nothing. Break up your task list into three groups: Must Do, Should Do, and Like to Do. Put no more than 7 tasks on your Must Do list.

Tackle the Musts first, and give yourself permission to not feel guilty when the rest remains undone. Simply move those items to the next day’s list. Also, be sure to accomplish at least one Like every day!

Break it Down
The answer to that old elephant adage is: "One bite at a time."
Does that huge pile of unopened mail look too daunting to tackle? Then break the task down into smaller "bites." Open just 3 pieces of mail in the morning, and 3 at night. Before you know it, the task is done.

Tackle the Tough Stuff First
Everyone has certain tasks to accomplish they don’t enjoy doing, whether it’s collecting from slow-paying clients or changing the litterbox. When they are top priority tasks, get them out of the way first—that way, you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm to get things done, and you’ll find yourself moving through your goals quickly. Brian Tracy writes about this in his great book "Eat That Frog."

Streamline Communications
E-mail is a huge time-waster for many people. Cell phones come in at a close second—not to mention television! Set aside certain times for dealing with any particular form of communication. If e-mail is vital to your business, you should tackle your inbox more than once a day—but can you manage by checking in at certain times, such as once in the morning, afternoon, and evening? Try it for a few days; you may be surprised to find that you don’t miss out on anything. Also, when you’re in the middle of an important task, turn off your cell phone. You can always return calls later. Managing television time is easier than you might think as well: each week, sit down with a program guide and decide on what shows or movies you really want to see, and give yourself a schedule. This eliminates hours spent flipping through channels hoping to catch something good.
I keep a small TV in my home office so I can have West Wing reruns on while I'm working.

Reduce Clutter
Clutter instills an underlying stress. When you walk into your office, do you look at your desk piled high with unidentified stacks and moan? This will be in the back of your mind while you work, and reduce your productivity. Time spent organizing your work environment is an investment in your ability to get more done. You will be able to locate everything you need without shuffling through piles of paper, and a neat work space is a calming thing.

You are Your Greatest Asset
Invest in yourself with ongoing education—workshops, books, CDs — which pay for themselves when you generate more income from the knowledge you gained. And remember to reward yourself for accomplishing big jobs or tasks you don't like to do. You may find yourself looking forward to those unpleasant necessities!

Getting more out of life is everyone’s ultimate goal. Now is the perfect time to go for it, whatever your dreams may be. If you have always wanted to work from home, be your own boss, and run a business for yourself, invest in your future by attending Butt Camp on February 25th —as an entrepreneur working from home, you will soon find more ways to get things done than ever! www.Buttcampaz.com

After learning how to build your Internet Business on Saturday, I'm gifting you an Action Planning Breakfast on Sunday! Only 8 seats left, so please grab yours now! Bring a friend to Butt Camp and save $100! www.buttcampaz.com

To Your Success,
Barbara Drazga