Is time something you look at as a valuable resource or a thing to waste?

What system do you have in place to manage your time?

Time Management is crucial to the success of an online business. If we don’t set up routines and systems, we will eventually end up surfing around online like a chicken with our head cut off.

Today’s Tuesday Tutorial will give you tips on time management as you begin making money with your website.

Step 1: Set Goals

• Write down goals and put them in a place where you can read them often.  I have a habit each week of writing out new goals and scotch taping them to my desk where I can see them every day!
• Set SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
• Prioritize your Goals – One thing I’ve started doing is putting a number next to each goal as I write them all out for the day.  I can then go through the “checklist” and “see” the success as it happens.
• Plan each day by inserting your Goals in to your daily calendar. Planning your day can help you feel more in control of you life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.  Things come up during the day.  What I find is that if I have a plan during the day, things seem to get done more effectively.

Step 2: Avoid Procrastinating!

Here are some ideas to keep procrastination under control:

• Slice up tasks into more manageable pieces and start on the easiest ones
• Chart your progress – “Small success leads to big success!” If you write down and track progress, it helps confidence and aids you in seeing progress, even if its only small
• Set a deadline for completing projects: without a deadline, it’s easy to keep pushing things back
• Have someone you can report to: If I have to return and report what I have (or haven’t done) to someone that I respect, I tend to push myself a lot harder to accomplish things I’ve set out to do.

Step 3:  Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks.

• Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.
• As you prioritize your goals and tasks, think about which ones will take the least amount of time to accomplish and do those first.

Ever heard of “Small Success leads to Big Success”?  Now apply this and measure your progress!

Step 4: Practice the 10-minute rule.

Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it. Writing articles and press releases can be this way. Once you get started though, things can really start coming together.

The 10 Minute Rule is pretty simple and works like this. I tell myself that I will engage in the task at hand for at least 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes, I don’t feel like finishing, I can stop and walk away, guilt free. Because most of the time the hardest part of any task is getting started, this rule of thumb helps me push past the roadblocks that keep me from doing things that I may not always feel like doing, but am always glad I did once I’m done.

Step 5: Evaluate how you’re spending your time.

• Keep a “Success Journal” of everything you do for three days.
• Write down everything you do. This can help you determine how you’re spending your time.
• Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends. What about that TV time? Is that really helping you make progress with your business?

Step 6: Get plenty of sleep and exercise.

This is something I really need to work on.  I have a bad habit of staying up late and then dragging some days and not accomplishing as much.  Any advice?

I’ve seen that improved focus and concentration will help improve efficiency.  This helps complete work in less time.  The more rested you are, the better you can think logically and really see things happen with your eCommerce Business.

Step 7: Don’t be afraid to take a break.

• Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized.
• When you need a break, take one.

One of my “New Year’s Resolutions” will be to really focus on these time management tips and document my success.  More to come.

How have these tips helped you?

How do you plan to use them in 2009?