Time Management: Keep Your Eye on the Prize

One of the primary things that cause entrepreneurs to stress the most is 'not having enough time.' Easy to understand, right? We, as entrepreneurs, are ambitious, driven, passionate, and we tend to do multiple things at once (or at least try)... so we often find ourselves stretched to full capacity on a daily basis, stressed, tired, overwhelmed, and unable to be our 'normal' selves for our family.

As we begin this New Year, it's a great time to determine what our priorities truly are, what changes we may need to make so that we can focus, and then create our plan of action.

So, if you're at the point of being at your full capacity, take a deep breath...it's time to re-group, prioritize, and plan. The following article popped up in my box this morning from womenentrepreneur.com that I thought would be perfect to share.

"Follow these five P's of Productivity to get more accomplished in less time. 

There are countless approaches to time management. Any bookstore or online retailer lists hundreds of titles in its library, and new ones are published daily. With all this information easily accessible, why are people still racing against the clock and struggling to manage their lives? Keep reading to better understand this problem and learn how to deal with it successfully.

The concept of time management seems simple enough: Allocate 24 hours to the care of and completion of needs, tasks, projects, responsibilities, priorities and everything else. It might be that straightforward if we all lived in vacuums. But life, for most people, is infinitely more colorful and intricate. It's part of being human.

Instead of trying to monitor the minutes and control every factor, I propose a new approach where people focus on the end result and their productivity levels. The goal is to examine life as a whole and consider time from a broader perspective as it relates to how you live your life or your lifestyle.

Below is an example of how to incorporate the "5 P's of Productivity" in your life:"

Find the rest of this post on WomenEntrepreneur.com >>

*Lisa Hromada, Personal Branding Strategist

What's Your Time Worth? Make the Shift

Ok ladies, it's time to change up the way that we use our time in the New Year.

We all know that the most precious gift we have is time. Time gives us the ability to do what we want and need in our business (so we can make more money), have time to care for our health and wellness, spend more time with our friends, family and kids, and have more time to renew and reenergize ourselves.

What I learned this year is just how important time management is...in my life and my business. It's easy for entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs, to lose focus because we're often doing so many things at once, right? We are constantly multi-tasking and trying to find ways to manage our time, so that we can accomplish everything on our list of things to do.

I want share a new way of looking at your time, so that not only you can focus better to get more done in a shorter amount of time, but also step into a new perspective of what your time is really worth because we often give our time away, don't we? 

I have found through my clients as well as from my own experiences that there are two primary reasons why: 1) our natural inclination is usually to take care of others first (especially for those who are also moms/guardians or even overly-generous entrepreneurs) 2) we easily under-value what our time is worth because we are so used to doing everything ourselves that it is hard to truly see the value of our time.

...so what does this mean? Well, it means that we get more easily overwhelmed and distracted and when this happens, we're not able to use our time in the best ways possible because we are thinking about all the other things that we feel that we need to be doing. Pretty confusing, trust me, I know.

So, here's what I want you to do right now and carry with you into the New Year:

1. Calculate what your time is worth. This is going to help you shift your thinking, help you set boundaries and understand how you (and others) use your time. Here's how to do it.
   
   1) Determine how much you want to make this year...it's a New Year and a new start for you, so think about what you WANT to make...think bigger...not just what you made last year. I'm going to give you an example: Let's say that you want to make $100k this year and have 2 weeks vacation per year (at least). This leaves 50 working weeks per year. So, divide 100k by 50 and you get $2,000 per week. Since you work 5 days a week, that is $400 a day. Let's say that you work 5 hours a day (now this is completely focused work...no distractions, so that you're actually getting things done); that's $80/hour that your focused time is worth. Now, this is a modest amount, but you see the point.
   
   2) Now think about how you're using your time. Is what you're doing worth using up your focused time? For example, after attending a networking event, are you typing in all of the contacts yourself of those who you met? Is that time worth $80/hour?
   
   
2. Set some boundaries and create a new plan for the new year. For each task on your to-do list, determine if you can automate the process, delegate the tasks, or if you should just delete the tasks or parts of the tasks all together. Set boundaries for yourself and determine those things that are really worth your time to do.

It will take some 'work' at first to shift the way you think about your time, set your boundaries (and stick to them), and determine how to free up more of the time you have, but doing so will help you to eliminate the overwhelm that you're feeling and empower you to step into and stay in your power as an entrepreneur, coach, mom, wife, friend, and the heart-centered passionate spirit  you are.

Author: Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist and Graphic Designer who works with highly motivated women entrepreneurs/solo-preneurs who want to attract & enroll more clients, generate more revenue, and effectively market their business without overwhelm. Get your 3 free gifts at http://lisahromada.com/gifts.html

Want to use this article? Feel free to share it, but please be sure to include the "Author" box.

7 Simple Steps to Marketing Success (Part Two)

Part One of the 7 Simple Steps to Marketing Success:

1. Create Your Vision
2. Uncover Your Personal Brand Influence
3. Prepare Your Business Model


Here are four more steps to marketing success to help you prepare before the New Year!

7 Simple Steps to Marketing Success (Part Two)


4. Get to Know Your 'Model' Client

  Imagine your 'perfect' client. What characteristics and attributes would he/she have? Describe your ideal working relationship. What does that look like? You'll also want to describe their primary obstacles, concerns, fears, dreams, and desires. The more detailed you can get when it comes to who your 'model' client is, the easier and more effective your marketing.


5. Outline Your Results
  Next, write out ALL the results that you can think of that your clients get from working with you. These results can include personal as well as professional results. How does your work positively impact your clients? Does it help them achieve better health? Financial security? Find and keep more loving relationships? Write down as many results as possible. This will help you get clear on what you offer to clients and how to express what you offer in your marketing messages.
 
6. Determine Your Marketing Tools
   There are many tools to choose from and it can be difficult and overwhelming trying to decide which tools to use. Ask yourself: Is it best to use online tools to reach out to potential clients? Network in person? Call or e-mail people directly? 
  To start determining this, you want to take a look at who your clients are and what they want, like we did in the previous two steps, then you want to brainstorm places where your 'model' clients can be found and then create your plan for reaching out to them. 
  The key is consistency. Decide on a few marketing tools/methods and then schedule out time where you will consistently use these tools each day or every few days a week. This will help to market your business, build your credibility, and inspire people to want to learn more from you and what you have to offer.


7. Create a 'Comfortable Home'
   When you begin implementing marketing tools and methods, you want to make sure that you are including a strategic call to action, such as having people click to your website or blog for more information or to contact you. For this reason, it is essential to have a 'comfortable home' on the web (i.e. website or blog). 

   Your website/blog works to market your business and express your brand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When visitors land on your website, you want them to feel welcome and know they are in the right place! To do this, your website must clearly express your brand, what you offer and to whom, and what action you want people to take when they get there.

Have more simple steps to share for marketing success? Share your comments below. 

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For more tips and techniques on how to immediately connect with potential clients and open up conversation and opportunities to enroll them into their programs or purchasing their products, check out December's fr.e.e video training series: 
"The Breakthrough Technique to Attracting and Enrolling Clients with Ease and Authenticity, so that You Can Generate More Impact in Your Business, Starting Today" http://tinyurl.com/seedspossibility
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Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist and Graphic Designer who works with highly motivated women entrepreneurs/solo-preneurs who want to attract & enroll more clients, generate more revenue, and effectively market their business without overwhelm. For more information, visit http://www.lisahromada.com