I’m not a religious nut about to start talking about some doomsday cult or how we’ve been given extra hours to worship the Lord of Zog. This post is all about learning to manage your time better, and prove you have got more than enough time to build a successful site, I’ll break it down;
- TV
Watching the newest episode of FlashForward, or catching up on your hidden pleasure soap opera, will destroy your development. Think about it right now, If you spend any amount of time watching TV that you could be working on your site then you need your head seeing too. Think about it, if you get in from work at 6 and have something to eat, maybe put the kids to bed, talk to your partner about the day you’ve had, its going to be about 8pm. So what are you doing for the next few hours?… If the answer makes you feel guilty, stop it right now. Get your site done first, do that new post, update that new page and promote the hell out of it!
- Surfing Net
Browsing Ebay for the newest digital camera, Searching YouTube for the sneezing panda, or updating your iPod and before you know it you’ve wasted an hour, that you could have been spent cracking the first chapter of your eBook, By all means escape from it all, but get a grip of your aimless surfing, and make a success of yourself.
- Do it today, tomorrow will never happen
This is an age old saying but it is so relevant. Why are you waiting till tomorrow, There is no reason for it. Get it done today then you can get even more done tomorrow, and the things you can get done tomorrow, do them now, no one said having a successful website is easy, Its not easy, and takes a huge amount of dedication and passion, but the battle is won if you don’t keep putting it off and get it sorted right now!
- Aimless Social
By all means check your email, comment on the latest picture of your friend on facebook, but either do this on your lunch break on your phone, or get it all done in ten minutes, I’m being serious here, set a timer for ten minutes and get all your social eLife (I like that term, I should TM it!) done and dusted in that time and that time only. You need to spend time on social networks but for the purpose of promoting your website, not to catch up on the gossip.
- Day dreaming
I put this in here, because I dream a lot, but I recently found myself thinking what the hell am I doing? Why am I dreaming about my plans, and not implementing them. That said day dreaming can be a good thing to do, but do it in the car, start talking out loud pretending its a year in the future and how successful your site has become, talk about how many visitors you get, how your changing peoples lives, how much money your making a month and more importantly how your spending that money. Positive thinking is the key to success.
- To do list
Write it down! At work make an ‘To Do List’ , or do it in the morning with things you need to do today, and tick them off as you go, for instance; 1; Reply to all tweets and emails (Website related), 2; Write new post, 3; Promote post on social media, 4; Work on future plans for site – Get it in written order of what to do, and tick it off when you have done it. Having a written list makes it harder to ignore.
I always feel so guilty when I stop working on stuff. Like today, I’ve been working on an eBook all afternoon and have just stopped for around an hour but already I’m feeling guilty about being away from work too long.
Having a day time job and trying to launch a business on the side means I can’t afford down time to chill and watch TV just because I feel like it.
For me it’s all about how much you want it. If I’m not successful at least I can say I tried harder than anyone else.
Anyway can’t write too much, want to get some more work down on the eBook before Top Gear comes on! lol
(Love Social eLife! TM that bad boy up!)
Hey James!
Great post! Couple of things I’d like to add…
TODO lists: Write them last thing at night before you go to bed, so that your subconscious mind will work on them while you are sleeping. And if you are just starting out with todo’s, keep them short. I generally don’t put more than 6 items on mine. And make sure that they are prioritised.
Good advice, Keeping them in order really does help! Top work Steve
In the words of Mark Twain: “Why put up until tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow”
I find myself doing a lot of day dreaming which is related to my to-do list that always ends up skipping to the last step of thinking about the future or my blog.
But, I have found that during the holidays or any vacation times I do less day dreaming and more items that needs to get done on the to-do list.
By the way I included this post in #uttermag (because it is very useful)
Best Regards.
.-= Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Why UtterMag is Different From Others =-.
Hey Derek,
It’s great to day dream as long as it motivates you into getting things done, good comment.
ps; Sorry you got snowed in on Christmas day
.-= theinfopreneur´s last blog ..Christmas Day Strategy =-.
Great advice. I’m fortunate that my hubby works shifts. As such he’s not home in the evening half the time. That gives me chance to get lots done without having to worry about being conversational!
For me though, the greatest hour stretching tool has to be my iPhone. I’ve had it less than 3 months but it’s revolutionalized how I use social media to promote my site. That said, like any gadget, still requires self-discipline to use it productively
How much of your work do you do on your iPhone?
See this is where I differ, I do spend 10 hours on my computer at my desk all day for my day job (I work from home) and then I get off work and eat dinner, spend time with my kids. When the kids go to bed, my wife and I like to relax and watch TV or a movie on the couch together, it is our “comfort time” we always watch TV together and I spend time just rubbing her legs or feet while we watch TV. It is when we go to bed that I decide whether to stay up and blog for a few hours while she goes to sleep, or if I am too weary from the day and join her in bed.
I feel “guilty” about not blogging or promoting my site more, which is why I just remind myself, blogging is a hobby, its not my day job. And I actually am not particularly looking for blogging to be my “full time job”, I wouldn’t like it as much if I were that pressured to blog.
Yeah man to be honest though brother, look at how popular your site is and that’s only a hobby site?…. you rock!
For me I need to make a living out of this, I want to spend more time with my family instead of being away at work 60hrs a week
Good stuff here, James!
I actually never watch any TV. We watch Netflix usually on a daily basis and that’s about it.
As for my blog, well, I’m on the computer all night doing things for it or all day while my girlfriend is sleeping. Some days I just watch movies or write new posts or just mess around and such if I don’t feel like doing much for the blog.
Most days though I usually bust ass on BluePop13.com. It takes work that’s for sure.
This is different from my usual comments right here but with this post being related to working harder on making your time count to make something better of your site, I honestly wonder what you’d think of any of Larry Winget’s books.
He’s my favorite author and so far I only have all but one of his books. I have yet to buy: Your Kids Are Your Own Fault. All his others I own and have read twice or more.
.-= Eric´s last blog ..The Way I Blog With Ease =-.
hey man,
I have never heard of him but to be honest I’m not a book reader, I think I have read maybe one or two books in my whole life, I just can’t get on with books
I’m sorry James, I hear you brother, but …………. I just can’t help myself!
I have to ……. well, press the big red button!
http://www.toysforyourblog.com/games/bigred/
.-= Jeffrey´s last blog ..Whats Wrong. With Dah Postt ? =-.