June 27, 2002

Do you just have too much to do?

Making schedules and lists can help, but if you put more on your schedule than an ordinary human being can complete in a day, you won’t finish everything. When you don’t meet your daily goals you might feel like you’ve let yourself down. You could throw your goals out the window, but that’s not much of a solution.

In order to organize your goals, you should create two lists. Put every task you need to complete on one list. On another list, your daily tasks, put only the projects you need to do in that day. Separate your daily list into different sections. You can create sections for errands, important phone calls, projects, etc. Move things from your master list to your daily list every day. You’ll find this much easier than trying to get absolutely everything done in one day.

Don’t hesitate to create a routine for your day. We’re often afraid to do this because routines can become monotonous. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Switch things around if your routine isn’t working. Find a routine that matches your personality. You have the power to make your life more productive and more fun.

Seven Surefire Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Day

1. Always keep your targets in sight
   

   Post goals in a prominent place where you can refer to them for direction, inspiration, and motivation.

2. Plan your work, work your plan
   

   Chart your goals, and work backward in time to create smaller tasks, so that all aspects of your work build on each other.

3. Know your internal biological clock
   

   Be aware of what activities work better for you at different times of the day.

4. “Bank” time for different activities
   

   You can be significantly more productive by grouping similar activities into time segments. For example, avoid telephone interruptions by having a machine, voice mail, or service answer calls during certain hours.

5. End the day with reviewing and planning
   

   Take a few minutes at the end of each day to review what you’ve accomplished and create a new To-Do list, so you don’t have to think about what needs to be done when you hit the office fresh in the morning.

6. Refine, don’t reinvent
   

   Once you find a time management system that fits, use it faithfully and continually refine it to suit your changing needs and interests.

7. Give yourself credit
   

   No independent entrepreneur can hit peak productivity 100% of the time. Some days seem to evaporate and leave little progress to show. Accept this as natural, and don’t be hard on yourself.

Even though you cannot create more time, by using these tips, you can take control of this valuable resource and use it to ensure your success in the present and into the future.

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