[BizGuy]

Managing yourself isn't easy. But follow these tips to help you achieve your personal goals in life and in your business.

Use a diary:

Procrastination paralyses many people. Getting started is the hardest part of many tasks. You need to understand that there are no easy fixes for this, you just have to exercise some real willpower and get on with it. But you can help yourself by scheduling a task in your diary (or palm pilot), and sticking to it as you would an appointment with someone else.

Sort out your time:

Keeping a diary sounds easy, but using it properly is harder. This means not just writing down records of meetings and appointments, but also notes that remind you to block out time for yourself and time for tasks. You can also record deadlines, a list of phone calls to make and correspondence to send. This ensures that your diary is a powerful tool for prioritising each day and getting thisngs done. Then all you have to do is stick to it.

List your life:

Your TO DO list is your best friend. Whether you use a palm pilot or just a notebook, list EVERYTHING you need to get done. If these tasks involve phone calls, write down the numbers. Then develop a system for prioritisning these tasks and take ths list with you everywhere you go. This means that idle time need never wasted because you can spend it doing odd jobs, such as making calls.

Organize your filing:

If you can't find what you need right away, it's too well hidden. Organize papers, files and so on so that you know where everything is. It doesn't have to look neat or follow a recognized system. The essential test is that if you had to give someone instructions to find somthing over the phone, would you be able to tell them exactly where it is?

Plan Telephone calls:

Use the phone as a tool, not an enemy. Make your outgoing calls in blocks. That way, you can plan time to do them and you'll probably keep conversations shorter.

Attend select meetings:

Meetings drain your time (and energy) if you're not careful. Only attend meetings you really need to be at, and politely decline others.

These are a few tips that seem to have helped me with my path to success. What are some of your tips that you can share with others?

Adam T.

[mike]

Thanks for the information, some really good tips in there.