Our hectic lifestyles often find us chasing our tails…. so when I came across this article I wanted to share it with you.

How I Mange To Get It ALL Done!
Copyright 2007 by Willie Crawford

First of all, the title is misleading in that, as Dan Kennedy points out, most of us will go to our graves with lots of things still on our “to do lists.” There’s simply not enough time in the day to do everything that many of us want to do. 

Therefore, both the problem and the solution lies in identifying what you should be doing, and then managing your time properly.

Here’ how I, as someone very active in the “Internet marketing” niche, accomplish an inordinate amount of WORK:

1) I set aside specific times to answer emails.  Email was the one (often less productive) thing that was stealing more of my time than any other specific activity. Taming the email monster involved both reducing the amount of email and it’s flow.

2)  Closely related to number 1 is the fact that I set up a help desk. I now route 95% of customer service issues, joint venture correspondences, and general coordination issues through my help desk. 

Inside my help desk I have pre-composed answers to the most frequently asked questions that we get. It’s set up so that a customer can sift through my FAQ files.  If it’s something sensitive, such as download instructions, I still have templated answers pre-composed. I (or an assistant) merely needs to log in, glance at a help ticket, and select the answer from a dropdown menu accessible from our admin panel.  This makes answering many “trouble tickets” HONESTLY take less than a minute. 

Can you imagine answering a customer service email in under a minute? That’s the power of a help desk.  You can check out the very simple and inexpensive system that I use at: http://TheRealSecrets.com/helpdesk.html

3) Outsourcing and using assistants.  I know that I can’t do everything, so I only do those tasks that I’m best suited for or REALLY enjoy.  For example, I don’t do my own graphics or programming.  I could easily get proficient at both, but that would draw me away from managing and marketing my businesses.

4)  Akin to number 3, I actually completely turn the running of certain websites or systems over to specific individuals. Once I have validated that things are properly setup, I often find it more economical to train someone to manage that site or business. Then I only periodically make inputs. An example is a site that I sell a fairly successful cookbook from. The cookbook sales, list management, and most aspects of that site are delegated to one well-trained individual who seems to really enjoy it!

5)  Specific times for most routine tasks. I block times for writing, reviewing metrics and test results, answering trouble tickets, email, making phone calls, doing consultations, revising copy, product creation, and even visiting online forums.

6) I set time limits for many tasks. For example, I’ve found online discussion forums can be excellent for conducting marketing research, locating joint venture partners, actually networking with others in my industry, and test marketing products.  The danger is that visiting online forums can become addictive.

I actually have a digital time installed on my computers. Prior to starting certain tasks, I set how much time I will allocate for that task, and start the timer counting down. At
the end of the allotted time, the timer gives me an audible alarm, and I move on to the next thing on my schedule.

7) Controlling time spent using instant messenger type programs. I have ICQ, Skype, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and a number of other programs installed on my computers.  Most of these are turned off MOST of the time. When I do have them turned on, I am often in “invisible” mode.

It’s far too easy for others to notice that you are online and to start a casual  conversation. If you’re not careful, hours later, you’re in that same conversation.  I take advantage of the convenience offered by these tools, but at a time of my choosing.

I’ve touched upon it already, but I closely monitor my phone time. When setting up phone calls, you generally should set up very specific blocks of time, and you should have written agenda… assuming that they’re business calls. Just telling a client or business partner to call you “anytime tomorrow morning” only invites inefficient use of your time and theirs.  Have an agenda, have an allotted timeframe, and make sure that all parties understand these two parameters.

9) Only “touch” each email once… if possible.  When you open an email, decide right then and there what needs to be done with it and take care of it. If it’s something that will require more time than you can allocate right then, flow that task into your schedule, delegate it, or decide that it’s not something that you should be doing.

10) Learn to say no.  You can’t do everything. You can’t help everyone.  You have no obligation to allow others to put their problems on you shoulders… although it is nice to help people from time to time. Just make sure that YOU decide how to spend your most limited asset… your time.

11)  See each project through to completion before starting the next.  I am, at times, disciplined enough to take an idea, create an information product, write a sales letter, and launch the project “all in one sitting!”

It’s far too easy to start a dozen different projects, and then jump from project to project,  never really making any progress on any of them. 

Pick a project to focus on, and then work on ONLY that project for an allocated amount of time, or until completion. If other projects popup, simply jot them down somewhere so that you don’t worry about “losing” the ideas, and then go back to what you were already working on.

12) Set aside quiet times to really focus on certain project. I personally need a quiet environment to work on things like copywriting, proofreading, or writing an ebook. So I do these when there are few others around, or in environments that relax and stimulate me. 

13)  Take advantage of “Automobile University.” If you find yourself spending a lot of time in your car or on airplanes, etc., use that time to get caught up on listening to audio lessons that you’ve put off.  Use that time  to learn or brush up on topics you’ve been meaning to master. 

In my car, I always have CDs and/or audio tapes of seminars, topics I want to learn, or just motivational speakers.  When flying I also take printed versions of the same material. While out jogging, I have similar material on my portable MP3 player.  I’m never bored while exercising or stuck in a traffic jam because I keep my mind occupied.

14) Finally, know the value of your time.  Perhaps the simplest way to “value” your time is to set an income goal for yourself. Divide that income goal by the number of hours you’re willing to put in during a set timeframe to reach that goal. That gives you a VERY rough approximation of the value of your time.

Now, when you’re stuck on the phone listening to a telemarketer, or bouncing emails back and forth with someone that you really shouldn’t be having a protracted exchange with, at least you know what it’s costing you. 

Those a just a few of the ways that I DO get a LOT done each day.  I do other things that I haven’t covered here. Many of those things, I do without even thinking about them. They have become habits!  That’s another key to getting more done. You want to make doing many of these things that you want to do automatic.  If you don’t have to think about them, they just get done

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Willie Crawford is an 11-year veteran of internet marketing, and an expert at generate massive traffic to your web sites, and building massive list of responsive ezine subscribers. For Willie’s special report, “How I Boosted My Ezine Sign-Up Rate
By 5200 Per Month… Virtually Overnight… And How You Can Too!” visit: http://TheRealSecrets.com/5200/