4 useful time management tips

Quote of the day:

The bad news is ↠time flies.↞The good news is ↠you're the pilot↞– Michael Altshuler

Hey LADYBOSS!

Everyone's day has 24 hours, but what makes the difference is, how you spent that time.

Some entrepreneurs respond to this fact of life with focus and purpose. Others freak out. But the truth is, the more you value time, the more efficient you will use it.

Sometimes we get reminded to use our time more wisely in a hard way. Me myself discovered it through the loss of a loved one. Well, I'm sorry to start out this topic in such a dramatic way, but I want to share with you the things I learned about time and how you can use these tips to improve your time management skills in general.

There are multiple occasions you can use the tips and techniques. I'm going to show you how you can work efficiently, productively, and relatively stress-free.

Here are four tips for effectively managing your time:

1. Know your goals.

I guess I talk about this in every single business related article, but I can't prioritize it enough.

Furthermore, it's a rather hard thing to do because as human beings we have a lot going on in our minds.

So if you are one of the lucky ones who already has that positive, problems solving brain which is full of new ideas every day, you also got to make sure to stick to your projects and set deadlines. Especially if you are a freelancer. If you are your own boss and employee at the same time, you got to have a plan.

Make sure you’re engaging in activities that support your business goals, both short- and long-term. Everything else is a potential time-waster. Your daily plan should revolve around working on tasks and activities that directly relate to generating income and growing your business.

There are plenty of apps out there that can help you organize your day.

2. Prioritize your tasks.

Rank your to-do list.

Sometimes we write a whole latter on our to-do list and it's a good feeling to set check marks.

But the problem is if your list is too long and it doesn't have a structure, you won't get the results you want at the end of your day.

The technique I use is to write 3 business-related and also 3 personal things on my list every day.

Doesn't sound that big of a deal or does it?

Well I that's exactly the reason why I keep doing it over and over again. It aims to not let me lose myself in a bunch of meaningless things so I can get nearer to my goals every day.

And I promise you honey, you will get that 'sleeping like a baby' nights in no time. 😉

3. The power of saying NO.

If you want to make everyone happy, better go and sell ice-cream!

The song NO by Meghan Trainor isn't out there for NO reason.

You’re the boss of your life.

There will always be people who will ask you for your help or to hang out with them.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to say being rude is totally fine. But I want to tell you that you have to put yourself first because no one else will do it for you! You have to think about your life, family, business first and then help your friends out or do voluntary work.

I know it is a fine line between those two extremes and it can switch from day to day, which one seems more important to you.

If you want to have the best of both worlds, you can write down what you did everything day and see if it helps you grow mentally. It helps to give you an overview on when you should include helping others out, or if you just don't want to at all.

Just challenge yourself to never feel forced to do something that steals your time.

4. Perfection is the enemy of Progress.

You have probably heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle. Its definition is that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

If you want to learn more about it here is the wiki article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

On the other hand, 20% of the effects come from 80% of the work.

So what it means is, that you have to put another 80% of work into your tasks, in order to reach the 20% that are required to reach perfection.

When I first heard about this rule, it was a mind-blowing experience for me.

It shows us that perfection is a waste of time in most of the cases.

I mean just thinking about it for a moment.

If you are trying to reach perfection in every single project you started, you would have could finished nearly twice as much "80% projects" in the meantime.

Yeah I know, there's a little bit of math going on in the background, but I want you to realize it.

Once you have understood it, it will save you time and increase your productivity all at once.

5 business advices for startups

Quote of the day:

↠ know your worth than add tax.↞

Hey Ladyboss!

I know you thought about building your own business. But I'm not kidding, it's a hard way to go. 

But the truth is that in the early days of every business nobody knows what they are actually doing. Even I'm a little bit confused about my work from time to time. But I want to be brutally honest with you and help you to develop your own successful business in whatever field you're the most interested in.

1. All that glitters is not gold.

When you start your own business, you're certain to hear a lot of different advice. Most of it will come from people who don’t know the first thing about running a successful company. Turn to the internet, and you'll be overwhelmed by a multitude of articles and lengthy lists on the subject. Don’t make the mistake of overthinking and overanalyzing it all. 

There are always people out there who don't really want you to succeed. Unfortunately, most of them are one of that kind, so you have to choose your partner wisely. A little double check hurt nobody.

2. A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about going with the flow but this one is a must!

Develop a strategy that fully details how you'll master the challenge ahead. Your plan should clearly state your mission, from the very first step on. 

And as you can guess the first step of your business is the Idea behind it. If you don't already have an Idea it is important that you find something that you have a passion for. Your business ain't gonna make you a rich bi$$ from day one. So you rather choose something you would do even if you wouldn't get a single dollar for it. (Of course, this isn't our main goal, but I think you get my vision.)

Furthermore, you should define any opportunities you've identified, describe your target, establish measurable goals, and set deadlines for each milestone along the way. Remember that while it's important to have a plan, it's equally relevant to be flexible when you get a one-time chance. 

3. Surround yourself with the right people.

Take the four people you spent the most of your time with and you'll see yourself. So you better hang out with the right ones. 

The mentors you follow aren’t the only people with whom you'll need to align. Surrounding yourself with a great team is equally important. Build your staff with smart, talented, and driven people who share your vision. They can not only transform your business but also accelerate its growth. Surrounding yourself with positivity helps create a culture of winning. 

4. Get out there and create a network.

You can't underestimate the power of building a community. A good network can be worth more than money. Until you've established your business, you'll need to create your own word-of-mouth. Be your own brand ambassador, touting the benefits of working with your business and showing why people should give you a chance.

5. Find a healthy work-life balance.

Running a successful business requires a high amount of time and energy. It's paramount to find a healthy work-life balance, even though it can be a challenge on it's own do so.  Don't let work rule your life. It could result in your losing touch with those whom you consider most important. It's also crucial to take care of your own health and well-being. Your business can’t run without you. But you can't run without energy and love. So make sure you get to sleep in sometimes as well.