1. Organize your work space -- offline and on How much time do you waste every day trying to find a pen or a notebook or that site with all the great information you were reading just yesterday?
You'll be much more efficient if you take a day to organize your work space and make sure you know where everything is.
This is as true of your online resources as it is of the things you have on your desk. Take a moment to create a few bookmark folders under the "Bookmarks" tab in your browser. Name these folders according to subject (e.g.,
Niche Market Research, Website Building,
SEO.) Then every time you find a site that offers valuable information, save it in the appropriate folder.
That way, you'll never have to waste valuable time trying to find it again.
2. Eliminate distractionsWhen you sit down for a serious work session, make sure there's nothing that will divert your attention from the task at hand. Shut down your email program so you aren't distracted by any new messages that arrive in your inbox.
Also be sure to close your Internet browser so you aren't tempted to take any web surfing breaks. You may think you're "only going to spend a minute" checking out the latest developments on your favorite website, but those minutes add up all too quickly.
3. Break down large jobs into manageable chunks When you've only got 30 minutes to spare at any given time, how can you accomplish a chore that's going to take days to complete?
Simple -- by taking it one small step at a time.
Instead of being overwhelmed by a big job, break it down into smaller, more easily manageable chunks. You'll be surprised at how much you can accomplish in 30 minutes if you just sit down and DO it.
4. Set yourself "unbreakable" daily goalsWhen the events of your day are crowding in on you, it's all too easy to look at the work you wanted to do on your online business and say, "Oh, I'll do it tomorrow."
Don't give in to that temptation!
Let's be realistic -- tomorrow is also going to be a busy day, and the best time to get something done is NOW.
Create a work schedule that identifies a clear and achievable task for you to do every day. Then do what you must to make sure you complete each daily task on your list -- don't go to bed until it's done.
5. "Reward" yourself for each task you accomplishAs you cross each task off your list, reward yourself with something fun -- maybe five minutes to check your email or 10 minutes of surfing your favorite website. Just make sure you set a timer so you don't lose track of time.