Time Management Strategies that Work!

For the longest time, I thought I had a problem with managing my time.  After all, I am a small business owner, so I need to handle client work, business administrative work, advertising, marketing, sales and business growth.

I have tried the list method and never could get to the end of it.  It seemed that I added more to it than I crossed off, which left me feeling deflating and defeated. 

I even read self-help books on the subject, such as Getting Things Done.  The thought processes discovered by this book helped a little in my list building skills, but my to-do list still continued to grow.
 
I am also part of an accountability group (Kathy Colaiacovo of Time On Task VA and Terry Green, My Fast Type), that I meet with via Skype every Friday.  These ladies are very helpful when it comes to discussing the things I need to do to move my business forward and putting them in priority order, but they aren't able to make my list shorter, so my list continued to grow.

I have asked others what their secret was to managing their time and was very intrigued when a fellow Chamber member taught me the grid-method which lets you see what you have to do and the effect that will be had if the task is not completed on time.  Example:

The idea with the graph is to ask yourself the question, "What effect will it have, at this moment, if I do not complete this task?"  Sometimes, the effect of not doing something can actually be positive - like not raising rates right away.  Sometimes, the effects can be neutral or have no effect on your business or momentum at all, such as revising contracts.  For example, if there is not a lot verbiage to change or a formatting issue.  Conversely, deciding not to complete a task can have a negative effect on your business, such as not finishing client work, whatever that may be.

It finally dawned on me while searching for the perfect time fixer for myself that I really don't have a problem managing my time, I simply have too much to do in too little time.  Time to outsource!  I took my own advise and hired myself a Virtual Assistant.  Now, my list isn't shrinking yet, because I do keep adding to it,  but it isn't growing either because I am outsourcing the items that are not my particular forte to my virtual assistant.

Sit down and think about those items in your business that you either keep putting off because of lack of time or your dislike for doing them.  Are you able to outsource any of those tasks to a Virtual Assistant?  I'll bet you can!  Virtual assistant's are great at devising systems and processes for getting your pains completed on time, professionally and at a reasonable rate.