Time Management, is it an overworked phrase or an under conceived idea? Everyone has twenty-four hours in their day, obviously you knew that. Did you know that staying a head of the game can actually give you more time in your day? Playing catch up can eat up your time and make your days a stressful rush. When the alarm clock wakes me up, instead of my usual pre-programmed mind set—I feel rushed all day. I tell my self I will wake up at 5:15 instead of letting the alarm wake me up. If I wake up during the night I look at the clock and make a mental note of how much longer I get to sleep. Usually, I wake up a minute or two before the alarm. It makes my day seem so much more leisurely. Akin, I think, to not having to rush to meet a deadline. Here’s a radical new thought rather like paying it forward. Instead of waiting until the last minute, do it ahead of time. Don Aslett, author of How To Have A 48-hour Day,says the simple inexpensive principle of being early costs you nothing and prevents about 80% of your problems with time management and organization of both your personal and business worlds. Getting organized is a matter of setting schedules and then prioritizing the items in your to do list schedule. Sounds simple doesn’t it. Here’s one way to expedite writing your next article or story. If you create a folder and assemble everything you need for a particular piece in that folder, every time you come across something that fits that particular job/story/article you have somewhere to put it. You’ll save time by not having to search stacks or files for it later. When you get to the actual writing of that piece, you pull everything from the file, organize it according to your outline, write out your step by step proposal and send it off. Or, if you are writing the article on assignment, you follow the above steps and write the article. Another time maker is using your unavoidable, non-writing time, like waiting in line at the Post Office, bank, doctor’s office, school to pick up a child, traffic light, whatever the delay in your forward movement to pre-write or pre-think , that is, mentally organize, sort out and compose your article, story or whatever it is you are working on. Set goals; break them into baby steps or mini goals within the major goal. Record your accomplishments as you achieve them. Nothing motivates you and gives your spirit a boost more than checking things off your to do list as you go. Keep yourself busy. Work your eight-hour day. When you finish one article or assignment begin another immediately. Plan your work, work your plan or plan to fail and remain a harried, hassled, stressed out writer trying to keep up. No one plans to fail they just fail to plan. If you learn to use time efficiently, you’ll get more done. Consequently, you will make more money and not sacrifice your sanity or your family in the process. Work smarter not harder. Manage your time instead of letting it manage you. ================================================ About the Author Billie A Williams is an award-winning author and freelance writer. In addition to an array of other projects she is the owner of the Word_Mage group and their monthly ezine for writers. She is also author of a series of How To Write – for Mystery Writers. Her most recent mystery suspense novel “Bed and Breakfast Murders,” released January 2006 from Wings ePress, Inc. Visit Billie’s website at www.billiewilliams.com. |
| TIME AND THE MORTAL MAN,
Manage your time and increase your productivity by Billie A Williams © 2006 “He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires, and fears, is more than a king.” ----- John Milton |