Saving time means pacing yourself, being organized, and always prioritizing your duties, responsibilities and efforts. Pacing yourself means allowing time for unexpected situations, such as having enough time to check the ever-growing inbox, setting-up special autoresponders for automatic responses (a miraculous toolreally), and other technical issues of running an interactive website and blog. One great thing I trained myself to do was to check my inbox a couple times a day. I also do not keep my inbox open the whole time I'm online, which forced to check it every minute. I check it in the beginning, reply, write new emails, and close it, project #1 done. I even write a list who I'm supposed to email and why to keep me focused. This way I'm not trapped into reading and writing social emails. As part of networking, you have to make your regular appearance, post some replies, add a new one, then leave, project #2 done. No time for chatting. By being personable in your posts, people feel your personal touch. You don't have to instant message on the message boards, just to be personal. Another thing about pacing yourself is acceptance. Know your limitations, and accept that whatever you accomplish within a certain perscribed timeframe IS worth a pat on your back. A huge time-pacer for me comes mostly from my physical & neurological limitations (due to my car accident), and family committements. I actually said I will NOT hop online when the girls are awake. If there's a quiet hour or naptime time, I will. The online-bug nags at me from time to time, but its just the 3-day hump you need to work through. Once you get over it, youre all set. Quality not quantity, my dears :-) My point is: Pace yourself for your health, family and ultimately your business. Now, be proud and close project #99--the computer. (c) 2005 Ponn M. Sabra, MPH |
