My favorite days are when I wake up when I am done sleeping…
I have nowhere to be and no appointments to keep…
I can fly by the seat of my pants…
And go about my way in heightened anticipation of what is to happen next!
But to achieve that type of ultimate time freedom, I am feverishly building my business today so that many more of my days are like what I just described.
(For now, those are delegated to just Sundays…)
The best training I received in time management was given to me at a company event by someone much more successful than I am.
And I learned early on in my career that if someone much more successful than I am is going to dish out some pearls, I had better pay attention!
This training is so simple, that you’ll wonder why I am going to blog about it all week.
But here it is… so pay attention:
TIME MANAGEMENT TRAINING:
1) Get a planner.
2) Schedule EVERYTHING.
Class dismissed!
But why this two-step no-brainer training is so powerful is because of this simple principle: what gets scheduled, gets done.
What is not in my calendar when the day begins will not get done.
And what is scheduled in my calendar is treated like an important meeting or doctor’s appointment: I show up for it!
Here, click on my calendar below to see my schedule from last week…
Warning: This Pic May Make You Vomit
Thanks for continuing to read once your head stopped spinning…
Yes, it’s intense.
No, I didn’t like it for the first few weeks either.
But if I was going to explode my business, I had to start treating my little home-based-business like a serious multi-million dollar operation.
I booked everything: business, personal appointments, family time, working out, dinner time… even when I checked my email!
And when I got serious about my schedule, things started popping.
In the wonderful world of network marketing we all learn from each other, so let me hear from you…
How do YOU manage your time?
Thanks for sharing your pearls below… and for re-Tweeting this to your network if you found value in this simple lesson!
23. August 2010 at 11:34 am
Hey Melissa,
Great post. I recently did a post on managing our to do lists better. I actually only ever put three things on my to do list each day. That way I can achieve them easily and always feel a sense of achievement.
It also means that I do a better job as I am not trying to cram the next item to do into my day.
Everything else I assign the universe to take care off. Sounds silly but sometimes the universe actually does some things for me.
Thanks for sharing great content,
Beth
Beth Hewitt´s last [type] ..Are you considering a Joint Venture
26. August 2010 at 5:57 pm
3 things: i love it!!!
yes, much in our lives can be left to the domain of the universe. it’s what makes life so simple–we don’t have to bear it all!
thanks for the comment beth–and i can’t wait to see how your FB “beths” page grows!
23. August 2010 at 2:53 pm
I’m right there with you, Melissa ~ schedule everything, both the work and the pleasure stuff! Simple, but truly life-changing for those not doing it! And while I’m definitely a planner and a fan of structure, it’s all under the umbrella of flexibility, because let’s face it, things come up. It has to be a real reason, not an excuse though.
Thanks….and, enjoy Burning Man! (jealous!)
Beth Allen´s last [type] ..How to Create Lists on Facebook and Optimize your Experience & Effectiveness
26. August 2010 at 5:56 pm
funny you say that… i had to be flexible with a thrift store excursion today
excited to see how the two beths page grows too!
24. August 2010 at 2:44 am
Aloha Melissa,
Yes, all successful people plan every minute! Then it’s very easy to have time for everything, work, play, vacation, spiritual, dates with family, dates with my son, dates with my friends, etc.
It’s amazing how much time there is when everything is planned! And then there are no fires, no emergencies, etc. It’s just wonderful!
I love your planner online and how did you get it to link? Oh, you are so savvy! You must teach me one day.
Much love,
Kellie
Kellie Hosaka´s last [type] ..Lessons I Learned From The Greatest Networker In The World
26. August 2010 at 5:55 pm
kellie, i’m sure glen or your son knows how to do it… but i took a picture of my screen, made it a jpg, uploaded it to my media library, and then inserted it into my blog. kimberly can decipher!
24. August 2010 at 5:33 pm
Wow Melissa! This was an awesome blog post! Thank you for sharing your time management tips AND your personal calendar! That has helped me tremendously, as I have started planning my days better, using your blog as a guide. Thank you!!
: ) Lisa
Lisa Arnold´s last [type] ..Sippy Cups- Conference Calls- Diaper Changes OH MY!
26. August 2010 at 5:54 pm
thanks lisa, i appreciate that! would love to hear back how that’s served you, or what’s changed for you!
25. August 2010 at 2:07 am
Hey Melissa,
I like your opening line “My favorite days are when I wake up when I am done sleeping…” for a lot of people they are being waken by an alarm because if they don’t they will get fired of being late.What software do you use?I must say you are not successful by mistake your schedule reflect so.Great post and good job!
To your success,
~kebabope morapedi
kebabope´s last [type] ..How To Create A Magic Brand
26. August 2010 at 5:53 pm
thanks kebabope. i just use MS office.
right on: you’re not successful by mistake. thus, it’s important to celebrate the little successes along the way… everything counts!
25. August 2010 at 5:45 am
Hi Melissa,
Simple yet effective! What gets scheduled gets done! I love it. In honor, I’m keeping my response simple, too. Now all I need to do is apply your wisdom because you are so right. Thanks.
Debbie Stevens´s last [type] ..That Feeling of Success
26. August 2010 at 5:52 pm
thanks debbie!
26. August 2010 at 11:04 am
Melissa,
One of your best posts yet! “What gets scheduled, gets done!” I’ve always been a bad scheduler and time manager. My lists are more “things to avoid” lists. Things get done “just in time” which is a good thing for inventory control, but probably not so good for individuals. I will do my best to get inspired by you and put more things into my iCal!
Thanks so much,
Adam
Dr. Adam Sheck´s last [type] ..Get Your Man To Share His Feelings
26. August 2010 at 5:42 pm
thanks adam, i’m glad this one resonated with you. i live what Tim Ferriss teaches about allotting *just* enough time to get tasks done, rather than spending days “wasting” time thinking about them unproductively. sometimes getting it done in the nick of time is efficient. obviously, you have a system that is bringing you success
28. August 2010 at 7:56 pm
Melissa,
I do have a planner but I discovered that I cannot rigidly schedule what I will accompllish each day – too many unexpected things come in to play. I stick to all my definite appointments – phone calls, meetings, clients, paying bills. I stick to my plan for what I need to accomplish for my business but it is more flexible than it used to be. I have an attractive, appealing planner – makes me happy to open it. On the left side of the page is my long term goals. On the right side are the tasks I need to accomplish now or within the next few days. As I complete my tasks I cross out the completed items in red adding a check. Then, once/week I rewrite my list on the left and my list on the right adding new items. Gradually all the items are completed and I am able to see the progress.
DrErica
Dr. Erica Goodstone´s last [type] ..Relationships – Are You Willing to Give 100
29. August 2010 at 5:04 pm
i love your system of revisiting and revising your goals each week… i’m totally gonna do this!!! thanks for sharing dr erica, i always learn from you
9. September 2010 at 10:45 am
AWESOME!! I love the part about scheduling EVERYTHING down to checking your email. I started using a similar system, and it rocks! Thanks for sharing!
14. October 2010 at 6:34 am
Sometimes a person needs a simple advice to start being successful. Your post is an example of this. After reading it I got myself a planner and started scheduling all my activities related to my small online grandfather clock business. Don’t ask me why, but since a few days I’m selling more grandfather clocks than ever. Thanks Melissa, love you for that!
Floor Clocks´s last [type] ..Grandfather clocks in Alaska
14. October 2010 at 8:21 pm
Hi Melissa,
I used to drive Heather crazy because I would set the alarm for hour and a half to two hours before I had to get up and I would just keep hitting snooze. It was just so hard to get up and this way I tricked myself into believing I was sleeping in every day! Of course when the alarm is going off at 3 or 3:30 in the morning you can see how that’s obnoxious…
I agree with you – the stuff that gets scheduled gets done – so the most important stuff gets scheduled. What I realized is though was that I didn’t always have the best sense of what was the stuff that was the most important or how much time I ought to be allocating for certain things or what things could be postponed. So now I schedule some time each week to assess that stuff so I can schedule better for the following week! – Rob
Rob Wilson´s last [type] ..Really Bad Customer Service or Time to Celebrate