Manage Time Effectively for Online Success

I have been giving some thought to my time management recently. No matter what you do for a living, managing your time well will bring massive benefits. By using my time better, I can achieve more - we all know that, so why is time management so hard to put into practice?

Time management means doing things more effectively - not just efficiently - and deciding which things should be left out.

Even the most effective time managers can waste time. When we have an important but unpleasant task to do, we can tend to procrastinate or decide another job is high priority. This is sometimes called a distraction activity. For example, when you need to sort out a dispute with the bank you decide that grooming the dog is more urgent.

Working from home, it is easy to blur the edges between work and leisure, with free time being the loser. Everyone needs to block off some play time - use it for grooming the dog if you can't think of anything better! Seriously, as we get older we sometimes make less effort to keep up with friends and family: they are important, and deserve our attention.

Using your leisure time well has huge physical health benefits, too. For you, this could mean going to the gym or playing a round of golf. For me, it means we get out for at least one walk every weekend in addition to the daily short walks that all dog owners enjoy. The big weekly walk, and any social engagements, make me feel I have spent the weekend well.

Some of my steps for better time management -
- checking my email only once in the morning, once at lunchtime, once in the afternoon - and closing the tab in-between
- checking my Adsense, affiliate program and sitemeter figures every 48 hours only - not three times a day
- going out to the pub with my partner one evening during the week, for a chance to talk about wider subjects and meet other people
- leave the house for fresh air at least every three hours: even just to walk the block
- putting the laptop out of sight in the evenings

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