The Real Deal on Time Management
For most of us- time management is the biggest challenge. There never seems to be enough time in the day. I’ve found that if you really want to get something done, you’ll find a way and if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
The real deal on time management is that it’s a personal battle for all of us- between doing the things we need to do or doing the things because we want to. To achieve our desires and dreams, we have to make sacrifices to do what needs to be done in order to achieve our goals.
So, how do you find the time to do what you must do so that you can get on with the things you want to do? Developing a sense of urgency and applying Pareto’s 80/20 Rule have worked brilliantly for me but it takes a serious commitment to change your old habits. Take inventory on how you spend your day and you’ll begin to notice how much of what you do either contributes to your goals or move you away from achieving your goals. If you’re honest enough and willing enough, there’s nothing you cannot achieve!
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule). It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., “80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients.” It also applies to a variety of more mundane matters: one might guess approximately that we wear our 20% most favoured clothes about 80% of the time, perhaps we spend 80% of the time with 20% of our acquaintances, etc.
As you can see- this principle can be applied to so many areas of your life. To become more efficient in your business, here are some suggestions:
Focus your time and energy on 20% of your customers that are contributing to 80% of your sales/business. Those customers are already buying from you so offer specials just for them to introduce them to your other products.
Invest your time on the 20% of the distributors that are contributing 80% to your business instead of chasing the prospects that can’t decide or the distributors that are on the fence. Keep them on your email list and send them news and updates once a month to keep in touch.
Review your sales and marketing efforts. Which online and offline sites generate the most sales for you. Which networking groups have the most positive, uplifting and people that you would like to associate with and can learn from? Invest your time and money on the ones that are generating the best results for you. Concentrate on the 20% of your marketing and networking efforts that are responsible for 80% of your business.
Each day, do at least five things that are “income producing”. Do these things first instead of putting it off for another day. Make one more call. Talk to one more prospect. Meet and collect one more business card. Attend one more networking meeting. If you want a constant flow of business and continue expanding your contact base- commit to doing at least 5 things a day that lead you towards your goal!
Spend time with people that are uplifting and want to see you succeed. Limit your time with people that “energy vampires”. Most average people want you to be average just like them (John C. Maxwell). If you want to be successful, hang out with successful people. Seek them out, spend time with them and learn from them. It’s a huge compliment for them and you’ll see a huge difference in the way you see yourself when you’re surrounded by success!
It really does take a lot of discipline to get focused and do the things that we don’t always want to but know that we need to. That’s really the difference between success and failure. Nothing happens to your goals, dreams, ideas, intentions until you do something · nothing happens until you take action.
So, the next time you find yourself struggling with time management, review Pareto’s 80/20 and you will see that time is really arbitrary. Inevitably those that want to get something done, they’ll always find the time, and those that don’t, they’ll find one excuse after another to justify why they didn’t want to in the first place.
(c) Janette Stoll of ChicBoutique At Home. CBAH is a unique mobile boutique specializing in Trendy Clothes, Leather Handbags, .925 Sterling Silver Jewelry and Accessories. With a variety of different products and price points between $20 and $100- there is something for everyone. For info on how to become a Retail Therapy Expert or an Associate, check out our web site: http://www.chicboutiqueathome.com.
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