Published:

02/26/2012 09:19pm

Attract More Clients by Controlling Your Time-Sucking Gremlins

When you work for yourself it's very easy to get involved in Time Sucking Gremlins. I bet you can already guess some of what I'm about to say. You're probably thinking I've heard this all before, but if you haven't put it into practice it does bear repeating, because you're time is the one commodity that you can't get more of.

It's so easy to get sucked into games like Farmville some make call it "networking", but if you find yourself so engrossed in games you lose all track of time I'd call it a time vampire. It's kinda like being in an office spending too much time at the proverbial water cooler gossiping when you really should be completing a project.

But before I give you any tips let me warn you, if you try to juggle 100 things a day you probably juggling 100 things badly and even more importantly you're actually doing is juggling your life badly.

If you really want to make things happen, you've got to have an emotionally compelling reason that drives you. Without a compelling reason it's a lot more difficult to keep focused on track and productive. Many people find it easy to confuse activity with productivity. Activity without focus is not likely to end in accomplishment.

Productivity turns into profit. Given enough time and consistency, it turns into even larger profits.

Here are your top 5 time management tips.

1. Start with a Date

Start with the END date of when your project or product is due and work your way backward giving yourself a specific amount of work to do each day. If you don't get something completed Don't beat yourself up. This is so important because when you do that it a distraction and a trick of the ego, who is busily trying to keep you safe by keeping you where you are right now. So Set the DATE.

2. Break it Down

Break the project down into smaller more manageable steps. For instance, if you want to write a 30,000 word book you by a certain date, count the days until then, be honest about how many of those days you will work, schedule it by writing the what you're going to do on a calendar. So maybe it's 1000 words a day or 500 words a day 5 days a week now you know exactly when you're project will be complete. So that books now feels more manageable because it's doesn't take a lot to write 1000 words a day. 30,000 words sounds like a lot, but what if it's only 1000 words a day? Your book will be done in a month! (BTW 1000 words is only about 2 pages)

3.Avoid the Social Traps

Whether it's online, or offline, avoid social traps. This is especially true for people who work from home. It's easy to let your friends and family to take up your time. The best way to avoid this is to make sure you don't overschedule and include enough free time so everybody is happy. It's your schedule, you can control it.

4. Turn off Technology

Constantly checking email, Twitter, Facebook and the next best thing in social media can fast become a huge time-sucking gremlin. When you've set aside the time to do a specific task, do that task. Schedule time to check your email, and visit and interact with social networking sites.

5. Set a Routine

Setting a routine gets you into a habit of getting things done. More even importantly getting the right things done at the right time. One of my tools is a daily list that I write down at least 5 things to get accomplished. Anytime I find myself doing things out of sequence or just getting distracted with the internet I go back to my list and re-focus complete an activity on the list. Without it I find myself busily distracted and unable to get things accomplished.

Now it's your turn to get er done.

• Set a date

• Break it down

• Avoid social traps

• Turn off technology

• Set a routine

We only have one shot at each day so let's make the best of it.

Small business expert and author Linda Hampton founder of "Attract Clients Out of Thin Air." Linda teaches smart, simple ways boomer women can use their skills, knowledge and experience how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services,