A entrepreneurs life

Every day counts.

Each day matters.

As you wake up to the morning smell of freshly brewed coffee; bacon and eggs or maybe just an toast popped up in the toaster — today is important for you.

Why? Because you have the ability to change the world today as an entrepreneur. Make it a better place. Put your mark on it. Stamp out some evil and replace it with some good.

Go forth over the next 10 days and read each day’s message as it comes. Learn from it. Be inspired by it. Share it.

Oktober 13

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”— - Henry David Thoreau

Looking back can certainly strain the neck. But it also strains the heart, mind and body. Have some failures in your past? So what — we all do. Oh, but yours are far different because they were really bad failures. Again — I say “so what?” It matters not what is behind you. When you make mistakes; strive to learn from them but move on. Give yourself the freedom of receiving mercy and grace from your own unforgiving heart. You can rise above the past and move on to accomplish great things in your life. So press on to what lies ahead of you and don’t look back. Starting today.

Oktober 14

“If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” - Benjamin Franklin

At the heart of an entrepreneurs brain is thinking differently. Steve Jobs made a name for himself and his company out of “Think Different”. Have you been called crazy before when speaking of your ideas and vision? Good. Now give yourself a pat on the back because that’s what it’s all about. You and I don’t think like the rest of the world. And thank goodness we don’t. Entrepreneurs are meant to change the world and the only way to accomplish this enormous feat is by not thinking like everyone else. So be yourself. Be proud and know you’re on the right path when someone calls your idea “crazy”.

Oktober 15

“It’s not about how to get started; it’s about how to get noticed.” - Steve Case

Yes — getting started as an entrepreneur can be daunting. But the key after you’ve figured out where and how to start — is just as Steve points out. It’s getting noticed. We live in a day and age where there are 100 of everything. Want some bread to make a sandwich? Only 100 different brands, styles and tastes to choose from. Interested in buying a new car? Better get your thinking cap on because of the dizzying array of choices. So what are you going to do to stand out? What can you do differently today in order to make some noise which will rise above the crowd and be heard? Better figure it out as this is your key to the promised land.

Oktober 16

“Monotony is the awful reward of the careful.” – A. G. Buckham

Being an entrepreneur is about taking risks. Thomas Edison did it when he set out to reinvent the world; and Henry Ford did it with his quest to change how people moved around. Without bold moves; there is no progress. And yes — it is important to be wise in the decisions you make as an entrepreneur. But if you’re too careful; monotony sets in. Listen — you live one life here on earth. Taking a step of faith in trying to create something new and different makes life worth living. So be an entrepreneur who peers deep into your heart to find the strength to step out in taking calculated risks.

Oktober 17

“Do or do not. There is no try.” - Yoda

Love Yoda. The little wise guy from the Star Wars saga. Yoda is speaking to you today because you were built for something great. And the big vision you have is attainable. Even though you will encounter obstacles on the way which will cause you to change your path — you can keep going. If I am driving to Florida for vacation and come across a road that is closed; do I just turn around and give up on the vacation? Of course not. I just find another road to get me there. Throwing out excuses like “well, I tried” isn’t good enough. Same with you. Just get it done. Today, tomorrow, next week. Choose to “do”.

Oktober 18

“Don’t treat your customers like a bunch of purses and wallets.” - Chris Brogan

One of my all time favorite quotes from Chris. Listen — you are in business to be profitable right? But that does not mean you treat your customers poorly and only think of them as cash register fillers. They’re not. They are the people you are trying to help with your products and services. If you are building a company to last; which has a significant purpose and mission; then you must think of your customers as the people you’re blessed to be able to serve. Have an attitude of service toward them. Think “how can I and we as a company serve these people today”. It goes much further and they will love you for it — which actually turns out to yield even higher profits. See how that works?

Oktober 19

“Success is one thing — but impact is another.” - Ray Lewis

Are you living a life of impact? Ray Lewis has experienced a great deal of success as a football player. Super Bowl champion and leader; he’s made millions. But his life does not end there. He is dedicated to changing the lives of those around him. As an entrepreneur, you have the ability to do the same. Changing lives and making a difference each day you live. So as you set out today; think of your higher purpose. Imagine your higher calling. If today were your last day on earth; will you be satisfied in what you leave behind? If not — make a commitment today to change. Do something about it and use your talents, influence and reach to change lives. There is still time my friend.

Oktober 20

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” - Roger Staubach

Being a founder and entrepreneur truly requires going the extra mile. Working smarter. Working longer. Working harder. There is no question you must be prepared to step up to the plate when no one else will. Your leadership demands you go first when it comes to being called into battle. But the good news? There are very few heroes willing to do the same. Which is why it’s a lonely place along the extra mile. But along this deserted road is where the men are separated from the boys, and the women from the little girls. This is where it really counts. So be an entrepreneur willing to step out and keep going. Those that do end up winning the race.

Oktober 21

“In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.” - David Ogilvy

Call it the inventors dilemma. You’ve heard the stories: smart men and women who can easily think up the next big thing. Inventing such amazing ideas; products and services. But alas — they die broke mainly because they had no idea how to sell their inventions. As one of the greatest salesmen to walk the earth; Mr. Ogilvy hit the nail on the head. You must be able to sell. Period. Ideas you create; plans you have; products you develop. Without the ability to sell — or surround yourself with someone who can — you’re toast. If you find yourself lacking in sales; make the decision today to change it. Either learn the skills you need to sell — or find someone to join your team who will fill the gap. Business without sales is actually no business at all.

Oktober 22

“Regardless of who you are or what you have been, you can be what you want to be.” – W. Clement Stone

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. It matters not what you’ve done in the past or who you’ve been. Call it a fresh start and yes — you get one too. Being an entrepreneur requires all attention on the present and future. And yes — we must carry the lessons of our past days into the future as crowns of wisdom. But we must not live in the past and fret over what is now water under the bridge. Look closely in the mirror today and see what you can be. An amazing entrepreneur ready to set the world on fire.


Was this helpful to you? Leave you feeling inspired and wanting for more? Please give me your thoughts on linkedin.

Boring meetings

Let it be stipulated that 99 percent of working people have attended a meeting that was dry as dust, boring as hell and — to put it kindly — a complete waste of time. So I won’t waste your time building the case that meetings can be dreary, tedious and unproductive.

You know that. I know that. Everyone knows that.

And we’re not in the business of creating fantasy scenarios about an office with no meetings, where workers are free to produce and create with only the occasional “Atta boy!” from the boss as feedback.

You’ll always have meetings. We’ll always have meetings. Everyone will always have meetings.

So the relevant issue is simple: Since meetings are a part of life — and in the case of many people, a fairly relentless part of it — what can be done to make them less deadly? Or even, dare we say it, productive and engaging?

It can be done, say experts — and it should be.

“The fact that we’ve decided that meetings just suck and that’s how life is, is really throwing in the towel. What we have to do is stop having bad meetings.”

BEFORE

Know your mission: If the point of meetings was simply to get a bunch of people together, then an open bar and buffet table would be de rigueur in every conference room. But meetings aren’t parties; they need a purpose and a plan. If that sounds obvious, consider how often powwows meander along with neither.

“What is the mission? What is it that we hope to accomplish and be done with when we walk out the door? Boring Meetings Suck.”

Before a meeting starts, attendees should know the goal — paring down a list of proposals from 10 to two, for example. And when a meeting ends, attendees should leave with a plan of action to enact, such as arranging presentations for the two proposals that made the cut.

Be selective: A business meeting isn’t Hultsfred. Keep the guest list exclusive.

“Invite as few people as possible to get the job done. If you can accomplish the task with five people, don’t invite 10,” 

And when it’s appropriate, trim as you go. There’s no reason to keep people from accounting in a staff meeting when the topic shifts to sales.

“The meeting leader should say, ‘Would it make sense for us to take that offline with a small meeting with just you and I?’ Great. Boom. Done. Don’t let that person take the next half-hour and talk about something that’s not the points.”

Give assignments: If meetings are to be anything more than glorified bull sessions, then people need to bring solid information to the table. And often, that means work must be doled out prior to the meeting.

“Wherever possible, you want to suggest to people to do some pre-work before they get to the meeting. Too often people just call meetings and show up unprepared. They talk and talk and talk and then set up another meeting and they get to that meeting and they’re not prepared.”

Go short: Simply put, the best way to have shorter meetings is to stop having longer meetings. Substitute a kitchen-sink meeting with a series of quicker ones with more precise goals.

“We need to have tactical meetings where we get together for a shorter period of time and talk about exactly what we’re trying to accomplish. ”

If possible, skip it entirely: Before scheduling a meeting, ask yourself a simple question: Is it necessary? That might seem obvious, but meetings are too often called as a reflexive response to a problem that can be more easily handled with a call or an e-mail.

“The important thing is: What are we meeting about? What is the goal? Why have a meeting at all? You’d be amazed at how rare it is for people ask those simple questions.”

DURING

Don’t suffer in silence: If a meeting suddenly veers from its stated purpose for example reviewing new software for the office to how the boss is using new software to improve his fantasy football picks, there’s no reason to take it sitting down.

“Attendees need to stop suffering in silence. We have the right to take charge of the meeting if our facilitator loses control and get things back on topic and if we’re not going to get it back on topic, we should have the right to depart in a professional way rather than have our time wasted.”

Tell a story: When making a presentation at a meeting, try whenever possible to give it a narrative. People go on autopilot when presented with line after line of figures, and nothing says “naptime” like an endless PowerPoint presentation.

“If you’re not telling a story, then it’s just deadly. But if you’re telling a story that’s engaging — if there’s a point to the story with a beginning, a middle and an end — then people will be engaged. They will ask questions. They may bring their own anecdotes to the story. What happens is you start building a conversation and an interaction, as opposed to having just a meeting.”

Invite management: If attendance or lackluster participation is a problem, nothing will solve it like the promise of management dropping in to take the pulse of a department.

“If attendance at the meetings is poor or people are not taking it seriously, invite those important people in and people will begin to realize the meetings are really important.” 

Feed the beast(s): Precipitous drops in blood sugar can lead to precipitous drops in people’s attention span, so give attendees some finger food to keep them from fainting. 

“Always have fun food in the room. We have multi-colored jelly beans in our conference room or nuts for people who want a healthier snack. I think food helps break the ice and gives people energy when they’re lagging.”

Crack the whip: Untold hours are wasted every day by meeting attendees waiting around for stragglers to show. So experts have no shortage of strategies for dealing with malcontents who roll in to a meeting 15 minutes after it starts.

Nothing promotes punctuality like starting a meeting at an odd time such as 11:07 a.m.

“If you say the meeting is starting at 11, people show up at five of 11. People show up at five after 11. People show up at a quarter after 11.” 

“You tell people, ‘Hey, my meeting’s starting at 11:07,’ people show up at 11:07. Because the novelty is why is this meeting starting at 11:07?”

Punitive measures may work as well. I also suggest a “pass the pad” approach where the last person to arrive has to take notes. Others would suggests the silent treatment; a meeting leader should stop what he/she’s saying until the straggler sits down.

“When somebody comes late, you don’t want to scream at them. But you want to make them very gently uncomfortable, knowing they’ve violated the norm” 

If you’re the malingerer, consider not attending at all if you’ll arrive past the 10 or 15 minute mark.

AFTER

Send the memo: To ensure everyone’s on the same page, send out a sheet of checklist items that were concluded in the meeting. Reiterate the key points and disseminate the key duties.

“That really helps to make sure the meeting wasn’t a waste of time.” 

Solicit feedback: Work meetings will never improve unless folks are willing to listen to other folks about what’s going right and wrong. This can be accomplished by asking on the spot if everyone in a meeting believes it’s staying on track, but it should also be a subject of discussion outside of meetings.

“Ultimately, it’s the leader’s job to get the feedback from people. Investing two minutes into figuring out how effective your meetings are can save you hours and hours of ineffective meetings.”

Boredom by the numbers

What bugs people the most about meetings? The employment agency posed that question in a survey of senior managers, asking them what was their single biggest complaint about work gatherings. The answers:

Meetings that start late or run over: 31 percent

Meetings that seem unnecessary: 27 percent

Participants using PDAs or laptops for unrelated activities: 18 percent

People interrupting each other: 15 percent

Mentor or Coach

As a coach & mentor, I have often noticed that conversations with team leaders and their members end in a way that neither the leader nor the team members are happy. This only makes things worse. Many reasons can be listed, but the lack of listening and the inability to control one’s emotions are all too common ones. Expectations on both sides are different. The leader is expected to be a coach but, in effect, he is mentoring (or vice versa).

The ultimate purpose of either coaching or mentoring is to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individuals so that they can increase their performance on the task for which they receive coaching or mentoring.  It is well worth the effort to differentiate between the two. The difference need not be the focus of the conversation but a leader must be able to sense this and respond accordingly.

What’s the focus?

For a coach, the task at hand is most important. The coach has to help the person learn the requisite attitude, behavior and skills needed to perform the job successfully within the agreed success parameters. The task is therefore well defined and the conversation happens with a clear focus and specific timelines.

Mentoring focuses on the individual and the conversation transcends more broadly into the general work life. This means the interaction can be more philosophical, more focused on attitudes and behaviors than on specific skills. Of course, these talks could also have the same level of focus and timelines but the entire individual is the topic of discussion and exploration and not just a specific task.

The role of the coach is to create a specific agenda, split the task into manageable sub-tasks which have clear skill components and look at the different ways a person can learn them. Research shows that actual experiences are the most effective learning tools. Training programs only benefit when the newly trained person goes back to work in an environment that has also been appropriately modified.


Coaching is not synonymous with training. Training can be one component of a larger coaching initiative.  Mentoring can, by definition, be more abstract. Mentoring also happens largely through relating the anecdotes of the mentor.

Both mentoring and coaching have their use in the leadership interventions of organizations, but leaders need to be clear about what they are doing, what the other person needs, and what the situation needs.

So here is a question for you us:
What qualities do you want & think a Coach needs?
What qualities do you want & think a Mentor needs?

UC vem skyddar dem på riktigt?

Nu har man varit hemma i ca 2 år här i sverige och börjat slå sig äntligen till ro. Men resan har inte varit så enkel som jag trodde och börjar förstå problemen små företagare och företagare har av dem upplevelser jag fått gå igenom. En av dessa ska jag dela med mig.

Vi börjar med min ankomst till Sverige.  Efter varit hemma i några veckor så var det dags att öppna ett svensk konto eftersom det började bli dyrt att använda utlands kortet. Så jag gick in på banken och fick svaret jag inte fick öppna ett konto eftersom när dem tog en UC på mig så hade jag ingen inkomst registrerad i sverige. KONSTIGT jag har ju varit utomlands i 10 år. Så för att jag skulle få kunna öppna ett vanligt konto på banken behövde jag en anställnings intyg enligt banken. Men hur gör jag då med tanke på jag visste inte vad jag skulle hitta på i sverige. Min tanke var att gå i förtid pension. Men där känner jag mig lite för ung för att göra det. Så det betydde även med att jag visat banken mina andra konton och tillgångar utomlands så var det ett NEJ till konto. Helt sjukt. Men men löste det genom en av mina gamla bolag ringde in och sa en vit lögn jag var fortfarande anställd via dem. Känns fel att behöva göra så. Vad gör folk som inte har jobbar? Hur gör våra ungdom för att få konton. Helt otroligt att det ska vara så svårt för en vuxen människa att få ett konto. Men men nu fick jag det till slut.

Nu för ca 9 månader sen så gjorde Telia ett misstag med mig och min abonnemang så jag lyckades få en anmärkning på 129 kr. Jag tänkte inte så mycket på det eftersom jag kommer aldrig behöva ta ett lån så det glömdes bort fort av mig. Men vilket jobb jag har haft nu dem senaste månaderna med den där skit anmärkan. 4 månader sen så var det dags att förnya mitt Telia abonnemang men då fick jag inte det eftersom jag hade haft en anmärkning i min UC. Blev helt paff eftersom jag betalar ändå telia 600kr i månad för min mobil och dem ville inte ge mig ett nytt abonnemang.  Men jag kunde behålla det abonnemanget jag hade men får inte göra några uppgradering på det. Det betyder jag betalar mer än någon annan eller gå utan mobil. Så då fick man välja betala mer. Efter bitit lite i sura äpplet i några veckor så tänkte jag inte så mycket på det igen.

Nu för 1 månad sen så bestämde jag att jag vill börja skapa bolag igen och börja investera i andra företag. Så jag registrerade klart mitt nya Aktie Bolag och skulle gå till banken för att öppna ett kapital konto och ett PG till bolaget. Men vad hände då. Fick NEJ igen eftersom när dem slog i UC. Tänkte vad nu då. Varför nej. Då säger banken till mig att eftersom jag har en anmärkning så kunde jag inte öppna konto hos dem. Men då var jag bara tvungen att fråga dem eftersom jag stod där med 100K i kapital som skulle stoppas in på ett konto varför då? Eftersom jag var inte ute efter någon kredit konto eller lån. Jag ville bara ha ett vanligt konto. Men dem svara bara det är deras policy. HELT SJUKT.  Jag valde gå där ifrån och titta djupare in på detta och försöka förstå varför bankerna nekar och fick faktiskt svaret av en bank. Eftersom ett vanligt bankkonot tjänar dem inte så mycket på så vill dem har kunder dem vet kan ta stora lån. Om man får in en kund som har en anmärkning eller inkomst kommer inte dem kunna ta lån eller kredit kort och det är ingen bra kund för banken så då väljer dem att inte ha kunden. Snacka om att våra banker är kortsiktiga.
Nu löste jag mitt konto tack var jag kände rätt folk men man tänker på alla dem som vill starta bolag, som varit arbetslösa och vill vara innovativa men innan dem ense har lyckats starta bolagen så har dem gått omkull eftersom banken eller speciellt UC sätter stop för dem.

Jag var tvungen igen att gå ännu djupare i detta med UC och anmärkningar och måste säga jag blir lite mörkrädd.

Jag började med titta i våra lagar och vände mig till kriminalvården. Var intresserad att höra från folk som sitter inne i våra fängelse om dem har bank konto och kreditkort eftersom jag hört ett rykte. Det stämde. En fånge berätta han hade kredit kort och fått lån eftersom han har en stadig inkomst från staten och det syns i UC så banken gave honom det utan några problem. Han berättade han hyr en lgh och aldrig haft några problem med UC. Det som chockar mig lite var att detta var en person som satte inne för mord, våldtäkt m.m.
Om jag skulle försöka hyra en lgh så skulle jag inte få göra det med min 129 kr anmärkning. Men en kriminel inne för mord och våldtäkt kan eftersom det är inget man söker på. Samt dem kan gå ta lån m.m. Så då ramlar man tillbaka på frågan VEM skyddar UC??

Jag valde igen ta frågan längre och ringde skattekontoret. Jag ställde frågan till dem.
"HUR MYCKET FÖRLORADE SKATE PNEGAR" gör dem på människor och företag som har anmärkning?
Eftersom om någon har en anmärkning så kan dem inte ta lån för köpa hus och betala skatter och dem som sålt huset kan inte betala skatt m.m. Svaret jag fick av dem var. "Vi har faktiskt inte tänkt så långt. Men vi misstänker det är en stor förlust vi tappar på skatter med människor med anmärkningar".  Dem föreslog att jag skulle ta detta vidare upp i politisk nivå eftersom det var en otroligt bra fråga.  Man tycker lilla jag ska inte kunna komma på en sådan viktig fråga?  Någon på skattekontoret borde ju ha tänkt på det?  Man tyvärr har man inte tänkt steget längre tyvärr.

Nu har jag ännu inte lyckats ta upp frågan på politisk nivå. Men mer och mer man tittar på UC så känns det som det är dags för någon sorts ändring. Vist finns det tyvärr folk som inte sköter sina betalningar. Men 90% av alla andra som gör det men ändå lyckas få en skit anmärkning varför ska dem få gå lida i 3 år och bli behandlade värre än en kriminell? Det är nästan kränkande när man mer och mer tänker på det. Så igen vem skyddar UC?

Ville dela med mig detta till er och vill gärna höra hur ni känner och tänker på det.

Risker kommer med stora belöningar (Swedish)

Om du någonsin vill uppnå det liv du alltid drömt om, måste du börja ta positiva, kalkylerade risker. Det är absolut nödvändigt att ta risker för att uppnå något stort i livet, men många är rädda för att ta det första språnget.

Som med alla risker, finns det alltid något på spel. I de flesta fall när det kommer till ditt företag, står du att förlora pengar, tid och ditt rykte. Men också kan du vinna samma saker! Fördelarna med att ta risker är att det kommer berika ditt liv och göra ditt företag eller karriär mycket mer givande.

En av mina klienter arbetade för regeringen i 15 år innan han beslutade att starta sin egen verksamhet. Jag hjälpte honom att sätta fingret på hans riktiga passioner och vi skapa en plan för honom att dra nytta av. Efter att ha flyttat till en ny kommun. I stället för att leta efter en annan tjänst, så tog han sina kunskaper och erfarenheter av att vara en stadsplanerare och startade sitt eget företag. Nervös om att lansera ut på egen hand, uttryckte han detta var den största risken han någonsin tagit och var otroligt orolig var intäkter och kunder skulle komma från. Men efter att ha varit i branschen i ett år, han har redan landat flera kontrakt och genererade en sexsiffrig inkomst. Efter att ha tagit risken att sluta sitt jobb och lansera sin egen firma, är han idag mycket gladare och uppleva livet på en helt ny nivå.

FÖRDELAR ta risker.

1. Att ta risker öppnar du upp till nya utmaningar och möjligheter. Pushar dig själv att våga lära dig något nytt, till exempel att tala inför publik, vilket kommer väl till pass som företagare.

2. Att ta risker ger dig möjlighet att skapa nya gränser i ditt sinne. Vi har alla gränser eller en komfortzon där vi skulle vilja bo och många har miss-visioner om vad vi tycker att vi förtjänar eller är i stånd att åstadkomma. När du tar risker, kan du utrota det tänkande, etablera nya gränser, förbättra din syn på livet och din förmåga att uppnå saker på högre nivåer.

3. Att ta risker kan göra att du blir mer kreativ. När du tvingar dig själv ut på kanten, med en ingen-ursäkt strategi, då kommer din naturliga förmåga att lösa problem gå igång och du är öppen för nya idéer och är villiga att prova något nytt.

4. Att ta risker kan leda till ett positivt resultat. Inte varje livssteg kan planeras noggrant ut. Du kommer aldrig veta om du kan lyckas om du inte ge sig ut i nya territorier. Finns det en risk för att göra något helt nytt? Visst. Men belöningen är där också. När du gör ditt bästa försök och ger allt som du kan i att nå målet, det är då mer troligt att få det att gå i mål.

5. Ta risker hjälper dig att tydligt definiera vad du verkligen vill. Kalkylerade risker tas med noggrann eftertanke. Men det faktum att du tar en risk driver dig att få saker att fungera. Visst kommer du först avgöra om belöningen är något du verkligen vill ta chansen för. Om det är så,  ta risken och titta inte tillbaka.

6. När du har blivit van vid att ta risker, bryta dig fri från det genomsnittliga sättet att leva och tänka. Istället för att kämpa för att vara säker har du nu den fart och förtroende som behövs för att välkomna nya möjligheter i din karriär eller affärsverksamhet. Risker bygger upp ditt självförtroende och självrespekt, det gör så du känner dig starkare och mer självsäker i att ta på dig nya utmaningar. När du är öppen för nya utmaningar så positionerar du dig själv att dra en hel del mer än det du skulle gjort om du bara stanna och gjorde inget.

Genom att ta risken krävs det en del blind förtroende i de flesta fall. Ingenting är verkligen garanterat. Men du måste lita på dina instinkter. Ibland leder magkänslan dig ner en okänd väg, men inom dig vet du att något stort är på andra sidan. GOOOOooo för det, du vet aldrig vad du kan åstadkomma tills du gör något du aldrig gjort. Ta risken och du kommer att kliva in i några av dina största belöningar.

Time Management

A lot of folks in our society try to be hyper-productive.

You know — the people who scurry from task to task, always checking e-mail, organizing something, making a call, running an errand, etc.

The people who do this often subscribe to the idea that “staying busy” means you’re working hard and are going to be more successful.

While this belief may be true to an extent, it often leads to mindless “productivity” — a constant need to do something and a tendency to waste time on menial tasks.

Instead of behaving in this way, I choose to do things differently.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

The old adage, “work smarter, not harder” has become a staple in the way I go about work of any kind.

Instead of being robotic in how I approach tasks, I try to be thoughtful and always ask myself if something can be done more efficiently or eliminated altogether.

Managing my time isn’t about squeezing as many tasks into my day as possible. It’s about simplifying how I work, doing things faster, and relieving stress.

It’s about clearing away space in my life to make time for people, play, and rest.

I promise you — there really are enough hours in a day for everything you’d like to do, but it may take a bit of rearranging and re-imagining to find them.

Time Management Tips

I compiled this list of 21 tips to hopefully nudge you in the right direction.

Remember: There are innumerable hacks and tricks to manage your time effectively. These are some tips that I find helpful, but everyone is different.

Let this list be a catalyst to get you thinking regularly about how to refine your own practices.

1. Complete most important tasks first.

This is the golden rule of time management. Each day, identify the two or three tasks that are the most crucial to complete, and do those first.

Once you’re done, the day has already been a success. You can move on to other things, or you can let them wait until tomorrow. You’ve finished the essential.

2. Learn to say “no”.

Making a lot of time commitments can teach us how to juggle various engagements and manage our time. This can be a great thing.

However, you can easily take it too far. At some point, you need to learn to decline opportunities. Your objective should be to take on only those commitments that you know you have time for and that you truly care about.

3. Sleep at least 7-8 hours.

Some people think sacrificing sleep is a good way to hack productivity and wring a couple extra hours out of the day. This is not the case.

Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep for their bodies and minds to function optimally. You know if you’re getting enough. Listen to your body, and don’t underestimate the value of sleep.

4. Devote your entire focus to the task at hand.

Close out all other browser windows. Put your phone away, out of sight and on silent. Find a quiet place to work, or listen to some music if that helps you (I enjoy listening to classical or ambient music while writing sometimes).

Concentrate on this one task. Nothing else should exist. Immerse yourself in it.

5. Get an early start.

Nearly all of us are plagued by the impulse to procrastinate. It seems so easy, and you always manage to get it done eventually, so why not?

Take it from a recovering chronic procrastinator — it’s so much nicer and less stressful to get an earlier start on something. It isn’t that difficult either, if you just decide firmly to do it.

6. Don’t allow unimportant details to drag you down.

We often allow projects to take much, much longer than they could by getting too hung up on small details. I’m guilty of this. I’ve always been a perfectionist.

What I’ve found, though, is that it is possible to push past the desire to constantly examine what I’ve done so far. I’m much better off pressing onward, getting the bulk completed, and revising things afterward.

7. Turn key tasks into habits.

Writing is a regular task for me. I have to write all the time — for school, work, my student organization, my blog, etc. I probably write 5,000 – 7,000 words per week.

The amount of writing I do may seem like a lot to most people, but it’s very manageable for me, because it’s habitual. I’ve made it a point to write something every day for a long time.

I rarely break this routine. Because of this, my mind is in the habit of doing the work of writing. It has become quite natural and enjoyable. Could you do something similar? 

8. Be conscientious of amount of TV/Internet/gaming time.

Time spent browsing Twitter or gaming or watching TV and movies can be one of the biggest drains on productivity.

I suggest becoming more aware of how much time you spend on these activities. Simply by noticing how they’re sucking up your time you’ll begin to do them less.

9. Delineate a time limit in which to complete task.

Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and thinking, “I’m going to be here until this is done,” try thinking, “I’m going to work on this for three hours”.

The time constraint will push you to focus and be more efficient, even if you end up having to go back and add a bit more later.

10. Leave a buffer-time between tasks.

When we rush from task to task, it’s difficult to appreciate what we’re doing and to stay focused and motivated.

Allowing ourselves down-time between tasks can be a breath of fresh air for our brains. While taking a break, go for a short walk, meditate, or perform some other mind-clearing exercise.

11. Don’t think of the totality of your to-do list.

One of the fastest ways to overwhelm yourself is to think about your massive to-do list. Realize that no amount of thought will make it any shorter.

At this point in time, all you can do is focus on the one task before you. This one, single, solitary task. One step at a time. Breathe.

12. Exercise and eat healthily.

Numerous studies have linked a healthy lifestyle with work productivity. Similar to getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthily boost energy levels, clear your mind, and allow you to focus more easily.

13. Do less.

This is a tactic recommended by one of my favorite bloggers, Leo Babauta. Basically, do less is another way of saying do the things that really matter.

Slow down, notice what needs to be done, and concentrate on those things. Do less things that create more value, rather than more things that are mostly empty.

14. Utilize weekends, just a little bit.

One of my favorite memes depicts a gentleman casting his work aside, declaring, “It’s Friday! F#%$88u this shit.” The following image reads “Monday”, and the man is stooping to pick up the papers he’d tossed to the ground.

This is comical, but I’ve found that it’s amazing how doing just a little bit on weekends can really lessen the workload during the week. Aim for 2-4 hours per day. You’ll still leave yourself plenty of free time for activities.

15. Create organizing systems.

Being organized saves tons of time, and you don’t have to be the most ultra-organized person in the world either. Systems aren’t complicated to implement.

Create a filing system for documents. Make sure all items have a place to be stored in your dwelling. Unsubscribe from e-mail lists if you don’t want to receive their content. Streamline, streamline, streamline.

16. Do something during waiting time.

We tend to have a lot of down-time where we don’t try to do much. Waiting rooms, lines at the store, time on the subway, on the elliptical at the gym, etc.

Find things to do during this time. I tend to have a lot of reading for classes, so I bring some of it almost everywhere I go and read during waiting time.

17. Lock yourself in.

No distractions, no excuses. Sometimes, the only way I’m going to get something done is if I’m under lock and key, alone in a room. If you’re like me, realize it, and act accordingly.

18. Commit to your plan to do something.

I kind of mentioned this already, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t flake on your own plan to do something!

Be resolute. Be committed. Be professional about it, and follow through. A firm will to accomplish what you decide to accomplish will take you anywhere.

19. Batch related tasks together.

Let’s say that over a given weekend you need to do two programming assignments, write three essays, and make two videos. Rather than approaching this work in whatever order you feel, group the like tasks and do them consecutively.

Different tasks demand different types of thinking, so it makes sense to allow your mind to continue to flow with its current zone rather than switching unnecessarily to something that’s going to require you to re-orient.

20. Find time for stillness.

In our go, go, go world, too many people don’t find time to just be still. Yet, it’s extraordinary what a stillness practice can do. Action and inaction should both play key roles in our lives.

Discovering time in your life for silence and non-motion reduces anxiety and shows you that there is no need to constantly rush. It also makes it easier to find your work pleasurable.

21. Eliminate the non-essential.

I know this one has been mentioned in one capacity or another already, but it’s one of the most useful tips you can take away from this post.

Our lives are full of excess. When we can identify that excess and remove it, we become more and more in touch with what is significant and what deserves our time.

One Last Tip (The Best One)

There’s one final tip I want to mention. If you remember one thing from this post, remember this:

Enjoyment should always be the goal. Work can be play.

We get so caught up in busyness that we forget to enjoy what we’re doing. Even when we focus on working smarter, we’re still often too focused on getting things done.

This should never be the point. Always ask yourself: What can I do to spend more time enjoying what I’m doing?

The goal should be to arrange your commitments in a way that you’re happy living out the details of your daily life, even while you’re working.

This may sound like a pipe dream, but it’s more possible than ever in today’s world. Be curious. Be open to opportunity. Know yourself. Embrace your passions.

Wonderful things will happen. Best of luck implementing these tips, and let me know if I can do anything else to help you.

Networking

Business owners and employees who are skeptical of networking may want to reconsider. According to a recent survey from the Referral Institute, individuals who spent more than six hours a week networking garnered 47% of all business from their referrals and networks. Those who claimed that networking didn’t play a very large role in their business only networked less than two hours per week.
Yet, not all networking can be judged on equal terms. Many people could gain more from their networking efforts if they only avoided some costly mistakes. Others do not know enough about what works and what doesn’t, and thus lack confidence. Fortunately, both of these problems can be easily solved by taking a look at some common mistakes of networking.

Unclear purpose
Those who have a clear goal are much more likely to know how to prepare for networking — whether it’s to find a better job or to gain new clients. With a set purpose, you will be able to target your goal contacts and better prepare for networking opportunities.
The Mayo Clinic has recently changed its strategy for building a network of doctor and clinic referrals. It focused on to building an affiliate program and, as a result, expanded its networking reach enormously. Focus your own networking goals and you’ll find that your efforts will go much further.

Targeting everyone
Some business owners throw cards at everyone they meet. However, if you have a targeted client or contact in mind, you can be better prepared for networking with them. While there is nothing wrong with handing out business cards to people who are unlikely to call you back, knowing your target market will help you know with whom to spend the most time.
Most businesses should focus on reaching the second tier of clients — in other words, customers of business contacts. Job seekers may want to focus on contacts within their desired field of employment. However, do not go to the point of inflexibility. Be focused on who you want to target, but be prepared to think outside the box and change course if an interesting, off-target contact comes your way.

Being unprepared
Business cards are a must. Neither clients nor business executives will give much weight to the person who says, “I don’t have any business cards — let me just put my name in your phone,” especially if you insist on entering the information for them. You’ll seem unprepared and will be violating their privacy.
Always practice your elevator pitch before networking, and refine and change it as necessary. You never know when you may stumble upon a killer contact when you are simply out running errands. You certainly do not want to be that person at networking events that doesn’t know how to talk about his or her business. Keep in mind that everyone is different: some people like details while others are big-picture people. Make your pitch somewhere in the middle of these extremes.

Being rude
A rude networker is losing at networking. If you do not treat your prospects with respect, why should they want to spend more time with you and your company? Make sure that you give the other person time to talk, and listen carefully. Engage — make them feel like they are the only person who is interesting to you in that moment. Be respectful of their time, too, and limit your conversation to only starting that spark and exchanging business cards.
Some other rude mistakes networkers make are being too pushy or not pushy enough. You don’t want new contacts to feel like they are being cornered or bullied. However, you also do not want them to come away uncertain of what you are selling or whether you are even interested in your own offer.
Another big mistake includes lying. Never stretch the truth so that the other person hears what they want to hear. Always be honest in what you can provide. No one wants to hear that you can follow through only to find out mid-project that you never had enough resources. Never provide fake referrals, either. This is a sure way to make yourself seem like a fraud.

Taking a break
Even if you have too many clients or a secure job, never stop building your network. You never know when your biggest client may decide to join your competitor. In today’s shaky economy, sudden layoffs are quite common. While there may be seasons when you do not need to network as aggressively, steadily building your network ensures that you have a pool of contacts at the ready.
Attend local chamber of commerce networking events. Go to conferences in your field every so often, even if you are ahead of the knowledge being taught. Keep up your social media accounts so that when you need to get aggressive with networking efforts again, you won’t be far behind everyone else.

Avoiding face to face
It is easy in today’s world of digital media to hide behind our computers and simply send e-mails, texts, or messages via social media. However, it is easy to delete a message without giving it much thought, but meeting in person is harder to ignore or forget.
Keep in mind, too, that when attending networking events, be engaged. Ian Altman in his article “Why your smartphone should not join you at networking events” discusses a recent networking event he attended in which many of the participants stood along the walls focusing on their phones, rather than walking around and meeting people. Why waste your money and time in attending networking events if you don’t intend on meeting new contacts? If you are too tempted to hide behind your phone, do as Altman suggests: leave your phone in your vehicle or hotel room.

Not following up
The final most common mistake that networkers make is to not follow up. Many people are simply too busy — your offer sounded great, perfect in fact, but they don’t have the time to dig out your business card and make the call. So do it for them! Wait a few days to give them some time to think over your offer, but then make a call (preferably), send an e-mail or leave a message through social media.
When following up, remind them of your conversation, giving details such as the day, place, time, etc., and what was discussed. Then ask if they need you to help them take the next step. If this is a contact that you may need in the future but not at the moment, simply tell them that you enjoyed meeting them and hope to be able to talk again soon.
Unfortunately, too many professionals take networking lightly, mainly because they do not know how to network the right way. Networking is an art, so practice it until you can perform it flawlessly. Soon, you will find yourself networking almost instinctively, with a strong network regardless of where you are on your career path.