Good time management is an essential key to creating and maintaining a successful personal and professional life. So why is poor time management one of the top reasons people do not reach their goals?

Prioritize and Plan: Create a time management plan. Try clarifying your priorities, your strengths and weaknesses, and your goals on a personal and professional level. Have an ongoing, categorized Master List including all the “to do” items in every area of your life. Write these down and place a star by the ones which are the most important. Get those tasks “out of your head and onto paper” so there is no worry about forgetting something. At the end of each day, refer to the Master List and cross off the items you accomplished. Then identify the most important items you will do tomorrow. Write these items on a Daily Accomplishment List.

At the first of each month, set aside an hour to plan your month. Use a Month-At-A-Glance calendar to block off your personal/family obligations with a colored highlighter. Then use a green highlighter to block off time for interviews, shows, office time, networking, and attending team events.

Making the most of your time: Being effective means doing the right job for the right reasons.

Remember to stay focused on what will bring the greatest return on your time and energy. A good rule of thumb is to spend 80% of your "Business" time on income producing activities and 20% on management activities.

The following example is for a part-time career of twenty hours per week: Sixteen hours on income producing activity (selling products, booking and holding shows, and prospecting/holding interviews with new Consultants), four hours on management activity (office administration, self-improvement, etc.) Again, focus 80% of your time on activities that promote sales and 20% of your time on management.

· Improve the quality of your time by evaluating when you feel most alert. Try to schedule your appointments or make phone calls for your business during the times you are at your best.

· Monitor the way you spend your time by using an activity log. Take a few days to write down daily activities and the time it takes you to accomplish them. Based on the information you gather, make the necessary changes.

· Create extra hours for yourself by getting up early. This is an easy way to create more time. If you get up 1-hour early for a year, you will create approximately 10 additional working weeks.

Set yourself up for success by sticking to your schedule and not taking on additional obligations that will take away from your personal/family time or your business. Learn to say “NO!” Time Management and planning work hand in hand for the success of your business. It gives you a sense of peace as well as a feeling of order.

Article by:
Nicki Keohohou is a Co-Founder of www.DSWA.org (the only association dedicated to the needs of the independent party plan and network marketing professionals).