Using your time wisely is the only way you'll succeed…

Here are two methods I am using to blast through my time use "issues" for 2007.

One of these I have been using sporadically for over a year and am now applying religiously.  The other is new to me but is making a HUGE difference in my productive time and sanity.

Both of these have to do with controlling your focus and eliminating non-productive interference.

The first tip is one I got from Alex Mandossian over 2 years ago.  This may feel a little strange at first but it works wonders.

Go out and pick up an inexpensive count-down timer.  I use a KitchenAid unit that is simple to use (and even fit with my office "decor") and cost just under $20.

All you do is use the timer to set defined periods of focused time.  I use 1 hour periods.  The key is to do nothing else at all but your chosen task from start to stop in that time period.  Do not get up to get a drink, answer the phone, check email etc.  Focus only on the task at hand and work at it as hard as possible.

Once the timer hits zero, stop working, get up and take a 5-20 minute break.  You've earned it.

You may want to start out with periods of 40 to 50 minutes initially and then work up to longer stints.  Here's an interesting tidbit… Eugene Schwartz (author of Breakthrough Advertising and one of the greatest copywriters ever) worked in 33 minute stints, no less no more.  He was extremely productive during those periods.

Before you start doing this you may want to actually document exactly how you use your time over the course of a few days.  You will most likely find that you are nowhere nearly as focused and productive as you'd like to be.

Once you've seen how you currently use your time you can then apply the timer technique to bring about some important changes.

In a short time you should see some dramatic differences in your productivity levels as well as the length of time you spend "working" at your desk.

The next tip I have just recently employed has proven to be even more liberating and was born out of my documenting what I do all day for a 3 day period.

When I took a close look at how I spent my time I found I was checking email constantly.  Even worse, I was spending much of my email time sifting through the 500 plus emails I receive each day, most of which is crap or Spam.  This adds up to an serious waste of my very valuable time.

What am I doing to change this?

The first thing I did was turn off the auditory and visual alerts that tell me I have new mail.  These are just too distracting and are the first step in weaning yourself from constant email checking.

The next thing I did was sign up for a SpamArrest.com account.

This has been one of the smartest things I have done in years.

Now, before I go any further I have to give you some background here.

You see, I receive mail through 14 different accounts at this point because of all of the web sites and services I operate.  This leads to an incredible amount of Spam eventually.

I've tried setting up web forms on sites so my email addresses can't be picked up by Spam spiders but I still get hit.  Heck, I even get Spam sent to addresses for which I've done nothing more than set up a coming soon page and nothing more.

With SpamArrest I load in my address book of already acceptable "from" addresses and then let it do the rest.  As mail from unconfirmed addresses comes in a confirmation message goes out and the email is saved in an "unverified" folder.

Once a day I go into that folder and scan through.

Any emails that should get through get checked and "authorized.  All else gets trashed.

This has even made me reconsider many of the subscriptions I have and has led me to unsubscribe from most of them (another great time saver!)

I love it.

A basic account can handle up to 5 addresses for under $6/month and you also get a 30 day free trial to kick things off.

You can add blocks of 10 more addresses for a one time fee of $50/ten addresses.

The next step I'll take will be to outsource my email handling completely.  I've spoken with a number of the "Big guys" who do this and all say it was the smartest thing they ever did for their businesses.

Here's to a highly profitable and enriching 2007!

Onward & Upward!

Sam Knoll