1 KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVES You are the person who knows your business best. Work out what you are in business to achieve and have some major goals that will get you to where you want to be 2 BE CLEAR ON PRIORITIES Not all goals are equal. Some are more important, some are more urgent, some are more financially rewarding etc. Make sure you are clear on what you are giving priority to 3 UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ENJOY It’s much easier for most people to devote time to things they actually like doing. If you can gear your business to things you find enjoyable (and possibly delegate, or buy in expertise for, things you don’t enjoy), then that’s half the battle 4 NOTICE SIGNALS ‘WORK ‘IS GIVING YOU If something sits on your desk and doesn’t get done – but you’ve had time in which you could do it – then it’s a motivation issue, not a time management one. Notice those signals and act accordingly 5 SET REALISTIC DAILY AND WEEKLY TARGETS Think carefully about how much you can actually get done. Then set your targets to give you a bit of a stretch, but not an impossible one. Most people work well when there’s a bit of a challenge, but not too much (read ‘Flow’ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi for more on this) 6 HAVE SENSIBLE LISTS Many people have ‘to do’ lists – and they are very useful – but make sure they actually can be achieved in the time available. Better to have only a few things listed each day – you can always add more and it avoids you feeling bad about not achieving the whole of a huge list 7 ALLOW SPACES IN YOUR DIARY It’s very easy to fill every waking moment with appointments. Leave spaces free for emergencies, relaxation and thinking time. If you find this hard, then actually book time with yourself in your diary (put your own name or an imaginary one in the space) so it’s kept free 8 BE AWARE OF TIME This may sound odd but some people are very time-conscious and others aren’t. If you aren’t then get into the habit of observing time more. Have a watch, clock or timer to hand and look at it frequently. Challenge yourself to guess how much time has passed since you started an activity – you may be surprised how easy this can become. 9 BE PUNCTUAL Being late for things is really disrespectful to others. Getting into the habit of being on time will make it easier for you to manage your own time and will show others you respect theirs 10 HAVE TIME FOR YOURSELF Making sure you have some time for yourself each day will make you more effective during work times. Use your time for whatever works for you - exercise, relaxation, socialising, reading – anything other than work. Really beneficial  Carol Harris