Time Management Lessons for Coaches

Copyright (c) 2010 Suzan Schmitt

It is early in the morning and you sit down to get to work and the next thing you know it is lunch time and you realize that with all your good intentions not enough has gotten done. In fact, somehow very little work has been done yet four hours have passed. Where did the time go?

When you work alone and much of your time is spent on the phone and on the computer it can be very challenging to remain focused and productive. There are so many distractions and nobody to hold you accountable for your time so it is very easy to allow yourself to drift off course. Focus on the following two areas and stay on track with your tasks to increase your productivity immensely.

Surfing the Net We work on a computer and like all jobs ours is dependent on using the internet. The internet is so attractive with all the wonderful things you can see, learn, and buy! It is not only easy but almost next to impossible to get swept up into a huge wave of internet surfing for hours each day.

If you know this is a challenge for you then you are probably wasting a huge amount of time on the internet. The first thing you need to do is set yourself up with an internet "to do" list and a timer. Do all the work you can off the internet and when it is time to use the internet for work get out your "to do" list and set a time limit. When you hit the time limit the longest amount of time you may extend yourself that day is 10 minutes.

You will find that you will soon make precise estimates of the time you need to get your work done on the internet and you will also fit all your work within the time frame.

The Telephone The telephone can be one of the biggest time wasters on the planet because one call can literally take hours. Pick a specific time of day to return phone calls and return them then only. You can choose once or twice a day but set aside a specific time.

Create a specific ring for certain people that you want to be able to reach you at any time but make sure that those people are aware that you are not available to chat during working hours.

Give yourself a limited amount of time to return your phone calls and return them at that time. Set a timer and get off the phone when time is up.

These methods will increase your productivity and you income dramatically. Celebrate your accomplishments as you begin to become more effective in your work and take time to enjoy the rewards of staying focused and being more productive.


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