How many times have you thought that there aren’t enough hours in the day? You have lots of tasks to do and not enough time to complete them all; you feel like you’re always running late and not achieving as much as you should.
If this sounds like you and you’re striving for success in network marketing, the answer is to prioritise your tasks more effectively. In other words, implement a better time management strategy and your problems will soon start to melt away.
You must make time for those important things in your life in order to achieve the desired results. If you’re working in a Direct Selling industry and have other duties, such as looking after your children or running your home, it’s vital that you hone your time management skills to ensure that your business doesn’t start to suffer.
Read on for some simple tips on how to plan your day, so that your working requirements can sit comfortably with the other demands on your time – before you become a stressed-out wreck!
Set aside time for planning
In network marketing, there’s often a cross-over between work and family time. It takes practice to learn how to spend your time productively – a useful tip is to set aside one hour to plan how you intend the rest of your day to pan out.
Put your phone on silent;, turn off your social media notifications and start following up on interested parties and potential orders. Start connecting with new people, organise product parties, arrange meetings and even set aside time for some useful reading and self-development. Don’t let any distractions get in your way.
Write a list of things to do
If you’re simply winging it and just have a jumbled idea of everything you need to accomplish, write it down. This may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at the number of people who don’t have any structure to their day. If you don’t have an organised list, it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed.
Deal with your tasks one at a time. Break down the list into necessary tasks and have a target time-scale for each one. Your mind can take in only so much before its starts to wander off onto other things – you won’t accomplish anything without structure.
Write a “finished tasks” list
It follows that once you see something written down, the things you’ve accomplished will spur you on to achieve your next success. Always remember to celebrate your success, as this will give you a big psychological boost.
It will also help when your “to do” list seems insurmountable – when you have your “finished” list in close proximity, it serves as a reminder that you can accomplish anything when you set your mind to it.
Focus on the task at hand
Don’t get side-tracked by other things when you’re dealing with one issue. It’s too easy to go into panic mode if you feel you’re falling behind. You’ll end up flitting about, trying to do multiple things at once and ending up not completing any of them.
If some tasks aren’t a top priority, defer them to another day or a less busy time. If you feel they must be done on a specific day, put the less important jobs lower down on your priority list, ensuring you complete the essential ones first.
Take breaks
You may think you’re too busy to take time out but did you know that if you take a break, you will “recharge your batteries” and feel more productive when you return to your work? When you’re feeling stressed and you’re ploughing on with work, your productivity will dip.
Even five-minute breaks every hour can make you feel better – have a short walk, sit in the garden or walk your dog. You’ll feel much better afterwards and be more productive.
Have set working hours
When you work from home, it’s easy to get carried away and work long into the night if you feel you’re falling behind. However, if you manage your time properly, you should be able to set your working hours and stick to a more structured working day.
If you work longer into the evening, you’ll become less productive anyway and in turn, this will make you feel tired and stressed the next day. It’s like a vicious circle and it’s hard to break the habit unless you’re strict with yourself and stick to sensible hours.
Use apps properly
There are plenty of apps that can help you to schedule and maximise your time, allowing you to utilise every hour effectively. Try them out and see which best helps you to plan your time.
Finally, enjoy your life! Don’t let work completely take over. You must create a balance between your work and home life; if you don’t, you will soon start to feel stressed. By striking an efficient balance and planning your time properly, you can enjoy both building your business and your social time.