Debra Kasowski

#1 Strategy to Take Control of Your Time, Money, and Waistline

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Time and money seem to slip through people’s fingers and they often wonder why.

We are all are given the same amount of time 1440 minutes in a day, 168 hours in one week.

However, we are not all given the same amount of money.

The biggest difference between money and time is that you can make more money and you cannot make more time. You can choose to do one thing over another to allot time for certain activities.

Now when it comes to your waistline, the more your burn the more you lose! And if you are trying to lose weight that is a good thing!

The ONE strategy that may change your life to TRACKING YOUR TIME, MONEY, and WAISTLINE!

By tracking where your time, money, food intake, and activity, you can discover where the time thieves, money wasters, and waistline stealers need to improve.

Remember to ask yourself- if you had a good time during the process, was it truly a waste?

Make a choice to become more aware of how you spend your time , resources, food and activity.

Time Thieves or Wasters

  • email notifications (binger)
  • Social Media and Checking for Replies (Facebook, Twitter)

    Courtesy of stockimages/freedigitalphotos.net
    Courtesy of stockimages/freedigitalphotos.net
  • surfing the net
  • watching too much TV television
  • meetings you could have handled by phone
  • attending meetings that you are not sure why you are there

Money Wasters

  • duplicate services
  • gym memberships (if you are not using it, cancel it)
  • buying things just to buy them
  • eating out every night (can also add to your waistline so be careful)
  • going to the movies twice a week
  • magazine subscriptions you do not read

Waistline Stealers

  • eating desserts
  • skipping breakfast
  • skipping exercise
  • watching TV all night long
  • late night snacking

Awareness is the key to change! Discover your losses by tracking your activities on a time, money, food intake, or exercise log. Write down what you are doing and how long the task takes, what you are spending money on, how much, and what you project your return on investment to be – how does it contribute to your bottom line? Often the activities, tasks, and purchases bought are out of habit. However when wasters are brought into awareness, you will discover where change needs to occur. You will surprised at where you a lot your time, money, and resources. The bottomline…it is all about the choices you make. Do you really want what you say you want?

Simple tricks of the trade to get you back on track:

  • Set up specific times of day when you check your emails.
  • Turn off your email notification alert.
  • Pre-set social media marketing (www.hootsuite.com) and pop in at set times of the day to check your social media – give yourself a time limit as it is easy to get sucked in!
  • You can utilize apps that prevent you from surfing the net or designate a certain amount of time to that activity
  • verify the need for an in-person meeting or the need to attend.
  • Eliminate duplicate services.
  • Cancel subscriptions and memberships that you are not getting value from or utilizing.
  • Create a menu plan and get active.

Imagine how productive and how efficient you will be!What would you do if you had more time to play, had more money, or had tip top shape health and body?  Oh no – there goes a bright shiny object – better pull back on the reins!

What Can You Be Outsourcing to Free Up Your Time and Increase Your Productivity?

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What opportunities could you be welcoming if you were outsourcing? How much more time and you have to do the things that you love? How much more productive would your company be if you outsourced to a genius?

As a solopreneur, you can only do so much by yourself. It is good to have a basic understanding of some of the processes and functions that you delegate so that you can give clear instruction to those you outsourced to.

Just because you know how to do something, it does not mean you should be doing it. I understand that initially you may need to as you generate revenue, however, there will come a time when you need to hire someone else to do the work so you can concentrate on what you do best.

 

 Here are 25 ways in which you could start outsourcing:

  1.  e-zine or newsletter formatting
  2. social media management
  3. market research
  4.  press releases
  5.  PowerPoint presentations
  6.  payroll
  7.  bookkeeping
  8.  graphic design
  9.  logo design
  10.  website building or maintenance
  11. video editing
  12.  article posting
  13.  book cover design
  14.  editing services
  15.  video production
  16.  transcription
  17.  legal advice
  18.  IT services
  19.  ghostwriting
  20.  postal services
  21.  grocery shopping
  22.  dry cleaning and laundry
  23.  housekeeping
  24.  lawn maintenance
  25.  pet care

Basically what it comes down to, how much do you value your time? time and energy are irreplaceable so choose to use it wisely to get your greatest return on your investment. You can make more money but you cannot buy more time or energy. Just think of the leverage and how much more you can get accomplished if you had a virtual team of people helping you any where in the world!

 By outsourcing, you can focus on revenue generating activities that grow your business and allow you to have more time and energy words the areas that are most important in your business and your life.

What have you outsourced to free up your time and increase your productivity?

 

 

Are You All Tied Up with Other People’s Agendas?

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The results you get in your business are a direct result of your productivity and your focus. Are you wishing you were not pulled so many directions? Do you wish you had more time doing what you love? Would you like to have more “me time” ? Would you like to make more money in your business? You can!

Take a look at your to- do list and what are “Other People’s Agenda” items, or OPA, (sorry – not the thrilling of excitement you may hear at a Greek restaurant).  These items can be very time consuming and even drain some of your energy because you are not working on what you really want to complete for you. Enough is enough – it is time to take charge of your time and energy in a whole new way by setting some boundaries by valuing your time.

I have implemented strategies in my business that I know can really help you too. You can become more productive and focused and start seeing better results in your business. Some of these tips may seem simple but when used consistently have great impact by increasing your productivity.

5 Ways to Increase Your Productivity Today:

  1. Email – Set aside specific times of day in which your check your email. If you check your email first thing in the morning, you are setting yourself up for a lengthy to do list of all the other things people need or want you to do. Remember you are in control – this is your business and your life. Do not check your email until you have had some physical activity, a good breakfast, and planned your day based on your priorities. For heaven’s sakes, turn off the email notifications, they are like bright shiny objects that distract you from what you are working on.
  2. Telephone Calls – Keep an eye on the time you spend talking on the phone, you can easily get off on a side track conversation. Save non-profit generating phone calls for after business hours or allot them into your calendar in advance. When you are working and focused on a certain project, let your phone go to voicemail and check it when you take a break.
  3. Meetings – Decide whether or not you need to meet someone in person for a meeting or is the meeting that you can discuss over the phone. A fifteen to twenty minute  phone call can save a lot of time in travel and meeting time.
  4. On the Drive University – Do you have trouble finding time to learn and grow to further develop your business strategies? Listen to audio program in your vehicle so that you can learn and develop new ideas to implement into your business. A stale mind will produce the same results. Innovation and creativity are required for sustainability and growth in your business.
  5. Track Your Time. Track your time for 30 minute increments for one week. You will be able to see where you are spending your time. Hopefully, it will be on revenue generating activities. A business without revenue is just a hobby.

BONUS TIP – Start your day with at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity. Not only is it good for your health, but you will get those creative juices flowing and pump up your energy for the day.

The time is now for you to focus and plan your day for you. At first you may even find this challenging as you will suddenly have much more time on your hands than you may know what to do with. Time you never thought you had. Use use your time wisely. Start thinking bigger about how much more you can accomplish and the results you can get when you have this extra time. Don’t get tied up with OPA!

Take charge of what is most pressing for you. Imagine yourself being more productive, enjoying greater happiness, and achieving bigger results. What are your priorities right now?