Time Management and Social Networking
Lately I’ve been mired in the technical aspects of what a blog should do and how to balance the mix of media available. There is so much out there right now and so many ways to spend your time that my focus has come increasingly to the problem of time management. How do you juggle all of the competing demands and opportunities that exist with more coming into view everyday? It’s too easy to get sucked from one thing into another and not really get anything done.
The first step is the same as with any good time management scheme: consider your goals. Be specific. What do you care about and what do you want to do?
For example, if you are a small business and your goal is to bring in 5-10 new clients over the following four quarters, write that down. Set strategy to get there, for example, improve your online presence and network more effectively. Your goals will come from there, i.e. improve your website, start a blog, join an industry group, etc.
Give weight to your goals. If you work 40 hours a week, what percent of your time should you devote to each goal, and in what order. It’s just like budgeting–it’s easy to overspend time, especially with so many goodies enticing you. Putting everything in writing helps remind you of what time you have available, and keep track of where it’s going.
After that, it’s a question of discipline–sticking to the budget so to speak.
If this sounds simplistic, well it is…I could write a book about it…and maybe I will. For now, stay tuned. I’ve been spending lots of time finding out about time management solutions for people who want to use social sites but feel there is no way to fit it into their busy lives. I’ll be sharing what I learn and putting together lists of tips and techniques that will help you make the most of the tools at your disposal.