By Jim Hingst
Our time each day is limited. Here
are some time management habits that you should develop to make the best use of
your time. When you do a better job of scheduling your time, you will accomplish more
of those tasks that will lead to greater business success. What’s more, your life
will be less stressful.
- Plan tomorrow today.
Write out your things to do list the night before your work day. Compile
all the information that you will need to accomplish those tasks. You don’t need to include every conceivable
activity. Keep it simple. Only include those critical activities that you
can finish in the time you have available. Writing ridiculously long lists
that are impossible to complete is not only frustrating but also can
result in a break down of your time management system.
- Prioritize. Organize your things to do list based on
the order of their importance. The most important tasks are those which
you must accomplish during your work day or that align with your primary
business goals. In prioritizing your list, you should get into the habit
of asking yourself how a particular task will help you achieve your primary
business and personal development goals. Another great question is to ask:
how will I turn this activity into cash?
- Do it now. Now
that you have planned your day and prioritized your activities, put your plan
into action. Begin your day by working on those tasks which are your top
priorities. As you accomplish each task, cross it off of your list.
- Eliminate those tasks
from your list which are unnecessary or delegate tasks to a subordinate. Focus
your efforts on those activities which are really important in your
business.
- Avoid reading your
email or surfing the web the first thing in the morning. In addition to avoiding these distractions,
let your phone calls go to voicemail. Instead set aside time in the mid-morning,
after lunch and near the end of the work day to check messages. When you
need to return a phone call, limit the call to no longer than 5 minutes.
About Jim Hingst: Sign business authority on vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, screen printing, marketing, sales, gold leaf, woodcarving and painting.
After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 190 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 500 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
© 2019 Jim Hingst, All Rights Reserved.
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