HOW TO REORGANIZE YOUR TIME
TO ACCOMMODATE A
HOME BUSINESS
Almost everyone would like to have additional income so that they might afford the
luxuries their current income cannot provide. Most would like to start some sort of extra
incomeproducing project. The trouble is, not many of these people seem able to fit a
second job into their time schedules.
While it is true that most people are busy, time for establishing a homebased
extra income project can almost always be found. It may mean giving up or changing a few
of your favorite pastimes such as spending an evening out with friends or watching
TV but if you score big with your extra income project, you later will have all the
time you want for doing whatever you gave up to make that business a reality.
First, sit down with pencil and paper and list your daily schedule. What time do you
wake up? Then stepbystep, list the great variety of things you do each day. Most
people will find that they have approximately three hours each day that can be utilized in
a more constructive or efficient manner. As noted above, you may have to give up the time
you spend at the local pub or a few television programs you watch, but it will be worth it
in the long run.
Efficient time management boils down to planning what you're going to do, and then
doing it without backtracking. Each evening before you go to bed, make a list of the
things you must accomplish the next day. Schedule your trips to the store or wherever to
coincide with the other items on the list, making as few separate trips as possible and
taking care of as many things as possible while you're out of the house. Take stock of the
time you spend standing around shooting the breeze especially the time you spend on
the telephone and eliminate all that isn't necessary. You may find it helpful to
keep a daily organizer or small notebook handy. In this book, write down all your
objectives in the order you wish to accomplish them. As each is completed, either strike
it from the list or place a mark beside it. Only after your list of imperatives is
completed can you begin devoting yourself to your sparetime job or leisurely
pursuits.
Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time to do them and a
specific amount of time to be devoted to their completion. For instance, just one hour a
day devoted to yard work would probably make your property the envy of all your neighbors.
Don't try to do a week's work in one big flurry. Whether it's painting your house, fixing
leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and trimming your shrubs, do a part of it or one
particular job each day, and you'll be amazed at your progress.
Take care of all your mail the day you receive it. Don't let those bills and letters
pile up on you. If you're unable to pay a bill immediately, file it in a special place
that's visible, and note on the envelope the date you intend to pay it. Answer your
letters the same day you get them.
The important thing is to think of time as your most valuable asset, because it is. So
organize! Decide what you have to do, and what you want to do. From there, it's just a
matter of arranging priorities. Once you start listing and planning what you need to
accomplish and then carry out your plans, you'll find plenty of "extra time" for
handling virtually any kind of homebased incomeproducing project.
People in general may not like routines or schedules, but without a plan to follow the
world would be mired in mass confusion. Laws, ordinances, and regulations are designed for
the purpose of guiding people. We live according to an accepted plan or way of life, and
the better we can organize ourselves, the more productive and happy we become.
The secret of all financially successful people is organization. A man or woman who has
decided where he or she wants to go and how to get there will not not waste time. Think
about it. Review your own activities, and then see if you can find a couple of extra hours
in a day for more constructive accomplishments. When you begin planning, and when you
ultimately become involved in an extra income business, you should work it exactly as you
have organized your regular daytoday activities in the most efficient
manner possible. Do what has to be done immediately. Don't try to get done in an hour
something that should realistically take a week. Plan out on paper what you have to do,
what you want to do, and when you are going to do it. Then, get right on each project
without procrastination.
Finally, and above all else, when you're organizing your time and your business, be
sure to set aside some time for relaxation. Schedule a specific time when you and your
spouse can be together. You must not involve yourself in anything to an extent that you
exclude other people particularly your loved ones from your life. Reserve time
for your children, both as a family group and as individuals. Time spent in relaxation
will mentally prepare you for the dedication necessary to complete all your objectives in
a given day.
Take stock of the time you waste each day. Reorganize your activities to make the
maximum use of your available time and to add an incomeproducing business to your
schedule. The establishment of a successful sparetime business is a matter of
becoming more efficient in the use of your day. It's relatively easy to do, and you will
find that you not only accomplish a lot more, but you will also discover greater
fulfillment in your business and personal life.
