Think, for a moment…what did you have planned for this week? What about for today? What about before lunch? Tell me…do you dictate your schedule, or does your schedule dictate you. I tell you what, if your schedule is the one that is making the rules, you are leading yourself to a life of stress and ineffectiveness.

Time is a constant. It is something that either works for you or works against you, depending on your ability to utilize it. If you are able to effectively block out times to get things done, and are actually working on those things at that time, you are well on your way. If you have decided that you are going to do things liaises-faire, you, too, have at least addressed time. If you find that you are constantly running out of time, running, late and not accomplishing what you'd planned to accomplish, you guess it…you are not using your time more effectively.

How you get things done is going to be based on your personality. Your personality is something that you have to truly own in order to be the most effective you that you can be. Nicole Greer, from Team Laurie Beth Jones, is a consultant in that area, and breaks personalities into four basic elements: Wind, Earth, Fire and Water.

If you are a blustery (windy) person that has to have a million balls in the air at one time, creating more of stir than anything else, you won't do well with a very rigid schedule…you need more of a liaises-faire scheduling - which means that you've got a number of things that you must do in a given time - schedule yourself some flexibility so that when it is time to focus, you can do so.

If you, on the other hand, are a person that has a LOT to do, and is always sparking up something new (Fire), how do you slow down to focus on those things that are Important but not Urgent? I suggest you begin to schedule time, every week, to do this. For me, this is blogging, scanning papers, business development. I have several hours during the week that I put into each area to ensure that they are not getting overlooked or pushed to the side.

Of course, there are many extremes to personalities, and many different needs of different people. However, it all goes back to, "how can I use my time most effectively to focus on what I need to be done?" The first thing, I submit, is to know yourself.

At Aepiphanni Business Solutions, we are dedicated to serving the needs of small business owners. We specialize in helping you develop strategies for your organization, and are committed to your success. If you have further questions about creating your strategy or developing your vision, please give me, Rick Meekins, a call at 678-265-3908, or email us at info@aepiphanni.com.

Labels: Business Growth Strategies, Business Path, Management and Leadership