Being rich is having money; being wealthy is having time. -Stephen Swid, executive (b. 1941)

I’ll show you exactly how to:

• Do the one thing that will instantly get you more time
• Focus your time and get the right things done
• Design your business around what you’re good at
• Stop feeling overwhelmed
• Say no to what’s not good for your business
• Focus on your high-payoff activities
• Know when it’s actually good to procrastinate
• Stop time-wasters from getting the best of you

Plus you’ll also get regular weekly tips and information to make your business more organised and highly productive so you can bring in more money.

1. Please enter your first name and primary email address below, and click submit.
2. Check your inbox for a special link to confirm your subscription.
3. As soon as you’re confirmed, you’ll get a second email from me with the download link to your first tip. You’ll receive one tip every two days.

*Your email address will NEVER be sold – that’s my promise!

I love the time of year when all the calendars and planners for the next year start appearing in the stores.

There is such a wide selection that the choice can get really overwhelming.

So how do you choose the best one?

Here are a couple of factors to consider:

1. Paper or electronic?
Do you prefer paper or electronic? Don’t feel pressured to use an electronic diary just to keep up with your friends if you’re actually a paper gal.

I love Outlook as much as the next person but I need a paper planner for 95% of my planning.

That said, if you are techno-savvy, use it happily. Please just remember to back up your data regularly.

2. Size
Your planner has to be portable if you’re going to use it most effectively.

Decide on a comfortable size and stick to that. If your planner is HUGE, no matter how cute it is, you’re not going to use it unless you’re strong!

However, don’t go for a small size especially if you have big handwriting. Ahem

3. Space per day
Do you like a week-at-a-glance or a page-a-day format?

I like the weekly format because I do weekly planning. And there’s just enough space to jot down your 3 – 5 Eat the Frog tasks every day.

But more than that, I like space for notes, not just appointments.

4. Monthly tools
Do you need a monthly event calendar and a budget form? What about a monthly goals form?

Or is that not an issue for you?

5. Other tools
Do you need lots of name and address pages? Or note paper at the back?

My advice to you is decide on your non-negotiables and make peace with the rest. And make sure you LOVE your planner so that you WANT to use it.

I actually don’t think there will ever be a perfect planner for me because I’m quite fussy. You’d never think, right?

My non-negotiables are size, space per day and I like lots of note paper at the back for all my personalised lists. I actually schedule time during the last week of the year to personalise my planner.

Next time, keep these points in mind before you go shopping!

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

Most people procrastinate at some time or another, and for many different reasons. We all need to find something, ANYTHING, to get us to take action because the truth is, the single most important characteristic of successful people is that they TAKE ACTION.

I’m certainly not immune to procrastination

Sometimes I’m just lazy, I think it’s going to be too difficult, I just don’t feel like doing it, or I imagine that it will be a mammoth task.

If you can relate, then see if any of my solutions will also help you fight the procrastination monster.

1. Do nothing until your most important task is done

If something needs to be done, resolve to do nothing else until that task is done. That means no coffee or breakfast! (This really works if you love eating like I do, and you’re self-disciplined).

2. Give yourself a self-imposed deadline.

Tell yourself that the task must be done by a certain time. When you actually do it, it usually takes you just a fraction of the time to complete instead of the hours you imagined.

3. Make yourself accountable to someone

I like being someone who keeps to my word so this works perfectly for me. I chat to my friend, Beth Dargis, a fellow coach, every Friday night, when we set our business goals for the week ahead. Just knowing that I have to report back to Beth makes me get moving and helps me get things done.

I’m told that I do the same for my coaching clients

4. Work on it for just 15 minutes

For bigger tasks, it always helps if you tell yourself you’ll work on the task for just 15 minutes. You can do anything for 15 minutes. Usually by the time 15 minutes rolls around, you’ll have built momentum and you’ll then want to make some serious headway. But even if you don’t want to continue, at least you’ve made a start!

I do this with gym – “I only have to stay for 30 minutes” and before you know it, the class is over and an hour’s gone

5. Build in rewards

Reward yourself the minute it’s done, depending on the size of the task, of course. Like a cup of coffee for making a difficult phone call. Please don’t go out and buy a new dress to reward yourself just for doing the laundry!

This week, I want you to focus on areas of your life where you might be procrastinating and make a decision to just do something, ANYTHING, for 15 minutes!

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

How would you like to start every day off on the right foot?

Wouldn’t you like to feel a sense of excitement as you start your day?

You CAN if you do something small for just 5 minutes a day.

This is not some crazy statement – it really is true. I promise

If you spend 5 minutes every evening (or at the end of every day) planning the next day, your life will dramatically change.

So what do you need to do?

1. Grab a notebook or my eat the frog form

Download the form from my website.

The point is to have somewhere to capture your thoughts.

2. Ask yourself one of these important questions

* Which 3 – 5 things, when accomplished, will move me towards my goals?
* What is the best use of my time tomorrow?

3. Think effective, not busy

Busy means you’re doing LOTS of things. Effective means you’re doing the RIGHT things.

E.g. Yesterday, after I downloaded email, I had two choices – keep BUSY by reading newsletters and replying to all my blog comments & personal emails, or be EFFECTIVE by responding to a journalist who wants to interview me, and write this newsletter.

Guess which I chose to do?

4. Now write down no more than 6 tasks

Mary Kay, one of the world’s most successful businesswomen, said that the secret of her success was to only tackle 6 tasks a day. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me

I actually showed a client my own planner a few weeks ago. When I think I’m Superwoman and put down more than 6 tasks, I never get them all done. But when I put 5 or 6 tasks on my list, I get them all done.

Did you know you can spend a half day with me (virtually or in-person) in my own office on a Business Organising Intensive? I show you exactly how I set up my own business systems and we go through all the computer and email tricks you could possibly imagine. *email me if you’re keen*

5. Number them in order of priority

Only now (in step 5) do you number them. Don’t try and number them before you get them down – you might get stuck in analysis paralysis

You’ll hit the ground running the next day when you start on number 1 and move through your list until you complete number 6.

Now you can relax and enjoy your evening.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

We all know we should prioritise what we do before we start taking action but how do you actually do it?

1. Make a list of all your current (and future) projects

If you like writing with a pen and paper (like I do), then grab a pen and start writing. If you prefer to type, open a document and start typing. The main thing is to get down all your current projects and the future ones you intend to complete.

At this point, don’t censor yourself – just get them down, okay?

2. Evaluate according to your goals, time taken and results delivered

Looking at each of those projects, ask yourself these questions and be honest when answering?

* is this project aligned with my goals?
* am I spending too much or too little time on this project? (sometimes we need to spend more time on projects that are very important to us)
* is this project delivering the kind of results I expect (mo-ney, quality of life, relationships, etc.)

3. Eliminate or change things

Ouch! This is difficult, I know. But it’s either working for you or it’s not.

Decide which projects you can shelve permanently or until a later date. Or, if a project IS aligned with your goals but it’s not really yielding the kind of results you want, change SOMETHING.

Nearly a year ago, I decided that speaking was very important to me but I wasn’t getting as many bookings as I wanted. So I hired a speaking coach and things are going great now that we’ve made some changes to the way I do things

4. Prioritise and focus

Now that your projects are pared down, you can prioritise them. Make sure that you number them in terms of what is most important to you now (not what you think should be important).

Pick the top project, focus and start taking action.

Based on this very process, I’ve whittled down my own project list of 13 and identified just THREE major projects for the rest of the year.

Now it’s your turn. Remember projects can be anything from business to “around the house” to personal…

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

This is part two – check your email box if you missed part 1

6. Stop multi-tasking

Yes, you read that correctly When you try and do multiple tasks, your attention is split and you lose focus. The lack of focus means that you end up spending a lot longer completing your task because you’re not fully engaged.

What happens when you’re driving and you get lost? You switch off the radio so you can focus. Next time you have to work on a project, close Outlook so you’re not distracted by incoming email.

7. Write it down

Write down things to buy, things to talk to X about, errands to run, upcoming birthdays, etc.

You won’t find yourself returning from running errands only to find you forgot to return your library books. You will start being that organised person who actually has a birthday present wrapped days before the person’s birthday.

8. Declutter and simplify

Did you know that decluttering cuts your cleaning time by 32%? If that isn’t inspiration to declutter, then I don’t know what is!

Living a simplified life means you no longer spend hours looking for things. It also means your schedule isn’t jam-packed with activities and you actually have time to enjoy your life.

9. Plan your time

When you plan your time, leave enough time to complete the task plus some buffer time. Work expands to fill the available time so don’t allow 3 hours for a 1-hour activity because you will use the full 3 hours if you do so.

If you’re not sure how long things take to do, keep a time log for a week or two and see for yourself.

10. Organise your paper and email

Every time I run an organising workshop, I get participants to complete a Time Wasters Assessment. The results differ slightly depending on the type of group but since 2003, email has crept up the ranks and is now the top time waster! And paper is a close second.

Learning to correctly organise your paper and email will save you hours every day. Most business owners spend approximately 2 – 3 hours just attending to email; I spend 15 – 20 minutes!

Don’t get overwhelmed – work on just one of these tips consistently until it becomes a habit and keep adding another until you have it all mastered.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

One of the most common goals my clients tell me about is that they want more time.

If you can relate, I have good news for you – if you put just one of these tips into practice, you will save hours every week:

1. Learn to say no

Saying no helps you set strong boundaries.

What do you have to say no to so that you can say yes to your goals this year?

2. Play to your strengths

With everything in life, I believe you should play to your strengths.

If you’re terrible at cleaning your house, hire a cleaning lady. If you’re not great at organising, hire a professional organiser.

3. Learn to prioritise

When you know how to prioritise, even if you only get one or two things done daily, they will always be the right things and not just busy work.

4. Set up systems

Systems save you space, time, energy, money and stress.

Meal planning is a system for organising and preparing meals. Regular computer back-up is another system to keep your computer running smoothly.

What kinds of systems can you put in place?

5. Work smarter

Group tasks so that you only do preparation ONCE. Make your client calls all at the same time. You’ll be on a roll, get through them a lot faster and save energy because you don’t have to get into phone mode more than once.

Make your work do double duty. If you type a certain kind of email often, make an auto text entry and save the template. If you write a comment on a blog, expand that same comment and write a blog post of your own.

Don’t get overwhelmed – work on just one of these tips consistently until it becomes a habit and keep adding another until you have it all mastered.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

To a certain extent, stress works for us. And then when we reach that point. The point where you’re so fraught with nerves, you literally just snap at the slightest thing.

For some of us, it only happens as we approach the end of a long year without a holiday but for others, it’s like they’re permanently frazzled.

The key is to incorporate enough of these stress busters into your daily routine so you de-stress regularly.

Here are some ideas to de-stress, mostly frugal!

1. Exercise.

You can do anything from walking or running, to working out at the gym. From personal experience, I can tell you that a boxing class is a great stress reliever!

2. Get enough sleep

Research shows that most people need between 7 and 8 hours’ sleep every night. When you don’t get enough sleep, you get crabby and everything irritates you

3. Learn to say “no”

Many people are stressed because of built-up resentment due to their inability or unwillingness to say NO.

4. Practise self-care

This is anything from taking a bubble bath to getting a manicure or massage. The main thing is to do something for YOU on at least a weekly basis.

5. Use your support system regularly.

When you feel overwhelmed or frazzled, call a friend, family member or colleague, either just to talk or to help you!

Now, put one or all of these ideas into practise for better mental health and ultimately increased productivity!

Have a stress-free week!

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

Remember that HIGH importance, LOW urgency quadrant we spoke about before?

What if you took just ONE step closer to your goals every single day?

Just one.

It sounds harder than it is.

Honestly.

Let’s say your goal is to write a book. Many people have this on their “things to do before I die” lists so I know this resonates with a lot of you.

What is the absolute first step? Decide what to write about. This step looks simple but you need to see if people would read it, if publishing houses would buy it, if there’s a market so it will actually sell.

So maybe the first two weeks is spent checking all that out.

The rest of the month might be outlining the whole book – what do you need to cover, how many chapters? Etc, etc.

And then comes the writing. Now if I were coaching you, I’d make you write at least 5 minutes a day because writers WRITE.

To some, that seems like nothing much but 5 mins a day is 35 mins a week which is over 2 hours a month, at the very least.

And of course, some days just getting those 5 minutes done will be a miracle but other days, you’d spend 30 minutes or more easily writing.

That’s exactly what I mean when I say you can make big leaps with just a step a day.

People ask me how I get so many things done and it’s because I do exactly this.

Now I will tell you I don’t always feel like writing or recording audio or _______ (fill in whatever you don’t like doing) but I do know that it will move me towards my goals.

I have a rule. Every week, come hell or high water, I need to do at least one thing to move me towards my goals. This helps me focus on outcomes even when I’m really busy.

Think about one of your goals. Let’s say you want to go on a holiday to Ireland

Let’s break it down.

1. Decide exactly where in Ireland you want to visit.
2. Investigate prices of airfare, hotels, B&B’s, tourism, food, etc.
3. Check your savings account to see what you have available.
4. Based on the shortfall, decide on the amount of money you need to save every month.
5. Decide length of holiday and itinerary while there.
6. Book flights and check if you need a visa.
7. Book accommodation.
8. Book car rental/ decide on method of transport.
9. Pack your bags
10. Go!

Grab a piece of paper and write your own steps for your goal.

Your challenge this week is to take at least ONE step towards your goal this week.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

I get so many emails from small business owners who tell me that it all just gets so overwhelming they don’t know where to start.

One day everything is okay and the next it seems as if the paper is all over the place, they can’t find what they need on their computer, they have 14 000 emails in their inbox (yes, really!) and they are paralysed with overwhelm.

They can’t even get to urgent tasks, let alone important, marketing and business development opportunities.

This is what I suggest:

1. Tackle one thing at a time

If your paper is driving you crazy, then spend an hour or two focussed on nothing else but sorting the paper. If it’s your email, then set your timer, set a goal and start replying.

I’m a very visual person and so I can’t work with an untidy desk. I keep nothing on my desk except the current project and usually if I’m feeling very overwhelmed, I first clear my desk and then I can focus on my to-do list.

2. Maintain the area

Now the key is to spend 5 minutes a day maintaining that organised space. It is amazing how spending just 5 minutes in each area of your office will set you up for success the following day.

It means that you can “hit the ground running” when you start the next day’s work. If you spend a half-day with me on my Business Organising Intensive (virtually or in-person), I’ll show you exactly how to set up your day, week and month so that your business feels fun and doesn’t frazzle you

3. Use 10-minute pockets of time

Make a list of 10-minute tasks and keep it on your desk, in plain view. Next time you have 10 minutes before you have to leave for a meeting, or you’re on hold with a customer services representative, check your list and see what you can do to organise your office.

Some tasks that I like to keep for those 10 minutes are:

* filing
* tidying my desk
* decluttering a file
* making a phone call or two
* going through my sent items and following up on email
* easy web maintenance
* uploading blog photos

If you stick to these 3 steps, you should be more focussed and productive with your work.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.