10 Ways to Create More Time in Your Day

Hi Friends,

Below is an article that I found interesting on how to save more time in your busy day. Try and find one item that you think can make you more effective in your day and do it for 30 days. I think you will be happy you did.

Christian Rovsek

CEO, Founder

855-88-FIRST

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10 Ways to Create More Time in Your Day

by Lisa Jay

Not enough hours in the day to get it all done? Make sure you’re using your time wisely. Follow these ten time management techniques to find extra hours you didn’t even know you had.

Time management seems to be an issue in almost everyone’s lives as there never seems to be enough time in the day to complete all of the day to day tasks. Whether you are a stay at home parent, a work at home parent or you work outside of the home, I am sure that you could use a few more hours in your day.

Here are several time management tips that will help you to use those few precious hours that you do have wisely;

1. Get organized! I can’t stress this enough. This is the first thing that absolutely needs to be done to improve your time management skills. Think about all of the time that is wasted looking for things; looking for papers, phone numbers, supplies…..your desk top.

  • Use the first 15 minutes of your morning to organize your work area.
  • Go over your “To Do” list and organize the things needed to accomplish them.

2. Identify your most productive time.

  • You may be a morning person or an evening person. I do all of my most difficult tasks when I am fresh in the morning.
  • Use your child’s nap time or one hour of “TV time” for your kids to do your most difficult tasks.

3. Make your “To Do” list the night before.

  • Know what you will accomplish the next day. That way, you start out with a goal in mind first thing in the morning rather than wandering around aimlessly.
  • Divide your “To Do” list into several page; one list for things to do tomorrow, this week, and one for things to do this month. As you accomplish these goals, cross them off. I write my monthly goals on my calendar.

4. Find more time in the day. Need an extra hour in the day? Get up an hour early and have your first cup of coffee or tea sitting at the computer going through your e-mails, answering your e-mails and posting to forums. I call these my “day wasters”.

5. Schedule it and stick with it. Write one thing that you will accomplish on each day of the week on your calendar. For instance, I file every Monday, do my online banking every Wednesday, update my web site on Friday.

6. Avoid the big “day wasters”.

  • Facebook, TV, surfing the web, and talking on the telephone are all huge “day waters” if not used properly. These are all great things, when used in moderation, but can become very addicting and you can seriously lose hours and hours of your day with all of them.
  • Limit your “day wasters” to the morning hour of your day. This is a huge time management tip!

7. Household chores and house cleaning.

  • Clean one thing every day. Clean the kitchen one day, vacuum one day, clean the bathrooms one day… Wash one load of clothes every day.
  • Load the washer the night before. Start the load of cloths washing as you head to the coffee pot first thing in the morning. Dry the load while you are doing your other household chores, then hang and put it away. One load is so much more manageable than three!
  • Make your bed and do the dishes before you “go to work”. Tidy the night before so that you wake up to a neat house and are ready to start working.

8. Do double duty.

  • Do you sit in the carpool line for half an hour? Read your longer e-mails, or newsletters that you have printed out from your computer. Read your mail that you saved for this time.
  • Do you have a small child? Try to schedule time for work and time for play. I work most of the morning, fix lunch and then we head outside. We play for a while and then I sit outside while our daughter swings or rides her bike and use this time to read, study or draft ideas for my newsletter, jewelry or website.
  • Have your smaller children do their daily reading while you are cooking. I have my 1st grade daughter sit on the kitchen counter and read to me while I am cooking. I can hear her read, and can help her with any words that she is having problems with.
  • Have your child do their homework while you are cleaning up the dinner dishes. This way you are already in the kitchen and can help if your child needs it.

9. Learn to “Just Say No!” I have run into the problem of people (hubby is my biggest diversion!) assuming that since I am a stay at home mom, I don’t do anything all day but read or sit on the couch with my bag of potato chips and watch TV. I am often asked to run errands, watch someone’s kids or volunteer. If I have a full week I simply tell them that my week is overbooked as it is and I cannot do it.

10. Avoid interruptions.

  • Let your calls go to voicemail.
  • Do your call backs while you are sitting outside with your kids or sitting in your car in the carpool line. Double duty!
  • Turn e-mail off. Only check your e-mail in the morning, at lunch and at the end of your day. E-mail is a major interruption.
  • If you are trying to work at home, explain to family and friends that you have work to do and will not be available between the hours of 8-4 but would love to hear from them after that. You choose your hours.

By following a few of these simple time management suggestions, you should have another hour or two of time in your day to run your business or to just spend it enjoying your family.

Lisa Jay is a freelance writer and the jewelry designer behind Lantana Designwear. You can visit her website at http://www.JewelryMakingHQ.com

Christmas Card 1.0 – The Story of the First Christmas Card

Xmas Photo

Christmas Card 1.0

Ever wonder who sent the first Christmas Card…and why?  Like many innovations, the Christmas Card was the result of an earlier innovation that created a new problem:  the 1840 introduction of the penny post in England (which significantly reduced the cost of postage and thereby created an avalanche of letter writing) ….and Victorian notions of propriety (that all letters be answered personally and promptly).

A British nobleman of the time, Sir Henry Cole,  (who today would deemed be an  “A” Lister)  found himself deluged at Christmas with so many letters bearing holiday greetings that he could not possibly answer them all.    This article in the Smithsonian relates his unique response to his quandary:  the first Christmas Card.   (I wonder, would there be a Hallmark Corporation today without Sir Henry?)

80/20 rule: 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the time and effort.

Hi Friends,

 Below are 4 things taken from Tim Ferris’s “4 Hour Work Week.”  These ideas  support a both a “Lifestyle Business” and More Effective Management.  Things for an entrepreneur like you (or me) to think about.  Thought you might find interesting.

 

Christian Rovsek

CEO, Founder

855-88-FIRST

 


 

Use the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the time and effort.

Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

Working incredibly long days but still feeling like you have work to do is a sign that you’re doing something wrong.

Ask these two questions, inspired by economist Pareto, to get back on track, Ferris writes:

“What 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness?”

“Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness?”

That helps you identify tasks or customers or relationships that you should just drop in order to focus on what makes you productive and successful.

Most problems solve themselves. Stop making an emergency out of everything and “cultivate selective ignorance.”

Most of the information you get isn’t data designed to help you solve problems. It’s a distraction, and frequently beyond your control.

The more you limit information to the former, the less time you spend looking, absorbing, and responding to things that aren’t productive. Try consuming less media, and limiting the emails or phone calls you take to ones that immediately impact your current task for most of the day.

One trick is to answer emails twice a day, at noon and 4 in the afternoon.

Don’t make people ask you for permission. Clearly delineate when you absolutely need to and avoid otherwise.

When you have people that report to you, it’s incredibly easy to get overwhelmed with requests, or to micromanage them with the usually mistaken belief that they need it.

You have to train people to behave otherwise, because nobody else will. Clearly delineate what sort of things you can and will help with, and let people know that they have autonomy. Most will respond positively to the increased power.

Consider a remote personal assistant. Outsourcing isn’t just for companies.

Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

In an age where pretty much the entire world is connected by the Internet, it’s cheaper than you think to outsource certain tasks to a virtual assistant. Whether it’s to do research, fill out spreadsheets, or set meetings, it’s worth considering.

Basically, if you can hire somebody at eight to ten dollars an hour that allows you to focus on something that earns you more than that, you should.

It’s simple arbitrage.

Life is a Highway

Here’s a link to a recent article that I found interesting. It shows the key milestones in life that can affect insurance coverage needs and the importance of reviewing your policies with your insurance agent any time that you hit one of those milestones

Life is a Highway

We send cookies to YOUR clients!

Did you Know????

Did you know that we send cookies labeled and postmarked from you and your team with a hand written note from you, to each of your clients we work for?

I mean, what type of agent sends their client fresh baked cookies when they have a loss… and the answer is simple, you do!

When you work with us, it is all about you. We do all we can to make you look good and help you retain your clients in their time of need.

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1 in 8 Women are diagnosed with breast cancer


 

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Get your limited edition hat!

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we want to help increase awareness by giving out our limited edition, pink trucker hat for each referral in the month of October.  To assist in our efforts, please take a selfie with you wearing your hat and hashtag #servicefirst on Facebook or Instagram. The best #selfie will win an additional prize. Together we can raise awareness and show our support for those who are affected by this disease.

 

Thank you in advance and we appreciate your support!

 

Christian Rovsek
ServiceFirst Restoration Inc.
Call 1-855-88-FIRST

 

Send jobs to workorders@callservicefirst.com

 

 

Godzilla of El Nino’s – Being Prepared is Always Wise

The National Weather Services actually said “it’s going to be the Godzilla of El Nino’s this year”.    Here’s an article that we came across to help you and your family prepare for the predicted stormy weather this winter.  Even if  ‘Godzilla’ turns into a lamb, several of the suggestions are great for being prepared for earthquakes and other natural disasters too. Being prepared is always wise.     Article – Stormy Weather Preparations for El Nino