As I start working on re-vamping my services, and I better realize the value of my time, I also find myself giving AWAY more of my time. This isn’t usually a problem I have, so I’m wondering what’s going on.

I have to wonder if it’s part of that whole mind-set when you are about to go on a diet? You know: You eat more high-fat or ‘forbidden’ foods? I so enjoy helping others, and perhaps realize that soon I will be less accessible as I once was, and I’m mourning the loss of that accessibility for others.

Do you find yourself giving away too much of your time?

Are you clear where you give away your time and when it’s worth it and when it’s not worth it? Let’s take a look at this to help you be clear about when you should limit your ‘free’ time.

• One scenario I hear about too often is when someone is providing some services WITH THE PROMISE of a contract. You know: The potential contract wants to see your work, so you create a handout, or you provide them with a PowerPoint of a presentation. Then they say they’d like you to give your presentation, for free. FIRST problem is providing them with a ‘free’ handout in the first place. If they are uncertain of your value, then it’s up to YOU to point that value out to them, without giving them your products! In order to learn more about how to explain how you provide value, go to my guest blog on the SCAN website.

• I love helping people, and more often than I should, I will respond to emails with quite in-depth replies. However, as I prepare to re-vamp my services, I realize that these ‘help’ sessions are going to soon be a thing of the past. It’s one way of de-valuing what we have to offer. Do you see that happening for yourself, too? Just what is your time worth? If you see a trend, where people are asking for your advice, etc, why not turn it into a service they can purchase?

• Ah, families and friends. We love ‘em, but does that mean we owe them all we have? Do you have the situation where a cousin calls or an aunt shows up, each wanting you to provide them with ‘just suggestions’ on what to eat. Or they want to lose weight. Or they want to improve their performance for a race. And you feel stuck, not sure what to do. It’s really hard to do, but a simple solution is to tell them you’d be happy to set up an appointment, and when would be a good time to call and talk to them about your services and set that appointment up?

I bet you can think of other scenarios. Share them with us! But, above it all, start valuing your time so that when it’s time for you to ENJOY your true ‘free’ time, it’s not being filled up by providing ‘free’ time to others.

Margie

I just wrote about time management on another blog, because it is SUCH a big issue, today. One of the biggest challenges around time is in trying to ‘market’ your business via the current social networking venues.

I hear it all the time: “I need to market, but then I don’t have time for anything else!”

Seriously?

Let’s FIRST look at the term “marketing” and then let’s look at your social networking habits to see if we can get you back to work.

Marketing

Marketing is the strategy you will use to grow your business.

Marketing does not ONLY mean Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Marketing is a bigger picture of how you will accomplish the goals you’ve set up to accomplish with your business. Marketing is the tool for success. This also means newsletters, business cards, networking, phone calls, etc, just to name a few. Social networking should only be a PART of your marketing.

Literally, the definition of marketing by the American Marketing Association is “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. (Approved October 2007)”

Got it?

Ok, that’s the first step.

Social networking

Next, let’s look at your social networking habits. Looking at your current social networking habits, are you able to quantify your results? How many visitors are you driving to your website as a result of your postings? And, of those visitors, how many are signing up for anything you have to offer? First item should be your newsletter/eblast.  Second would be your main service or product you have to offer.

Do NOT tell me you don’t know!

If you find yourself spending hours on these sites and you do not KNOW the results you’re producing, then really, you’re not working, you’re playing!

Consider how much all that ‘playing’ is costing you! Where is your return on investment? If it is not driving business to you, how else could you otherwise spend your time and actually MAKE money? Afterall, that IS why you’re in business, right?

The best piece of advice my Social Media VA gave me was this: Spend no more than 5 minutes a day on these sites. She suggested pick one to visit 3 days a week, another 2 days, and another 2 days. It was like she lifted this huge weight of pressure off my shoulders! Oh, I CAN create a presence AND work at the same time!

The funny thing is I’m starting to see other business coaches/consultants suggest the same thing. Why? Because it works!

So, now you know what marketing is and what place social networking plays in the BIG picture. And you have a suggested guide for controlling your social networking time.

So now, SERIOUSLY, stop reading and get to work!

Margie

As your vision becomes more clear and you start to actually CREATE it, you probably find that things keep coming your way at every turn.

Now, my HOPE is my words ring in your ears, “Ask yourself how does that help you achieve your goals right now?” in order to decide if an opportunity is one you should take or walk away from.

But they still keep coming.

And you still stop and wonder sometimes if you are saying no to something you’ll regret later.

So, let’s look at the concept of an ‘opportunity cost’; what would it cost you to say yes to that questionable opportunity?

Every time you come upon such an issue, go through both strategies: Ask yourself how it helps you achieve your goal right now, and also ask yourself what you’ll be giving up in order to take this opportunity.

Nine times out of 10, your decision will be the right one.

Will there be times where you’ll later say you wish you had taken that opportunity? Perhaps! But, I can’t help but THEN feel that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason you didn’t at the time.

Also think back to a time when you said yes and wish you hadn’t! Do the same exercise and see what comes up for you.

What can you learn from reflecting on that?

Margie

I hear all the time from people who feel overwhelmed with trying to spend time with family and friends AND spend time working in and on their business. Sometimes they begin to wonder if it’s all worth it OR if they will actually succeed!

Does that sound like you?

If you read my blog much, you know I address this issue quite often. And today will be no different.

As I type this, I’m getting ready to head out to go do some gold panning with my husband. Yep, you heard me: Gold panning!

It was my own goal to be able to enjoy life while doing what I love to do, which is coaching others on how to do the same thing. And, here I am, hiking and panning for gold, and just enjoying the whole picture.

But how DO you fit it all in? Follow these three steps in order to avoid letting the business take over your life:

• Step 1 – Set your boundaries. Do you find yourself adding a new client here and there, from sun-up to sun-down, just so you can see them sooner rather than later? People do this when they’re afraid the client will say ‘never mind’, if they have to wait several weeks. But do you believe that’s really the case? When YOU make an appointment, will you say ‘never mind’ if the soonest you can get in is in 3 weeks from now? Sit back and recall why you’re in business for yourself. And have a conversation with your boss, who is working you too hard.

• Step 2 – Learn how to say no. Is this something you need to practice? I have some clients practice saying no to at least 3 things each day, just to learn how to do it. This helps you stay focused. Come back to this question when what feels like an amazing opportunity comes your way: “Does this opportunity help me achieve my goals right now?” If you say yes, then you might need to consider it more seriously. If your answer is no, politely say no in a way that keeps the door open for some time in the future.

• Step 3 – Be inflexible with family/play time. Decide when your personal time is, with no exceptions. For me, this is weekends. Every so often, I’ll even see a client in the early evening, or on one of my days off during the week. But weekends are not an option, period.  And,  in order to learn HOW to play, you may also need to include in that ‘time off’ time off from working ON your business, too. If you don’t know what to do with yourself in an evening at home that isn’t work, it’s definitely time for you to take time off!

I’ve been caught in that chronic state of eternal work. And I’ve been in that place where I’m spinning my wheels, thinking that if I just worked a few more hours, something wonderful was going to happen. However, by working too much, and allowing myself to get out of balance, I lose my creativity and my spark. And the results actually show up as LESS business, rather than more. And so today I take the time off in order to increase my success! Give it a try and see what happens for you.

Margie

Do you ever feel like you’re running ragged, in circles? You know what your big vision is, you have goals written down, you even have your daily list of duties to accomplish, but then you seem to literally hit that wall, where NOTHING is getting done?

We all get to that point.

I find for ME, now that I take more time off, when I spend a full week doing nothing BUT work, my productivity and creativity drop down into the toilet.

Seriously.

And I’m NOT putting my hand in there to find it!

This means setting up strategies to AVOID that burn-out.

So, what do you do when you just need to “get ‘er done”?

• First, evaluate if you need to take some time off. You know when that time comes. You sit at the computer and think “I don’t want to be here.” Listen to yourself and JUST WALK AWAY! What cannot wait for an hour or a day?

• Let’s say you can’t take TODAY off, yet you’re feeling like above. Look at your list and ask yourself what HAS to be done today. Chances are, it may only be one or two things. So, turn off email, shut down Twitter and Facebook, and “GET ‘ER DONE”! Then take tomorrow off..

• Next, do you have your list? If not, it’s time to create one! How can you feel accomplished without it? If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you’re there? It will always feel like you have to get things done. But writing them down, based on your MASTER plan, will help you achieve your big-picture goals. Don’t have a master plan or big-picture goals? Then you need to see me.

• But what if you DO have a list and you’re still not moving forward? Then maybe your list is too big. Take a step back and get realistic. Do you need a monthly list of things to accomplish? That often can be a good starting point. Then you work from that monthly list to create your daily list. It feels great at the end of the month to see everything checked off AND to know you’ve created something that’s bringing in more revenue.

It’s a never-ending battle between feeling accomplished with our business and enjoying life. But there are little tricks you can use so you can accomplish both. Put these simple tips into play and let’s see if you then have more TIME to play! It’s through ‘getting ‘er done’!

Margie