Tiffany’s 6 Time Management Tips for Internet Marketers

[TiffanyDow]

Hi Warriors!

I recently polled some of my Twitter followers to find out what issue they wish they could resolve: better writing skills, more technical prowess, time management or idea creation.

The overwhelming response was time management so I thought I’d help because a common question I hear people ask me is, “Tiffany how do you get so much done in a day?”

Every one of us has skills we’re better at that move along faster – so my writing may take me a fraction of the time it takes you. It’s impossible to create a perfect cookie cutter schedule for every Internet marketer to adhere to but here are some helpful tips I’ve found work for ME:

1.) The night before, make a list of things that need to be done. It doesn’t mean everything will get done the next day, but it’s on your radar. I create mine in a way that separates client work (lens building, ghostwriting, etc) from my own tasks such as email marketing, editing my eBook, etc. Prioritize that list from most important to least important.

2.) Wake up the next morning and get your playtime out of the way while you’re having coffee. I check emails, log into social networks, check stats, etc. That way I’m not as tempted to quit and do this while I’m working. I give myself an hour for this between the time I wake everyone up until I leave to take them to school.

3.) Get ready to work! If you have two lists – one for other people’s stuff and one for your own – then switch every hour. One hour for them, one hour for you. You MUST treat yourself well – with the same if not more importance of your clients – otherwise you won’t raise your level of success but will be chained to working for others.

4.) Stop and give yourself 5-10 minutes every hour to get up, walk around, scream, pull your hair out, laugh, cry, watch 10 minutes of reality TV – whatever floats your boat. After all, you’re a work at homer – it’s an earned privileged to be able to stop and start when you want to!

5.) Nap. That’s right! I know many people who work so hard and collapse right after lunch unable to do anymore. I pull the covers over my head and catch some Zzzzs – about 2 HOURS worth – almost each and every day! It means I wake up fully recharged and I don’t suffer any slacker slumps. My afternoon and early evening work is JUST as good as my early morning work.

6.) Stretch your day out instead of trying to make it a firm 8-5 routine. This may not work for all but I like it. I start at 6 AM – with the play time as I call it (email, social networks, etc). I do this for an hour or hour and a half, then spend 1 hour driving for school, then come home and start back at 9 AM with work. I work for 3 hours straight, taking short breaks, then sleep from 12-2 PM. I work for 45 more minutes and then leave for school pick-up routine. I get back at 4 PM. I usually am on and off the computer until about 8 PM doing the rest of my work but I can stop and start as I like. I relax for 2 hours before my 10 PM bedtime.

This career is as flexible as it gets. I believe my relaxed attitude makes me less stressed about time management and so I get a lot done as I want to do it. I do short bursts of work. I’ll spend 30 minutes building a lens, then go do some laundry to watch 15 minutes of Housewives of Orange County (lol).

I’ll dig in my heels for an hour ghostwriting then clear my brain with a 10-15 minute break to get a makeover from my 4 year old daughter (and I look like The Joker afterwards).

It really makes me feel refreshed throughout the entire day so my work is better and I am more satisfied personally and professionally.

I can’t speak for everyone but for many, chilling out a bit will actually make you more productive.

Tiff

[Hamida Harland]

Great post Tiffany. I'm glad I'm not the only one who goes for an afternoon nap! I get up quite early and like to work late, so I often go for a kip around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Does me the world of good!

[Allen Graves]

Tiffany,

Thanks so much for reminding us about this. It is so easy to get caught up in the hectic online environment and forget that we actually need to get certain things done. Then Friday rolls around and you realize you haven't succeeded in making your goals for the week!

This list is going to help a LOT of people!

Thanks,
Allen Graves

[Richard Tunnah]

Originally Posted by Hamida Harland

Great post Tiffany. I'm glad I'm not the only one who goes for an afternoon nap! I get up quite early and like to work late, so I often go for a kip around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Does me the world of good!

Are you Spanish really? []

Rich

[jamesburchill]

Power naps rock! I don't always need them, but when I do I'm happy to crawl into a corner somewhere and get 30 to 40 minutes "shut-eye." Works like a charm too :-)

[Richard Tunnah]

I have reminder set up on firefox that comes up each morning with my to do's! Of course being a little bit sad I also have a pen and paper beside my bed in case I suddenly think of anything I need to add to my list!

Rich

[John Taylor]

Great reminder Tiff, thanks!

I sometime slip back into bad time keeping habits
such as allowing email, twitter, skype and other
things distract me.

While these things can be great tools, they can
also be time thieves!

John

[AndreaBullock]

Hey, I keep the pen and paper with me everywhere I go. It's my security blanket.

Great tips Tiff, I wish I had known about the nap tip for the past four years. I've been looking for a way to justify an hour or two of shut eye here and there.

[mseanmarshall]

Thank you Tiffany for your "unconventional" time management tips. It looks a lot more like a European schedule!

But here’s a question for ya’ll – Tiffany, I noticed you take time out to drop off the kids at school and then pick them up later. Do you consider this part of your play time with them?

I ask because working from home has its perks but I feel like I need to be working and not playing with the kids. But I also get in trouble with the Mrs for not taking more time in the middle of the day to play.

What’s the best way to balance working from home and being “in the zone” and also being a visible parent?

Thanks

PS - I find a 30 power nap works wonders too!

[Geordiejohnny]

Well! You live and learn. The only person I know who goes for a kip in the afternoon is my partner Leoni. I always thought she was being a lazy mare. Seems I've been a tad unfair - thanks Tiff. Excellent post by the way.

[TiffanyDow]

Originally Posted by mseanmarshall

Tiffany, I noticed you take time out to drop off the kids at school and then pick them up later. Do you consider this part of your play time with them?
I ask because working from home has its perks but I feel like I need to be working and not playing with the kids. But I also get in trouble with the Mrs for not taking more time in the middle of the day to play. What’s the best way to balance working from home and being “in the zone” and also being a visible parent?

No driving and play time are separate.

I stop throughout my day and play with my daughter - 10 minutes here and there playing tea party, she helps me cook, etc.

You don't always have to be working. You have two obligations - kids and to support those kids. Each needs to have a part in your life. Schedule play time if you have to. In my view, what's the reason for working so hard if you don't get to enjoy the life you're creating for yourself?

With my sons, I spend evenings when they're home - my older son and I watch TV together and talk, etc. My younger I spend minutes here and there but we do "mom and son" day out on the weekend on occasion.

[laurieslegends]

This is great, to see someone who actually is successful sharing what works for them.

I like the way you explain the balancing doing work for clients and your own work. Having been successful in the past with writing for others, wso's etc, I often have felt guilty working on my own stuff, the reward isn't always as instant, it is more of a long time consistency effort.

I found it interesting out of all the advice you so freely shared in this post, Tifany, that most of the replies so far were focusing on the nap. LOL.

Question, when you make that plan the night before, what is the average amount of tasks you expect out of yourself each day?

Thanks for sharing this, it is greatly appreciated.

Laurie

[Recon]

Thanks alot Tiffany!

This is really going to help me in terms of managing my time and actually getting what's on my agenda done.

Thanks again. It's a really great help!

[Hamida Harland]

Originally Posted by richt1971

Are you Spanish really? []

Rich

No, but I should have been - can't stand the cold weather here. And seeing as I'm already having siestas I'm sure I'd fit right it .

[kristinecpa]

Originally Posted by TiffanyDow

4.) Stop and give yourself 5-10 minutes every hour to get up, walk around, scream, pull your hair out, laugh, cry, watch 10 minutes of reality TV – whatever floats your boat. After all, you’re a work at homer – it’s an earned privileged to be able to stop and start when you want to!

Thanks for the reminder to take breaks... this is so important! Not only for your sanity but for your health. I'm trying to make mini-exercise breaks a habit in my routine.

Originally Posted by TiffanyDow

5.) Nap. That’s right! I know many people who work so hard and collapse right after lunch unable to do anymore. I pull the covers over my head and catch some Zzzzs – about 2 HOURS worth – almost each and every day! It means I wake up fully recharged and I don’t suffer any slacker slumps. My afternoon and early evening work is JUST as good as my early morning work.

I love naps, but always feel guilty taking them during the work week. If I really need one, I take a power nap - 10 to 20 minutes. A 2 hour nap would kill me, lol.

Great post Tiffany, thanks for sharing your time management tips!
Kristine

[RevenueRabbi]

Great Post- Found Via Twitter!

[Jeffery]

Good tips.

I spend way too much time staring at your picture! Can't get a darn thing done

Jeffery 100% :-)

[writedoc]

Brilliant, concise and totally reasonable! I love the idea of alternating between client work and your work. At times I am my own worst client. This is fantastic advice, thanks WriteDoc

[melanied]

This is a great schedule!

I've gotten into a habit of only really taking a break from work if I have *actual* plans - such as dinner with a friend, going to the movies, etc.

If I'm at home, I feel vaguely guilty if I'm not working.

I need to change my mindset and realize that scheduling in time to recharge *IS* part of my "work" because it makes me more effective and focused when I'm at the computer!

[akaelo]

Originally Posted by laurieslegends

This is great, to see someone who actually is successful sharing what works for them.

I like the way you explain the balancing doing work for clients and your own work. Having been successful in the past with writing for others, wso's etc, I often have felt guilty working on my own stuff, the reward isn't always as instant, it is more of a long time consistency effort.

I found it interesting out of all the advice you so freely shared in this post, Tifany, that most of the replies so far were focusing on the nap. LOL.

Question, when you make that plan the night before, what is the average amount of tasks you expect out of yourself each day?

Thanks for sharing this, it is greatly appreciated.

Laurie

I like Julia Morgenstern's analogy of time available being like a closet. So, when I'm trying to whittle my master list down to a realistic number of tasks I plan to complete on a given day here's what I do:

1. I go through and estimate how long it will take me to do each task on my master list.

2. I look at what my available time slots are. (For me, I have to fit my work in around a fairly unpredictable 5 month old baby, but that's a whole different post! I can count on roughly 3 hours of nap time which is when I do the things that need the most focus.)

3. I add up my time available

4. I create the day's to do list, being sure the total time needed doesn't exceed time available. It's like a budget - it has to balance out.

Since I have a baby to care for, I try to allow a buffer. If I have 5 hours available, I'll only put 4 hours worth of stuff on my list so that I don't feel as irritated if she takes a super short nap or needs more mama time.

5. I then use a variety of different ways to prioritize. Sometimes I prioritize based on urgency, sometimes based on what sounds most fun, sometimes based on what's bugging me most, etc.

Hope this helps!

[TiffanyDow]

Laurie: I don’t make expectations out of myself. I do what’s possible for me to do. If I looked at that task list, I’d probably be like lots of marketers – want to make myself do it ALL.

Jeffery: I know, I’m gorgeous. Or are you staring cuz I’m THAT ugly? LOL

I forgot to add be very flexible. For instance, it’s Monday – my nap needed to be much earlier and longer. I was in bed by 10 AM after only 1 hour of work.

It DOES feel awkward sleeping during the day when the world’s at the grindstone but I am earning it with the hard work I put at other times of the day. So tonight I know I’ll be working more than I do on Tuesday-Friday when I’m on a better “early to bed” schedule.

[laurieslegends]

Thanks for the answer Tiffany, I tend to keep myself a got done list, rather than a to do list, but it does make sense to know what needs being done.

I have that worked into the software I use for my got done list, it is like the next step question, makes tommorrows to do list.

I was just curious about your expectations. It think like you said most of us, expect way more out of our time that is literally possible, most of the time.

Laurie

[angela99]

Great tips.

Here's my favorite time management tip: chunk projects into mini tasks, and schedule the tasks using action words. Each task takes just 15 minutes.

Why 15 minutes? Because it eliminates procrastination. You can do any task no matter how boring or stressful (create a budget, create a new AdWords campaign), for 15 minutes.

For example, let's say one of your projects is "Write ebook".

Chunk this down into bite-sized tasks:

* research topic for 15 mins x 4 (I enter "research topic" into my calendar four times)

* brainstorm ebook title for 15 minutes x 1 (enter it into my calendar once)

And so on.

My favorite time management app is OmniFocus (Mac) The Omni Group - OmniFocus which makes chunking a breeze. :-)

Cheers

Angela

[ebusinesstutor]

Great tips! Here are a few of my own.

1. Highlight the tasks that have the highest potential to make money and work on them first in the week.

2. Restrict administrative tasks (bookkeeping, filing, etc) to no more than 10% of your time.

3. Have a separate business phone and turn off the ringer when you are done for the day. This keeps your business from overrunning your personal life.

4. I take a walk at lunch. Gives me a break, clears my head and the dog thanks me. When I don't take my walk, I get into a mental fog about 2-3 pm.

5. Automate everything you can! I used to manually add credits to my service when people signed up via partners. Automating this has had a huge impact on time and profitability.

6. Outsource! I outsource my support and some of my marketing campaigns. I have been able to create self-funded outsourcing projects that pay for themselves while generating additional profit centres.

Hope these help people new to working from home.

[DiMcdonald]

Hi Tiff,
Thanks so much for sharing your management system.

I had never thought of taking an afternoon nap, but what a fabulous idea. I am sure it would make me a lot more efficient in the long run as I do get tired and then my work rate slows.

I don't have any kids at home but I am a foster Mum for the RSPCA, so at the moment I have 3 kittens who need feeding 4 times a day. I also have two big cats but they are no trouble.
I think its the constant interruptions that stop me getting more work done.

Here are a couple of my own time management tips.
1: We need to be constantly reading these days to keep up with all the information that is thrown at us. The way I do this is print out stuff and pop it into a folder that I take everywhere with me. If I am stuck waiting for a Dr I get a lot of good reading done. For those of you waiting for kids after school this could help you too.

2: I keep track of every job I do during the day, not matter if it is small or large and write it down and check it off in my diary. That way at the end of the day I have a list of all I have accomplished and I feel like I have achieved something.

3: I unsub from any lists that are not going to help me directly in the path I have chosen to take.
IE if I only want to focus on being an affiliate marketer then I only stay on lists of successful affiliate marketers who are teaching about that to their lists.

Thanks again Tiff for starting this valuable thread.
Di

[BSM]

Tiffany, Some good suggestions, & interesting ideas have followed.

I've taught some Time Management workshops, & I've learned that having a "Time-Partner" can do some people a lot of good. Some folks like to check in with others to keep themselves on track -- to identify their most important objectives & then confirm that they've stuck to their plan(s). It's a way of peer coaching that often leads to other creative joint ventures.

Thanks for starting the thought process...Barbara

[athena08]

Hi Tiffany,

Thanks for sharing that information with us. It created a great thread from which I've learned a lot. For some reason the Thanks button was not available when I read the thread. Perhaps because I clicked on the link I got in an email from you to get to the post?

Regards,
Chris

[Li Weng]

Thanks for this information. When you're on the computer sometimes it's so easy to forget about how much time you've spent staring at the monitor.

[djones]

Thanks so much for this post. I'm actually trying to find a time management system that works for me and your post reminded me that the most important thing is to keep it simple. Just make a list of the stuff you have to do, and do that stuff.

[Shafiq Kamal]

Waoo! Very informative post. Thanks.

[Monetize]

Naps are sooooo important

Thanks for sharing your time mgt techniques!

[SandyDuPlessis]

Tiffany,

Thanks for a wonderful thread. My own time management and organizational skills suck.

I tend to hit the computer as soon as I wake up, which could be anytime between 6 and 8a.m. Have my playtime for a while, which usually lasts up to 2 hours - shower and tidy up then work flat out for about 4 hours - by which time I am mentally exhausted and take a two hour nap, which in turn has always left me feeling guilty.

I then work for another two hours followed by 2 more hours playtime (in between preparing the evening meal). Relax with hubby for an hour or two and then it is back to my computer (with some playtime thrown in) until sometime between midnite and 2 a.m.

One of my biggest problems of course is that I don't stay focused. I hop around all over the place and I have been working hard lately at trying to rid myself of this really bad habit

I am going to put all the tips in this thread together and paste it on the wall where I can see it. then I am going to work a lot harder at getting myself better organized.

Thanks a lot

Sandy

[abelacts]

This is an awesome thread. Thanks Tiff.

I can't agree more with #6. To me, waking up early is the best. Quiet and no distractions from the kids! I can get more things done in one hour in the morning than in the afternoon.

However, I don't read my emails first thing in the morning (except there's something urgent). I take reading emails as a reward for completing more important tasks like product creation or marketing.

Overall, a well-balanced tasks is important (ie: doing the RIGHT things than doing things right). For example, we might tend to focus more on list building and neglect backend products.

[Ben_Curtis]

Naps are golden! Especially when you've been up till one or two submitting articles!
Regards,
Ben

[MaskedMarketer]

Nice tips, but why doesn't time management tips work for most people?

Because its hard to battle procrastination at the conscious level while your subconscious has conflicting thoughts.

Quick fixes like that don't normally last long that long.

Time management can work, but the tips are just "band aids" to a bigger problem.

[beachgirl]

Originally Posted by TiffanyDow

No driving and play time are separate.


You don't always have to be working. You have two obligations - kids and to support those kids. Each needs to have a part in your life. Schedule play time if you have to. In my view, what's the reason for working so hard if you don't get to enjoy the life you're creating for yourself?

This is so true.........thanks for sharing

[Jim M]

Great post -

I've worked from a home office since 1993 and whilst I'm always busy, it's easy to be busy doing nothing particularly objective, a little bit of this - a little bit of that - and none of the bigger tasks you intended to get done on the day seem to get finished.

There's also a lot to be said for lists where you can tick off completed tasks - that in itself can be a spur to keep on track and get even more done!

[ad2012]

Thanks for the advice, Tiffany! Managing our time is so important. Otherwise, we would just become a computer slave.

[writerval]

Very helpful post. If I don't plan each day the night before, I waste SO much time trying to figure out where I left off and what it was I meant to do. (Ok, so I'm a bit scatterbrained in my middle-age).

I especially like #4.

Valerie

[Loricwr]

Great time management tips. I need to get better at planning out the next day the evening before. When I do, the day always seems to go so much more smoother and I don't waste as much time then.

Blessings,
Lori

[Mark McClure]

I use FireFox Leechblock to filter out websites (like this one!) while I am working.
Or just pull out the LAN cable ;-)

[pleyez89]

thank 4 that tips

[Kat Bartone]

Hi Tiffany,

Great timing for your post - this is something I've been thinking a lot about lately, because I wrestle with my lack of focus.

Your #4 particularly resonates with me, as I've come across the 50 minutes on/10 minutes off strategy that I am going to try. Some recommend using a timer, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I've found a lot of great information on this strategy - along with printable cards to help with task organizing - here:

http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpr...he-focused-50/

- Kat

[summer07]

Perfect timing for my "get more organized" New Year's resolution!

And I have a question...how much of the technical work do you do yourself? For instance, if you write PLR for your site, do you package it into the zip files, upload it, set up the payment button, etc. yourself, or do you outsource those kinds of tasks?

I'm asking because I'm discovering that when I make my to-do lists, I write down the broad idea of what needs to be done (like "write 3 articles"), but it takes me much longer than I thought because I've left out all of the little technical, time-consuming details that get the articles online and positioned for payment.

I'm beginning to think that outsourcing is much more important than I imagined...any tips on the technical tasks or outsourcing?

Thanks for the great list!

Audre

[TiffanyDow]

Originally Posted by summer07

For instance, if you write PLR for your site, do you package it into the zip files, upload it, set up the payment button, etc. yourself, or do you outsource those kinds of tasks?

No I include that in my time. Like if I have "launch a PLR pack," that means I write it, zip it, upload it to DLG, put it on my website and announce it to my list.

Tiff

[summer07]

Originally Posted by TiffanyDow

No I include that in my time. Like if I have "launch a PLR pack," that means I write it, zip it, upload it to DLG, put it on my website and announce it to my list.

Tiff

Yay!...a light bulb just went off! My view has been too narrow: I've been confusing "projects" with "tasks"... "launch" vs "write", "submit article" vs "write article", etc, etc....no wonder I've been underestimating my time. Thanks, Tiff!

Audre

[SeanyG]

Originally Posted by TiffanyDow

Hi Warriors!

2.) Wake up the next morning and get your playtime out of the way while you’re having coffee. I check emails, log into social networks, check stats, etc. That way I’m not as tempted to quit and do this while I’m working. I give myself an hour for this between the time I wake everyone up until I leave to take them to school.


Tiff

Great post Tiff! Thanks.

I have to say that for a lot of people #2 could be the worst advice! Most people check this stuff first thing every day and then they wake up and realize they have spent an hour on it. Its easy to get caught up responding to emails and then lose a few hours of productive time that you should be putting towards the important priorities that you set out the night before.

Eban Pagen, Tim Ferris use a similar model to what you outlined here:

1) List out top 4 or 5 things they want to get done & prioritize. They say not to do more than this because you'll end up trying to get things crossed off the list instead of getting important stuff done well.

2) Wake up the next morning and after your morning routine (mine is workout and hour of power to get me stoked), you jump right into the first priority and get it done. If you get the most important big thing done first thing in the day, you could slack off the rest of the day and still be considered productive.

3) Take regular breaks to give your mind / body recovery. Every 45 mins, 1hr, 90 mins...its different for everyone. When you feel tired or like you can't focus, thats your body telling you to take 15 mins to recharge. When you come back for 90 mins your mind is on point, you get stuff done quicker and your produce a higher quality.

4) Don't check email, facebook, forums until noon or the end of the day. Nothing on there is urgent. Get priorities done instead of distracting yourself!

Thats it!

-Plan and prioritize 4 most important big things to get done
-Wake up and get top priority done and then move to #2
-Take regular breaks to recover.

This will do wonders if you apply it.

Thanks again Tiff!

[steve m]

my normal routine is i go to work about 8 am untill around 4/5 then come home, then read this forum and search some online stuff and try and make my plan water tight, till around 3/4 am then bed for a few hours then repeat.

Steve

I can never sleep, although sometimes i have a few zzzz in the afternoon after work, but when I do that I will not sleep all night aggghhh.

[Kamran]

Nice tips, although it wouldn't fit me.
It seems many people here are full time IMer's
I attend classes in the morning. After coming back home at 5 I get really tired, especially after those 3 hours intensive engineering lab sessions.In the evening sometimes I get to spend a couple of hours working on my online business. Most of the time I don't, and I end up leaving all the work for the weekends. But atleast, I could use those tips for the weekends

[TiffanyDow]

Originally Posted by SeanyG

Great post Tiff! Thanks.

I have to say that for a lot of people #2 could be the worst advice! Most people check this stuff first thing every day and then they wake up and realize they have spent an hour on it. Its easy to get caught up responding to emails and then lose a few hours of productive time that you should be putting towards the important priorities that you set out the night before.

Oh see that's where I disagree. For those of us who have a tendency to sit there all day stopping and logging into email, forums, etc., getting it over with first thing in the morning helps me be productive. Once I'm done with my hour of play time, I get to work!

But to each his (or her) own