[ad#right]When you are working, especially when you are working for yourself and at home time management is very important! Bad time management can really make productivity go down. Many times when my time management isn’t that good it seems like I never get anything done. This can be very frustrating going day after day feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing! This usually isn’t the case because I have implemented a few simple things that really help me with time management. So what are they?

To Do Lists
This probably has to be the #1 thing you should do when you are trying to manage your time effectively. Setting up daily to do lists really helps you get things done. It is hard to stay motivated when you don’t know what all you need to get done and when you have a list setup you feel like you are getting things done when you start making things off the list. I usually setup my daily to do list either the night before or when I wake up.

Timed Lunches
I work from home and for the most part I usually make my own lunch rather than going out. Sometimes when I have lunch I tend to sit around and watch TV after eating. This is not a good thing because I can’t be sitting around watching TV all day. I try to make my lunches right around 30 minutes. That gives me time to eat and a little time to relax. I try and pick shows to watch in the afternoon that are 30 minutes long so I know when the show is over I can go back to work, Entourage is a great show for that.

Somewhat of a Schedule
While everyday can be different for me I do have some structure to my days. Having a simple schedule really helps me get things done and in good time too. I know each day I will have to post news on ThinkComputers, most likely write a review, etc.

Turn things off
Everyone knows that there are some things that can just eat your day up. For most people it is Facebook or YouTube. They can just sit there all day on those sites. When I’m working I usually never have Facebook up and for the most part I have an away message on my instant messenger. I don’t need to be sitting there all day talking to people or creeping around on Facebook. It’s just a easier to get work done without distractions.