by Megan Spears

Recently, I was reading an article in the newspaper about Internet addiction and it’s affects on personal interaction and relationships. Between social networks and generic Internet surfing, a person can spend hours of each day on their computers, in addition to their workload. And lets not forget to add the texting piece to this equation. If you really sat down and thought about it….

“How much time does social Internet usage take from your day? “

I think it’s important to spend time doing various social networking, Internet activities… but how do you set the limits? Especially as a small business owner? Another important fact is that when you are trying to do too many things at once, are you really giving each task your full attention? Here are three great ways you can dial in the amount of time you are spending on these various tasks…

1. I encourage most of my clients who spend lots of time on the computer to actually track for one week how much time they are spending on the Internet.  It’s an eye opening experience when you actually start tracking how much time you are spending online. It’s even better when you track how much time goes to each type of usage. Don’t fool yourself… it’s not 15 minutes a day! Read More→

Do you have a back up system in place for your computer? If you have ever had the misfortune of a fried hard drive, you probably know the importance of having some sort of back up in place. Recently, we have been reaching the maximum capacity for data on our home computer, laptop and back up hard drive. We’ve had to do a lot of shifting of data and have come to the conclusion that it’s time to upgrade the back up system.

Sometime in early 2003, we lost everything on our computer. Our PC was only about a year old and we couldn’t believe the hard drive failed. The worst part about that event was that it was right after my first child was born. Every picture, every financial transaction… E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G… gone. When my tech guy tried to recover the files, all he could come up with was one tiny scrap of data from Quicken from 1993. From that point on, we made a point to install a back up plan. Something to protect us from that awful feeling of loosing everything.

It’s amazing how quickly you can fill up a hard drive with various pictures, videos and the many documents created for both business and personal life. We have been looking into either buying a new computer or an additional back up external hard drive and after may online searches and trips to the computer store, we finally bought a new 2 terabyte hard drive. I always think that it’s important to weigh all your options when making this type of upgrade. Read More→

There is no worse feeling in the world than when you can’t find your keys. I can only remember a couple of instances in my life when I have lost my keys.

Once when I was in college it was close to almost a week before they resurfaced. I contribute that mostly to the fact that my roommate borrowed them to head down to the laundry and mine were right on my table. She grabbed them as she headed out the door. When she returned, I was in our suite-mates room watching a movie and she “said” she put them back on the dresser. We tore the room upside down looking for them and as I mentioned, it was about a week before they turned up.

Another time, I was heading out the door with my very new baby to go to a doctor’s appointment. We were running a bit late already and I couldn’t find my keys. I remember the frantic state I was in running back and forth, searching all the usual places to not find my keys. Who would have thought that checking my pocket would be the place they would turn up. Mommy brain… what can I say.

Those moments in life can be stressful and extremely annoying. Here are three sure-fire ways to never loose your keys again!

1. Use a key ring that will be easily identifiable. If you typically loose your keys in your purse or on the counter, use a key ring that will stand out from everything else. Something colorful or shiny might help to catch your eye when you are looking to head out the door. Read More→

Over the past few weeks we have had a terrible cold circulating around our house. After fighting it off for days the cold has now gotten the best of me.  My motivation is at about 25% and it’s in my best interest to try and  rest and make myself well.

Here is my dilemma…I have a PTO meeting tonight that I can’t miss, company coming tomorrow and a house that needs to be clean. I have two client appointments this week and a workshop presentation tomorrow.

Life doesn’t stop when you  are sick, so how do we get things done while we are trying to make our self well?

It’s simple, prioritize. Take the time to look at what you have to get done and start shifting your priorities to get through your down days. Here are four simple steps to help you get that done:

1. Examine your to-do’s.When faced with a crisis situation that requires you to examine your workload, it’s important to be able to differentiate what is important, what is critical and what can get put on the back burner. Setting priorities will help you get the critical things done and the rest can wait until you are back to 100%! Read More→

I love to teach people about time management. It’s always so fun to show people how the way we manage our time not only effects our organization, but it really effects our overall productivity. I have been teaching a regular class on time management for the last few years and it’s always so neat to see that light bulb click on in my students eyes when they find that one nugget that they can take home and implement into their own life.

When we have a good understanding of “our time,” it becomes easier to getting things done and ultimately enjoy life!  Here are a few nuggets that I would like to share with you on how you can improve your time management! Enjoy!

1. Put your priorities and goals first everyday.

2. Centralize your tasks and calendar all in one place.

3. Start and end your day looking at your planner or schedule.

4. Make time to manage your schedule each and every day! Read More→

Do you set new years resolutions? It’s hard to believe that 2010 is here upon us. This past year has just flown by (everyone seems to say that these days).  I have never been much of a resolution maker… I always seem to peter out before the crocuses peek out of the ground.

Personally, I am more of a goal setter. It seems more realistic to set a goal and work towards it. I like to sit down early on in the year, think about what I have accomplished and plan out what I want for myself, my business, my family in the new year.

As a small business owner, taking the time to plan out your goals requires some planning and thought but can be well worth the time and effort invested. You may find yourself, as I do at the end of each year, with completed (or very close to completed) goals. Read More→