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Here are Five Steps that you can use to set up an effective time management regimen:

1. Think about this: What would it look like to be organized? For me feels relaxed that I know exactly where I need to focus during the day and that I can dedicate time to all the important areas of my life. As a result of that I feel balanced. For you could be, never missing an appointment again, or having time to finally sit down and work in your business. Visualize the benefits of being organized and proceed with step number 2.

2. Analyze your current time management system if any. Are you using a calendar, smartphone, sticky notes, outlook or are you just relying on your memory?

Whatever it is that you are using now, it’s probably not working since you are reading this page. Choose, adjust or change the method you are currently using to one that you think will work for you.

One system that works for me very well is writing a list of things that I have to do in a whiteboard that I have next to my desk, where I can see it all the time. I pick one item at a time, cross off those items that I complete and then pick the next one. The list bugs me and since I can see it all the time staring at me, I make sure I cross things off and make the list smaller.

Remember to combine all your time commitments in ONE single calendar, do not separate business and pleasure, but you could color code different areas for visual purposes. I personally do this, and it works wonders. Each of my children has a color, my husband has a color, my personal appointments have a color and my clients have another color. Then, when I see the calendar I know without having to read whose time is that I’m looking at.

3. Organize your next day, at the end of each work day. This way, you can have a good start in the morning by reducing the stress of feeling overwhelm. Check your appointment calendar also at the end of the day, so you can factor any preparation you may need for special meetings.

4. Delegate. Yes, I know. You are a one woman show or so you think. Put a price to your time. For example, if you make $100 an hour, and you either have to clean the office or do something more productive for your business, well, you know the answer; you’ll be better off paying $25/hr to a cleaning service agency, while using your time more effectively to produce that 100 bucks.

5. Clean up, clean up, time to organize your desk. And your office for that matter. Set up a filling system to handle paper, sticky notes, magazines, etc. Clean your inbox. Write down in your calendar any item that will require your attention later. Just remember: Do not over think it.

Are you doing the RIGHT stuff?

These days, it seems like we are being pulled in so many different directions. Priorities compete with each other, and it just seems like we can’t get everything done, doesn’t it?

What’s worse, it seems like our daily “to do” lists grow much faster than our abilities to check them off. No wonder the world is showing more stress.

Sometimes it is helpful to step back, and evaluate all those things we’re doing, to make sure that the important “stuff” is being addressed.

OK, so what’s the important “stuff?”

A lot of that is up to you to decide. I like to challenge my coaching clients to decide which “mountains they want to climb” (goals), and when they want to climb them. Then, we check their daily “to do” lists to see if their activities are related to climbing one of those mountains.

Funny thing about goals… You have a much better chance of achieving them when first, you HAVE them, and second, you write them down. And only 2% of the world has goals! Do you?

Let’s get back to those mountains you want to climb. Mountains are our analogy to life goals. If you picture a mountain climber, he or she doesn’t necessarily climb only one mountain in his or her lifetime, but several. And many of the preparations they make can keep them ready to climb any one of those mountains. So you can choose a number of mountains to climb over your lifetime, just as you can choose many life goals. They don’t necessarily compete when you spread them out over a reasonable time.

No, it is not all that easy to decide which mountains you plan to climb, or which things are most important in your life, but it is easier than you think.

When you write down all the roles you have, goals can naturally emanate from them. Examples of roles are parent, sister, son, soccer coach, community leader, musician, friend, nurse, etc. for instance, if one of your roles is parent, you can have goals related to the future of your children, or your relationships with them. You may have goals related to saving for college, or goals related to how much “alone time” you plan to spend with them each week.

Strive for Balance

Goals are lived best when you have balance in your life. Fulfillment in one area fuels each other area. Too much emphasis in one area can drain the others. It’s important to assess your balance, from time to time, and to take steps to assure that your life is well rounded physically, emotionally, intellectually, attitudinally and purposefully. Staying in balance is a great strategy for fulfillment in life.

The mountains you want to climb should encompass each of the areas balancing your life. Goals around physical health, intellectual challenge, life purpose, and emotional satisfaction can form the base for you to climb those other mountains.

Do, Be or Have

The next choice in goals surrounds things that you may want to do, be or have in your life. Whether you want to drive cross country, learn to play the guitar, or be a doctor, these are the “mountains” you can place in your plans.

Putting it all together…

Once you’ve settled in on which mountains you want to climb, set plans to do it. By proactively working toward those goals, you’ll feel more energy and excitement about your life. And as you plan your months, weeks and days, make sure the actions you are taking are going in the direction of one or more of those mountains.

It’s an interesting exercise to look at someone’s daily “to do” list to see whether their activities match those mountains they’re planning to climb. Many of us spend more time doing things that are helping others meet their goals, putting our own goals on the back burner for another day…

Attitude Plays a Part

When you believe that only YOU control your attitude, and you combine it with recognizing your ability to live in the moment, you can truly control your enjoyment of life. That means the moment you are in. Right now. Too many people live in the past or the future, which adds stress (what about all those things I’m not getting done!)and it inhibits their ability to enjoy the actual moment they’re experiencing. You have a CHOICE to enjoy the moment, to be happy or sad, a CHOICE to worry or anticipate, a CHOICE to be positive or negative. You have a choice to believe that you are working on the right stuff. It lowers stress, knowing that you’re working on the right priorities, and enjoying what you’re working on.

After all, its pretty exciting, thinking and planning for the next mountain you will climb!

You might be made of money, but there are only so many hours in a day. Every minute that you waste checking emails or checking out MySpace profiles is a minute that could have been used to do something more productive such as recording a video or creating a product. You’re not going to be able to live the Internet lifestyle if you’re chained to your desk – you might as well be at work.

Here are four things that you should do to free up more of your time and to get more things done in your day:

1. Prioritize.

Look at your to-do list and order them in terms of their importance. Every online marketer will have things on their list like building links, answering support tickets, product creation, and so on. What you have to do is look at your list and determine which of your tasks will contribute the most to your business – income producing activities.  Is answering all 100 of your customers’ emails more important, or is social bookmarking your sites more important? Is interviewing an expert more important, or is creating your next product more important?

2. Delegate.

You undoubtedly have some things on your to-do list which make you cringe whenever you think about them. Some people love writing articles while others hate the thought of it. Some people like designing their own graphics while many others don’t even know how. Think about the people who are making six figures or more online every year – I’m sure you know a few such people. These people don’t create their own content, design their own graphics, or install their own scripts. Many of them don’t even personally take care of their customer support – they outsource it.

Your business might not be at the six-figure level yet, but that doesn’t mean your time isn’t valuable. Unless you’re a total beginner, you probably have better things to be doing than menial tasks like keyword research, link building, or article writing. Identify the things that you don’t want to do and pay someone else to do it for you.

3. Set goals.

Set bite-sized goals so that your big tasks don’t seem as big. Having large and difficult projects ahead to do can cause you to procrastinate, so break those large projects down into little tasks which you can easily do in half an hour or less. This way, when you get these little tasks done, you’ll feel good that you accomplished something and that good feeling will help you stay motivated and productive.

4. Eliminate distractions.

There are a lot of distractions at home. If you’ve got kids, you’ll know how difficult it is to get work done. Other obvious distractions are things like the TV, cell phones, video games, and the bed. If you have kids, get some work done when they’re out of the house, when they’re watching TV, or when they’re asleep. Then, take a look around your workplace and get rid of any potential distractions. Turn off all electronic devices (except your computer), shut the door, and close down any programs on your computer which aren’t used for work.