I am writing this post because I am
constantly fighting to find time to
work on my internet business, and
would be interested in hearing how
you manage your time with family
and work commitments.
At the time of writing this post I have two young children, I also work full time during the day, and try to help my parents out where I can because they are both elderly.
Here is a little insight into how I make time to work on my internet business.
I get up at about 5am grab a drink and a quick bowl of cereal then I get to sit down in front of my PC for about an hour & a half before I have to leave for work sometimes it is a bit longer if I am working locally.
When I finish work I have my dinner make sure I spend a little quality time with my kids before they go to bed this is normally between 7 and 8pm by the time they get settled. When they are tucked up in bed I head back to my PC for a few more hours in the evening to continue on with my work. Also when & where possible I try to grab a few extra hours over the weekend.
Below I have listed a few little tips that could help you to create more time for yourself.
- Cut down on the amount of time you watch TV you could easily grab a few extra hours a night if you cut some TV time out.
- Limit the time to look at your emails. Check to see if there is anything important that needs dealing with and leave the rest for later on when you have achieved all I want to for that day.
- If you use social media websites do you spend a lot of time just chatting on them if so try to limit this to when you have achieved what you need to do. (Having said that they can be very useful in helping to develop your business). But just ask yourself is the time you are spending on them helping you to move forward in your business or not. If it is the latter then surely it can wait until later.
We all moan and groan about not getting enough time to do the things we should be doing. Sometimes we let the not so important things get in the way and I have also been guilty of this myself.
That little voice in our heads says just check your emails or your Facebook account and then you can get on with what you really should be doing.
How many times have you done this and by the time you have finished you wonder where that last hour or two has just disappeared.
I look at these as little road blocks that are stopping you from getting to where you want to be. We need to reverse this thought pattern get what needs to be done first then you can check out your emails and Facebook account later on.
If you are reading this post and have any comments or tips on how you make extra time out of your busy schedule feel free to leave a comment I would love to hear from you.
Regards
Robert Chenery
12 Comments
Gordon Smith
March 24, 2014Hi Robert,
Different circumstances make different strategies, but crucial to everyone is being organized and that means forward planning. You make good points on watching tv and checking emails.
Making a to-do list today for what you are going to do tomorrow is a good idea it helps you focus and prioritize your tasks.
keeping a journal of what you actually did will let you see where you are spending your time and you can evaluate if you are making the best use of your time.
It’s not easy especially when you’ve got young children, but it sounds like you’re on the right track.
hope the points I have made have given you food for thought.
Gordon
Gaby
March 24, 2014Hi Robert
You are good – getting up at 5am. That’s impressive.
TV definitely needs to be limited, I try with a max of 2 hours per day to watch the news and something lighthearted.
I find it helps me a lot when I write down my goals for the day. That means I have to think about and plan what needs to be done and the written list helps me to stay focussed.
Great post – thanks Robert
Cheers
Gaby
Dan Tredo
March 24, 2014Hi Robert!
There is just no getting around it – you have to be super disciplined and do exactly what you are doing – getting up early, staying up later, and limiting distractions like TV – especially when you have family, kids, and a job to handle.
All of your tips are all valid and necessary. The only other thing I would add (which I’ve read from somewhere but can’t remember where…) is to seek out an ‘agreement’ with the family (both wife and kids) that when Robert is working at home during this time period – absolutely no interruptions from them unless it is an emergency. Sitting down and arriving at a formal agreement brings the whole family onboard with the effort. As you hammer out the agreement, you could explain how this work will benefit them all in the future (more time, money, etc) but the price must be paid now.
You could even make it fun and draw up a simple 1 page contract agreement (maybe with 1-3 sentences on it) and have the whole family sign it (if the kids are old enough of course). This makes it fun, teaches business, and fosters teamwork.
This is really a fantastic post Robert – right from the heart. I’m rooting for you. Its a big challenge you’ve taken on but it is worth it. Let’s support each other all the way to the top!
Dan
Super-RAJ
March 24, 2014Great Post Robert.
Yes i agree everyday lives can get in the way, but simply we need to make small sacrifices, stay disciplined and make the time to build our businesses. This is what separates the people who make it online and the people who don’t.
Malcolm Harvey
March 24, 2014Hi Robert,
great post . Lack of time is my biggest problem as well. Day job from 9-6pm and then usual dog walks paperwork etc. As JT says, take time from your sleep if needs be but it is tough. We need to stay focused and keep taking small steps forward everyday in order to reach our destinations. Time waits for no one. Keep on moving forward and you will get there. Good Luck. Malcolm.
John Koen
March 25, 2014Hi Robert,
I struggle with this on a daily basis. I used to be able to get an hour or so in at evening time. I would get my most focused time on the weekends, several hours of uninterrupted business time. Now that I have a daughter, I struggle to find a few minutes here and there.
I’m looking for new ideas and ways to get some quiet time to focus on my business. Sometimes it can feel impossible to find a quiet few moments to record a video, let alone focus on business tasks!
I’m glad I’m not alone in my struggle to find time. I certainly understand what you are dealing with.
Thanks,
John
Torsten Müller
March 29, 2014Hi Robert,
sometimes it feels like we would need to have 48 hours a day to manage everything what we intended to do. Unfortunately we don’t have.
That’s why it is important to stay focused on the really necessary things first and to not bother with unnecessary stuff.
It is exactly as you said, cut down the time on TV, check the email just once a day and forget about chatting on social networks.
I even unplug the telephone and switch off mobile to not be disturbed in the time I am working.
Cheers
Torsten
Nigel Griffiths
March 29, 2014“Where there’s a will there’s a way” springs to mind….I guess that is the bottom line.
My mindset is that I love doing this…I would dump most things to be trying to build this up & make a living!…I think the proof is that I am replying to your blog post at 11.27pm on a Saturday night….I just find it addictive!!
Cheers!
Nigel
Robert Chenery
April 3, 2014Hi Nigel,
Thanks for commenting on this post, I definitely share your view because I actually love doing this myself.
If you speak to any of my family they will all tell you that I love being at my PC. I even taught myself how to build them & install the operating systems. So to make a living online would be a dream come true for me.
That is why any spare time I can find I will normally be found in front of my PC & not the TV.
Regards
Rob
Sky Nealon
April 3, 2014Hi Robert,
Indeed when building an online business, like many have also mentioned, being self-disciplined and having a schedule is useful. I think you have prioritised your time excellently, and it seems that you understand the key is to be able to maintain a steady momentum, a balance where you are taking bite-size steps which allows you to continue making progress whilst not relentlessly working yourself into the ground and becoming tired from an exhaustive session on the computer.
Your tip about cutting back on TV/emails, social networks etc… is definitely something people should realise and adopt, because it certainly amusing when you hear people don’t have enough time to work on their business, yet have plenty of time to spend on these activities or sit in the garden for hours enjoying the sun.
Anyway, keep up the great effort and progress
Kind regards
Sky
igor Griffiths
April 4, 2014Well hello Robert
One tip I can give you is to create filters for your email inbox that redirect categories of messages to dedicated folders. This way, you ignore your inbox and focus only on the dedicated folders which now contain messages from senders that you have specified as worth reading.
It takes time to fine tune the filters but it really does make a difference, as often you can go in check the folders, nothing unread thus simply close the email client and onto your next task.
igor
Jon Crimes
April 7, 2014Great post for me this Robert as I’m sitting at work (day job)and writing a cheeky post reply!
I feel quite inspired by the fact that you get up so early to do some IM work before leaving for your ‘day job’, I’m going to try harder in that respect but to be honest I hate mornings. Might have to man up a bit!
Some great tips there. The one about limiting your TV is absolute gold and something we’ve had some success with in our household, even the wife has started watching less.
Great blog Robert, look forward to reading more.
Cheers
Jon
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