Time Management for Internet Entrepreneurs 2.0


The most popular article to date on this website is my classic discussion on Time Management for Internet Entrepreneurs.

In tribute to that piece – and to better reflect some time-management changes that have occurred for me since that original writing – I am offering you a sequel to that article – Time Management for Internet Entrepreneurs 2.0 today!

As with the original article, I have arranged the following discussion around a handful of key time management problem-areas. Each area includes the problem many of us have and a solution that has worked well for me and likely will for you too…

I still spend too much time checking income stats and traffic numbers!
Checking stats compulsively is easily the #1 time management problem most Internet entrepreneurs face. (I know that’s the case for me…)

I still recommend devoting specific chunks of time to checking email, stats, and general web surfing. That said, we all know this is not a perfect world. If devoting specific time slots to these activities does not always work for you, consider implementing these time management tricks that have worked well for me:

  • Get away from the Web for at least one hour every day.

Try this out: next time you need to log time on your latest info product or other projects that don’t require immediate access to the web – grab your laptop and head out to a local coffeehouse (sans wireless) and sip a latte while you work.

Aside from using that trick, I still insist you resist the temptation to let email demand your attention all day long. Turn off your email program NOW! (You don’t have to be a slave to Outlook.)

Everything changes so much from day-to-day, and I just can’t keep up!
True. The web is growing at a rapid rate, and it’s nearly impossible not to feel completely overwhelmed every day.

But it’s not necessary to stay abreast of every piece of news, hot ebook releases, or seminars on the horizon.

Entrepreneurs are suckers for new, BIG ideas. That’s what we’re all about – getting ideas, making them work, counting the profits, and measuring our success.

Still, not every idea deserves your attention – no matter how great it might be.

I’m a big fan of David Allen’s GTD recommendation on this point: create a list of “Someday/Maybe” items running at all times. That way you can release yourself of the memory-burden and focus on the things happening right now.

New projects are our pets. But unfinished projects are pests!

I lose track of my progress, goals, and plans for my various projects.
Two recommendations for handling this trouble spot:

First, I would suggest keeping better track of your time. Create an Excel spreadsheet for logging hours. Just keeping track of how much you ARE doing can be a great way to boost your positive-outlook on a project or area of your business.

Often, the perfectionist within can take hold and start insisting you’re not working enough when you’re actually putting in a significant amount of time.

Second, I would suggest keeping running lists of all projects (again, hats off to David Allen here). I know from my experience that every project I have “cooking” will require many varied steps between start and finish.

The key with both of these is releasing mental burden. As the Getting Things Done system advises, you’ve got to free up that mental RAM for optimum in-the-moment performance.

(Part-Timers Only) I am so ready to quit my day job! I just don’t have enough time.
The last area I want to cover is pointed specifically at the part-timers among us.

What separates the part-time entrepreneur from the full-time entrepreneur in terms of success is almost always TIME. Part-timers just don’t have enough and often identify failure where slow progress appears.

If you are in a good position to quit your day job, do it now. But if you are not quite ready for that move, I strongly suggest sticking to the basics for just a bit longer. After all, if you can’t learn to manage your time now, how do you think you’ll likely perform when you have more than enough. It’s feast or famine in the time management category, and you have to learn to deal with both effectively.

Here’s my suggestion: Before giving up your day job – or before walking away from entrepreneurship – spend the equivalent of one working day (6-8 hours is ideal) getting organized and optimizing your time management system.

Even if you have to take time away from pending projects, you’ll reap enormous long-term rewards from this simple process. (And you’ll likely sleep much better tonight!)

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