Just like any other webmaster, I used to always run out of time every day. There just didn't seem to be enough hours in a day to accomplish what you need to achieve.
Here's some time management tips geared towards webmasters that I and some friends have gleaned through trial and error.
If you have any tips and/or additions, please feel more than free to add on.
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Webmasters' Guide to Time and Goal Management
Here are some simple rules you can put into practice that will save precious time and assist you in achieving your goals more efficiently and effectively:
Create a Hierarchy of Goals daily.
The top portion of your goals hierarchy are daily goals that take you one step closer to your BIG GOAL. Whether its starting another paysite, creating a new design methodology, or a new business model, big goals are the goals that take your business to another level. Arrange you goals in such a way that the goals which take you closer to your big goal are higher in priority than "regular" goals.
Make a habit of breaking down your Daily Goals.
More often than not, goals are actually separate steps under one collective heading. In order for you not to get lost in your daily operations and "fail to see the forest from the trees" unpack each goal into easy to achieve steps.
Be realistic but be challenged.
Nothing kills enthusiasm more than setting your sights too high. However, you can also easily stagnate if you set your sights too low. You don't want to reduce your waking hours tilting against windmills (goal too high) nor would you want to waste it digging a trench (goal too low). Set your daily goals to a level that actually pushes you one step closer to your big Goal by setting up personal milestones for yourself. Examples: setting up a new task that requires you to investigate new sources of traffic or new design methodologies/business models that you've heard of but haven't fully analyzed.
Exploit your natural curiosity by aligning them with your goals.
Anyone who has tinkered with a new script or discovered a largely untapped traffic source would have a sense of excitement and discovery about what they have achieved. Use this emotional high to egg you forward and deeper in your daily goals. No one has seen all that there is to see. There are tons of things out there that have yet to be discovered and fully understood. Picture yourself as an explorer/researcher in pushing past daily obstacles and conventional wisdom to arrive at something fresh.
Discipline.
Discipline has a nasty connotation. It is often confused with punishment or something unpleasant that one has to muddle through. In actuality, discipline means the ability to stick to a plan. Be like an unshakeable rock and turn your daily goal completion into a HABIT. Make it a habit to succeed daily in taking steps closer to your big goal. Having the proper discipline allows us to get past the boredom and unpleasantness by making it our personal habit to complete our daily goals.
Never Give Up.
Just like in any game in life, the surest way to lose is to surrender.
Obstacles are there for a reason. Nobody became a hero because they took the easy path. Obstacles, burdens, and chance disappointments are part of life. Obstacles will always conspire to confuse, bore, or stupefy you. However, if you focus on your sense of adventure and discovery and you have strong personal discipline, you can go around the obstacles, underneath them, or on top of them. Be adaptable. The best moments in life are achieved not through ease and leisure but through perseverance, anticipation, and sustained effort.
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