Where did the day go?

Do you find yourself at the end of the day wondering what you actually accomplished?

This is a common challenge, especially in Internet Marketing. We have so many distractions. And if you're working from home, even more.

Here are some useful tips to help you get the most out of your day.

You must establish a Daily Method of Operation. Remember that consistent effort over time is what will pay off BIG! If you do not have a clear picture of WHAT you should be spending your time doing than you will simply be spinning your wheels and getting nowhere!

Stay Organized: Organize your time and activities. Focus on the things that are going to make you money.

Too many people get caught up in the details. Instead of goofing around and fine tuning your site endlessly, do the things that will ultimately generate income. You want to be spending a good amount of time marketing your product or services.

Spend your time creating content for your websites or blog, writing articles, and create alliances and joint ventures with others.

Organize your week. For an example: You’re going to spend Monday going over numbers, stats, and planning. Tuesday is for writing articles. Wednesday you work on your website (SEO). Etc., Etc., You can break each day, or each month down.

Build a system and stick to it. Don’t get caught in the trap of hanging out in some forum. It may be a way to generate some income, but you can get so rapped up you stop doing other things that will make you more money in the long run.

Also organize your life, your office, your paper, your computer…. Pick up a copy of “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. You’ll learn a lot about how to get your life organized.

Take some time and draft out a tentative schedule. You may have to adjust as time goes by but the important thing is to get something down in writing now.

A special note on email: While the internet and email is an excellent marketing and communication tool, it is also the BIGGEST distraction and TIME STEALER! Don't get caught in the trap of spending productive work time surfing the net and reading your junk mail. While a portion of your time will need to be spent answering your emails, make this a set time everyday. For instance you might set aside an hour in the morning or evening just for answering your emails. The remaining part of your day should be spent on other INCOME PRODUCING activity!

What to do with all those ideas: If you're a creative person like I am, you tend to have a zillion great ideas floating around in your head at any given moment. Problem is there's absolutely no way you have time to implement them all- at least not today.

What I find is helpful is keeping a notebook by my desk specifically for writing down my ideas. its not used for anything else. This way I can quickly get them down on paper and get them out of my head so that I can get back to the task at hand. Then as time allows I can flip through my book of ideas and pick one or two at a time to work on.

Another secret for handling all those great ideas.... Outsourcing!