First Hour Of The Day Matters The Most

Time Management Tactics For Higher Success

Do you start your day by checking e-mail?

Or do you meet with staff?

Do you produce something?

Or pick up a phone?

If you're seeking more success, I'd like to propose you start the first hour of your day at work focusing on the most important task on your goal list at that time.

Most important things in the first hour:

I'm not saying to focus on the most time-sensitive, or the squeakiest wheel. Rather, focus on the most important thing to the development of your business.

Try putting the first hour as the most important hour, and do not allow interference with e-mail, telephones, interruptions, and other challenges to stop you from dedicating this time to getting something done.

My latest tactic is to dedicate 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break. My break is focused, just like the 50 minute time block.

We can't necessarily control time, but we CAN control how we manage the time we have.

Here's to your success!
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

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Productivity Secrets on ARRiiVE: Innovations in Business Radio

Want to get more out of each day?

Fine-tune your efforts to realize objectives using "The 5 top productivity tips, including the 80/20 rule," on this episode of the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business show!

When: 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST on July 30, 2008

Details: Dial in at 724-444-7444 (enter 37798# 1 #) to question Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions, or to listen to the show.

You can also text or download the show at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798. It's simple and easy to join in - see you there!

The show is now recorded! Listen online:

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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

When Are We Most Productive?

I recently read a post on productivity and considering the natural cycles of society, it makes sense that we're likely the most productive during the same hours that coincide the best times to post a blog post or post an article to our website.

How can I base this? Because this is when people are in the most focused, intense "work" mode.

Amazingly enough, the best time to post a blog post is 10:30 a.m. PST to 2:00 p.m. PST Tuesday through Friday. I'll stretch that a tad, but based upon this I'll state the peak productivity time, in general, for employees and workers is between 10:00 a.m. PST and 3:00 p.m. PST.

What I'm talking about is how to maximize things that so many people struggle with, ranging from time management to productivity skills, doing first things first, managing the "7 Habits of Highly Successful People", and other time/management/productivity concerns.

Considering the schedule I've proposed, I have to ask: are you taking LONG LUNCHES? If you are, you're cutting into your most productive time during the day. I'd suggest that you either eat a lighter lunch or take a late lunch, that way you'll be maximizing your highest productivity hours in each week.

If you've failed to consider the most productive hours of a day, and claim that late night is your top time (I've been guilty) or claim that morning is also your most productive time (been guilty of that, too), well, here's the wake up call: most people are in work mode during Tuesday through Friday. They start to "check out" at 2:00 p.m. because many have kids they need to tend to. School schedules usually release children around 2:00 pm or 3:00 pm, and amazingly, this is also when productivity begins to wane among adults, too. After 5:00 p.m., we're thinking about dinner. After dinner, we relax and digest our food. During the weekend, we're relaxing and having fun from our hard work during the week. However, I will also point out that if we use Internet data for our assumption, then we need to consider that many people are East Coast-based and therefore 2:00 p.m. PST is 5:00 p.m. (EST) to them.

Peak Productive Time?

When is your peak productive time? If you're like many others, you probably take a half hour to settle into your work. In addition, you probably unwind for the last 15 minutes each day, too. On top of that, you'll need at least two 10 minute breaks, and at least 30 minutes for lunch. Take all of that away, you're probably going to have your peak productivity start to kick in around 8:30 a.m. and then wind down around 4:45 p.m., if you maintain an 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule.

Make the most out of it!

The 80/20 rule will apply, too, so that peak time during the middle of the day is critical to your ongoing success. Don't waste it! Your best time for a meeting is likely on Wednesday or Thursday right around NOON. So, make the most out of these time slots!

Maximize the time when you can reach the most people, impact them the most, and focus your efforts to be your most productive self between Tuesday and Friday between the time frame of 10:30 a.m. PST and 5:00 p.m. EST. Schedule your most important meeting each week at Noon on Thursday. That is when you'll get the biggest bang for your time slot.

When you practice solid time management skills, you will fare better. Ideas I have to refresh for you with this article include:

Time Management Tips:

1. Focus on one thing at a time.
2. Complete a task, then move on to your next item on your priority list.
3. Start with one global or long-term goal, then a short-term easy goal, each day. This will make sure you don't avoid the most pressing thing, and also ensure you don't ignore your long-term goals, either.
4. Set a goal for the amount of time to break, eat, and break throughout the day.
5. Don't get side-tracked with items off of your list.

When we instill a sense of discipline into our work day, we get more things done. See if renewing your focus on your peak hours, and by putting your list of things-to-do into the core of that time-frame, you're bound to be more successful.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Amazon Kindle: A Better Way To Read?

Are you seeking better ways to download your favorite blogs, e-books and things of this nature?
I am. And, particularly, I've been really curious about Amazon's Kindle electronic book reader.

I'm surprised Apple hasn't come out with an i-Reader or something like that which would blow Amazon away. But, as it turns out, Apple IS coming out with an i-Reader in July... so stay tuned on that one (I'll review it after it comes out)!

Anyway, if you're interested in downloading AspireNow's own e-books, you can do that, but now you can read them with the Amazon Kindle!

What's great about Amazon's Kindle? Take it on the subway, take it in your car, take it to bed. Whatever is convenient for you. It doesn't run as hot as a laptop computer, plus, it's more convenient to hold in your hand and just scroll through your document, which is what you'll do, anyway. If you're a gadget geek, Amazon Kindle is for you. If you want to learn more about the Amazon Kindle, here's an interesting (and clearly unbiased review):

Although the Amazon Kindle has been backordered quite a bit since release, I do offer it through the AspireNow Amazon Store:

http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/detail/B000FI73MA/002-1778283-8772807

There's also a list of groovy accessories there, too:http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/002-1778283-8772807?node=6&page=3

Let me know how the Amazon Kindle works for you. I'll be reviewing the i-Reader once it hits the shelves, too. One concern I have is that the Amazon Kindle is outside of Amazon's product focus. Instead of selling other people's products, they're trying to sell their own. That can be risky. Ultimately, I predict this product category may indeed shift to Sony and Apple. But, in the near term, Amazon Kindle is definitely something to check out.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.