Everything You Wanted to Know about Freelance Writing

The time management myth exploded

As successful entrepreneurs can attest, starting a business or expanding an existing one can take time, effort, and money. As difficult as it may be to get a business off the ground – or to change the direction or boost the revenue of an existing business – the task will be that much more difficult if you do not have a Business Vision and Business and Marketing Plans. However, the task will be impossible, no matter how brilliant your idea, if you fritter away your time.

Ironically, without a focused business vision and without business and marketing plans in place to guide you, you will be more likely to fritter away time — and claim you have a time management problem.

What is Time Management
Just what the heck is this thing called time management anyway? According to one Web-based definition: “Time management refers to the development of processes and tools that increase efficiency and productivity.”

According to another: “Time Management is the ability to manage and control time.”

Time Management is mostly self-management
Allow me explode the time management myth and to share my favourite thoughts about time management with you.

Time management is a misnomer. Time passes without regard to what we do; the only thing we can manage is ourselves. Hence, time management is mostly about self-management.

If you want to, in theory, manage your time, you have to, in fact, manage yourself. That is a problem for many independent practitioners who seem to lack something that many others have. It’s not a personality trait that they lack, or a particular vitamin, or a fashion sense, or even a watch. No. What they lack is a boss! They don’t have someone checking up on them constantly.

In other words, when you are running the show, you can waste time. It’s not a crime. But if you want to avoid business failure, you have to work at becoming a business success. That involves using your time productively and it starts with taking time to figure out exactly what you want to do (your business vision) and how you will do it (your business and marketing plans).

There will be more posts on time management coming soon. However, if you want to save some time, you can buy the short e-report Put Time On Your Side for $US4.95 here. Otherwise, keep watching the blog!
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Paul Lima is a freelance writer, copywriter, business writing instructor and media interview trainer. He is also the author of several books on business writing and the business of freelance writing. His latest books are How To Write A Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days and Harness the Business Writing Process.