7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for Yourself

7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for Yourself

Sometimes people wonder how to find or make time for themselves… or their business tasks.

People like Tat, a friend I met through MyBlogU, even have went so far as to ask me how I manage to do it all, in a comment left for me on the post called From blog commenting and community building to podcasts radio shows and beyond.

This prompted her to include my thoughts in her post called How do you plan for the New Year?

Tat wrote, “Hi Max, you’re doing an amazing job grabbing and creating all these opportunities, and thank you for sharing. Maybe, in one of your next posts you could share how you manage to find time for it all?”

This simple comment and question got me to thinking about some of the strategies I use, so, I will thank Tat for asking it by giving her an honest answer and sharing it with you.

I hope you get some good out of my thoughts on this subject, as I’ve discovered that there are at least 7 tested tips for finding and making time for yourself and your business tasks.

Thoughts on Time Management and My Responsibilities

I sat down to think about the whole idea of time management. I thought about the methods I use to get things done. I also thought about what are the causes for me not getting things done. I asked myself if my situation was even typical enough to be an example to others struggling with how to fit it all in.

First, let’s look at my life. This way you will know if there are any fair comparisons you can draw from it.

I live in a house with my mom, Patricia, my youngest brother, Patrick, his teenage son, Seth, and our crazy dog, Penny. I don’t have a wife, girlfriend, or children. My primary job of amusement equipment broker is done from home, so I don’t have a long commute to and from work, or work responsibilities that have to be met prior to working on my websites or blogs.

I am not asked to or expected to help with housework. When it comes to cleaning, my responsibility is staying out of their way and distracting Penny. My part of the shopping extends to helping make out the list. I also offer suggestions on what we will have to eat. While I could help with the cooking, I am happy not to have to. I don’t drive, so I also don’t have to take anyone to doctors’ appointments or do the shopping mentioned above.

A lot of my time is freed up because I don’t have these responsibilities.

My Actual Responsibilities?

I have two websites, one for the selling of amusement equipment, and the other for offering coaching. I was advised against having multiple sites, and if it weren’t for the fact that both sites are so different from each other; I wouldn’t have done it. This also means two blogs and at least the hope of recording two types of videos. And that doesn’t include my new hobby of singing! (You can download some of the songs here.)

Then there’s all the stuff that goes into running an online business.

For The Midway Marketplace (the amusement equipment selling site), my responsibilities include:

  • recruiting listings
  • writing descriptions
  • writing blog posts
  • editing photos
  • uploading media
  • sharing to social media
  • writing the email newsletter.

For The Blind Blogger (my coaching site), my responsibilities include:

  • coming up with blog topics
  • researching them
  • writing the posts
  • editing my work
  • promoting the posts
  • writing the email newsletter

In addition, I’m very active on social media.

Plus, I:

  • write guest posts
  • get engaged in forum conversations
  • participate in interviews, podcast and radio show appearances, etc.

And I know I am leaving some stuff out. 😉

Like most of you, I also deal with a daily barrage of email — much of it spam — or at least not helpful to the cause of building a business, generating income, and making a living to support my family.

The Big Goal and the Conclusions I Reached

After all, this is the goal: We all work so hard in hopes of not having to work so hard.

I hear that a lot from fellow bloggers.

The conclusion I came to is that you can’t do it all. No one can. As active as I appear to be, I am not doing it all either. I think it would be very healthy for all of us to admit this up-front and save ourselves a lot of heartache and disappointment.

I think my approach is a good one.

It stems from my Number One belief to do what I can today and do more or do it better tomorrow. This way I accept that I can’t do it all but still expect myself to always strive to try to do more. It’s similar to the idea that perfection is unattainable… but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for it.

For example, at the time I am writing this post, I have published two posts on this blog this year — and one of them was a guest post from Lorraine Reguly on the benefits of being blind. I have had one post on The Midway Marketplace. I have also recorded some videos and uploaded me singing some of my favorite songs. I have been interviewed for a top magazine article and done several radio shows. And these all took time away from blogging. They also took time away from reading my friends’ blogs, leaving comments, sharing posts, and maintaining my blogging community.

In addition, I had some more minor health problems. My CPAP (my breathing machine) stopped working properly about four months ago. I had to have a new sleep study done before they could reset the machine. I also had to have dental surgery to remove a cracked, dead tooth. These also took time away. But more importantly, the CPAP machine affected my sleep and caused a lack of energy that has only recently started to correct itself now that I am sleeping better.

We Need To Make Better Choices

The point I am trying to make is we all have choices to make. What we choose to invest our time in today means there is something we have to let go of until tomorrow. The hard part is deciding what is most important to you.

Trust me, this is a hard thing to do, mainly because things that see urgent or seem to require your immediate attention may not be as important as you think.

1. Stop Taking Phone Calls

For example, many people cannot not NOT answer their cell phone when it rings. They are more than willing to stop whatever it is they are doing and answer it. This is not always wise, because distractions lead to unproductivity!

I don’t have a smartphone, but what I do have is a phone smart enough to announce the number of the caller so I can decide how much I need to answer that call at the time it comes in. And if I am in the middle of a project, then I often turn my phone off all together. I make the choice to spend my time wisely, uninterrupted.

2. Cut Out the Email-Checking

Some people think answering their email as soon as new ones come in is a necessity. I will admit to checking mine first thing in the morning. The question is: How often do you check it the rest of the day? Like a lot of people, I have my email set to check every so often. But after considering this problem, I have decided to reset the time delay to allow me to focus on other things more clearly. I may even close my mail program down just to avoid the temptation.

And on the subject of email I’m thinking of going old school. When business people all used phones just for talking, many of them had a second line that was only given out to certain people whose call absolutely had to be answered when that person called. I’m thinking of adding a new email address and only give it out to clients. That way checking it shouldn’t distract me from the usually more important tasks.

3. Alter You Social Media Subscriptions

Of course, this may conflict with how I manage social media. As a blind person sites like Facebook and Twitter aren’t always the most fun to use. So, I have my social media accounts set up to send email notifications. This keeps me off of my time line or feed pages and helps avoid me being distracted by entertaining but not really important goings on online.

I hear you can minimize this temptation by creating lists of people who you want to see the activity of, but to me this still seems risky. As much fun as it may be to follow the Kardashians or Taylor Swift, etc., it is not productive.

I have unsubscribed from several groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. And I’ve reduced the email alerts on some groups that I am still in. I have also stopped using some sites because they have either become more difficult to use with speech or I have realized that they are no longer providing value to me. The ones that come to mind are MySpace, Merchant Circle, and Flickr.

4. Get Quality Rest

To be more productive, some people will suggest getting less sleep, and working early in the morning or late at night. This can give you some extra time to devote to your business, but it can also have negative effects on your health. As a sufferer of sleep apnea, I know just how dangerous it can be not to get the proper amount of sleep. It can even put you off your game if you aren’t getting quality rest.

5. Enjoy Your Leisure Time

I do all my work from a laptop, and sometimes I work while watching TV, listening to my radio, or reading a audio book. However, this means that I am not truly enjoying the book, show, or movie that I should be, because I am multi-tasking.

So, I have started picking things that I enjoy enough to leave my laptop off. For example, I turn it off while watching Jeopardy. I also turn it off when reading an audio book or listening to old-time radio shows. Penny has even gotten to the point that I believe she knows which shows are not laptop shows because she seems to appear for petting then!

6. Maximize Your Exercise Time

When exercising, I always listen to an audio book. I prefer biographies, autobiographies, and personal development titles. I either ride my stationary bike or walk on a treadmill. I refer to the bicycle as the bike that doesn’t go anywhere. I set the timer on the digital book player for 30 minutes so I know I’m going to get at least one half hour a day of exercise and edification.

7. Accept and Even Pay for Assistance

Now, I should mention that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all I do manage without a lot of help from my friends.

For example, Lorraine (from Wording Well) was hired to edit my ebook, Leading You Out of the Darkness Into the Light, and she helps out on my blog by updating pages and editing blog posts for me. I also sometimes pay her to edit my blog posts (like this one, for example), and believe she is worth every penny.

Fabrizio Van Marciano recently reviewed my ebook. Through our meeting, he offered to redesign my coaching website. I will also be paying for this service. You’ll notice that my site has been improved already with a modified menu and brand-new header image.

Leading you out of the Darkness Book Cover

Friends don’t always do work for free, but they do often help out without charging or offer me a reduced rate. Lorraine gave me a great deal when she helped me publish my book in print through CreateSpace. Plus, I motivated her to finish readying her own book. In her post, How A Blind Man Helped Me Make Risky Issues AVAILABLE in PRINT, Lorraine mentions the many steps involved in the self-publishing process plus some of the problems we encountered along the way. It was also great to hear that I inspired her, too. 😉

Then there are friends like Harleena Singh, Mi Muba, Enstine Muki, Angela McCall, Sylviane Nuccio, Eve Koivula, Derrick Hayes, John Owens, Lenie Hokansson and many others who read my posts regularly and share my content on social media sites. (Thank you all for being so kind!)

And then there are people like Adrienne Smith, Robin Hallett, and Farnoosh Brock who do their part by encouraging me to keep going. They have inspired me to go after bigger dreams and to see the potential inside me even if sometimes they have had to convince me of it.

I have also been fortunate to have other bloggers reach out to me and offer guest post opportunities or ask to interview me for their sites. I have been mentioned in round-up posts. Several contacted me after I commented on their posts to ask questions or offer asssistance. And so many people will wonder about me if they don’t see me online for a few days.

Accept that You Cannot Do It All

Back to my main point. Even if all you had to do is run an online business, you still couldn’t do it all every day. Mainly because of the sheer volume of the work. That plus if you have time you tend to fill it. Think about it. Have you ever seen an empty clothes closet, CD carrying container, briefcase, or purse?

We tend to spend what we have whether that is time or money. I hope that those few who have spare time are spending it on themselves or their families.

I know it can feel like, as a whole, that us bloggers and other online business owners are working far much harder than we planned on going into this. So be kind to yourself. Love yourself.  Accept your situation. Move forward, one step at a time. Give yourself permission to not accomplish everything every day.

I start out my day with the goal of doing one thing that will move me forward. I may do far more than one. And quite often I have to do that one thing repeatedly. But that’s my goal.

I know that writing more posts means reading fewer blogs or not pitching radio shows. I know that sharing one post on all the social media sites I’m on means having to reply to comments both on Facebook or Twitter and on my blog. So sharing on social media means less time for chasing new clients. Recording videos can reach a lot of people, but they take time, planning, and sometimes even rehearsing.

Although I have yet to find my first paying client or book my first speaking engagement, I know that when I do, preparing for and performing that service will mean time away from blogging and or my websites. I have yet to find a reliable way to attend face-to-face networking events. But when I do start attending them, they will take quite a bit of time including dressing, obtaining adequate transportation, preparing myself and my materials.

Choose Wisely and Prioritize

It’s all a matter of choice. You have to decide what works best for you in your life and in your business. Then once you decide what is most likely to move you forward with your goals, you then make a decision to put these actions first on your list every day.

With me these things change. Last week I had a two-hour interview with a writer from New York Magazine. I was ecstatic to be interviewed by someone from such a prestigous publication, but it pretty much destroyed my schedule for the rest of that day.

I didn’t beat myself up over not getting as much done the rest of the day as I would have liked to. I took some time to savor the moment. Then I did the next thing on my list.

Sharing is Caring

So many people struggle with time management and the accompanying feelings of failure that I really want this post to reach as many people as possible. For that I need your help!

Please share this post on all your social media sites. And if it resonates with you, as I hope it will, then please send it to your friends family and coworkers.

I do really enjoy hearing from my readers. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable leaving a comment, then just send me an email. You are also welcome to write with any questions about me, my site, running an online business, being a blind entrepreneur, etc.

I want to be there for you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Did you find the tips in this post valuable?

If so, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to The Blind Blogger (that’s me!).

Simply use this button to do so — and know that NO amount is too small. Heck, if everyone reading this donated $2, I’d be a happy man.




 

Thanks, and take care out there!

Max

Get Engaged, and Answer a Few Questions

What are the things you do every day to build your business or make changes in your personal life?

Are there any of these that you could replace with activities that would be more beneficial to you?

Are there ways you could alter the activities to get more out of them or at least decrease the time required for them?

30 thoughts on “7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for Yourself”

  1. Max, your tips are solid, and I practice many of them. The one thing I have a problem with, however, is finding someone to assist me. Sometimes it’s easier to simply do things myself. Of course, there are many things I don’t know how to do, namely stuff regarding graphic design.

    I’m in the process of designing and ordering business cards to hand out to local folks in my city. Because of this, I needed a new logo. I’m also thinking about revamping my website and giving it a new design. I’ve actually been in contact with Fabrizio, too, for help. It’s time I paid someone to assist me with this!

    I’ve used a virtual assistant a few times, though. Her name is Angela Shirley, and she works on donations only. She has no set fee. People pay her what they can afford or what they feel is fair. She can be found at Whatever Needs to Be Done, Inc. and she’s awesome.

    I appreciate the kind words, too, Max, and the links to my sites. I also have to thank you again for inspiring me to finish my book, Risky Issues. 🙂
    Lorraine Reguly recently posted…Dear Reader, Please Tell Me About YOU!My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi Lorraine; thanks for the wonderful comment, for all your help, and for your friendship. I can understand what you are saying about having a tendency to just do it yourself even if it means overcoming a steep learning curve to pick up a new skill. Fabrizio has been a lot of help with the site so far, and I can’t wait until he finishes it with the new opt in form or box buttons for people to connect on social media and my new intro video once i get it recorded for him. 😉 I wonder if not wanting to hire people is the same thing as or at least similar to most peoples unwillingness to ask for help. and i believe i have an advantage here because its been pounded into me over the years to never be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. maybe it should have been the 15th advantage of being a blind person. 🙂 thanks again my friend. xoxo max
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
    • HI Kerry; that was the one point I wanted to make with the post. That being that you should be happy with whatever action you do take. You shouldn’t beat yourself up for the things you didn’t get done today but you should celebrate what you did get done. this is also where taking time to celebrate your accomplishments and being grateful for the progress you did make can be very helpful. Starting a blog and or a business was supposed to be a positive step towards your future not just another job or task that you like or enjoy less the longer you do it. And I also think more people would last longer if they would spend more time happy for the traffic, comments, and shares they do get instead of tearing their hair out over not making enough progress. If you are taking steps daily to improve your site and build your community and you aren’t seeing growth in your site then naturally you would want to take steps to correct this. but i find too often we are impatient. and yes this includes me. I have only had this new site for seven months. But i still have days where I have to remind myself that the lack of tangible results in the form of coaching clients, speaking engagements, and book sales doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be proud of all the work I have done. so glad to hear about your anniversary my friend. You did great and I know there is no limit to what you can do. take care now, max
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Hi Max,

    Wow, I’m glad I made it here after a long while. Nice to see a new post here.

    Well, you are a busy man my dear, and from someone who used to have 3 blogs until they worn me out to no end, I would have been one of the people telling you that two blogs are a lot of work.

    But in your case, I agree that your niches a like day and night and hard to put under the same roof.

    What I can tell you though, is that since I’ve merged my 3 blogs I am in heaven. Everything became so much easier on me.

    You’ve given some great time saving tips here. I’m not a phone person so that doesn’t take any time out of me, but emails do at times. Prioritizing is very important and we need to do this to be productive in our work and time saving.

    Thanks for the great share, Max.
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted…7 Day Super Coaching GiveawayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi Sylviane; thanks for the understanding about the two sites and for your encouragement. I am too busy. If I had known in the beginning I might could have just built one site for maxwell ivey dot com. then i could have had two or more branches off of that main tree. but it still might have been forced to have coaching and carnival rides on the same site. although j j caronack at coaches sanctuary suggested working amusement park or carnival rides into a new name for what i do to help people accomplish their goals. one of the themes that came up is that i could sell people a golden ticket for an amazing thrill ride called their life. well that’s a whole other subject. glad to hear you enjoyed the post. take care, max
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
  3. I know a lot of people say it, but the reality is is that I really do not have the money to pay a lot of people to do things for me. That can be an excuse for some people, but it’s hard when you don’t really work. I rely on advice, but I don’t ask for the help I often require for that exact reason. It really is a shame that something like money or the lack of it puts such stress and pressure on people. I know you understand.
    Kerry recently posted…One Year and Counting: Kind and GenerousMy Profile

    Reply
    • hi kerry; well, yes i do know. I don’t have a lot of money to invest in my blog either. I have been fortunate enough to find people who have volunteered to help. but you have to put yourself out there. you have to let people know what you need. there are lots of places like forums and groups on social media where you can ask questions or request advice. a lot of the friends who have helped me along the way i met on their blogs by getting to know them through leaving comments. let me know if i can do anything to help you out. take care my friend. and congrats again on your first anniversary, max
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Thanks so much for answering my question and in such great length. I’m pretty good at not taking phone calls and not checking social media. A couple of weeks ago I temporarily forgot that Facebook existed and as a result nearly missed a meeting of my mastermind group 🙂 But the quality rest is still a work in progress for me. I have made it a priority before and my productivity went up, as well as my ability to distinguish between important and not-so-important tasks. I couldn’t keep it up though, so I’m running another Get More Sleep Challenge in the beginning of March.
    Tat recently posted…Just finished reading: Change your life without getting out of bedMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Hi Max. I agree with your tips for managing time and getting things done. I have no trouble not answering the phone because I let Google Voice do it for me. I keep a list of things that I want to get done and just work the list every day. Like you said, somedays I get more done and other days not as much. I’m just grateful for what I did get done each day. As John Lennon (or whoever he heard it from) said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Some of those interruptions that take you off track for a little while may be or become the best things in your life, so be grateful for them too.

    Thanks.
    Thomas recently posted…Safe Cleaning Products for the HouseMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi Thomas; yes its all about being grateful for everything that comes into your life when it comes to you. we may not always see the value or the blessing but that is because quite often we think we know best what we need. there is a line in a garth brooks song about i could have missed the pain but i’d have had to miss the dance. and while we are all pushing to build our businesses there is no reason why we can’t have an hour or even a whole day that others might see as wasted. I kind of like the idea of those people who say they are taking a mental health break. 🙂 thanks for taking the time to read the post and for leaving such a thoughtful comment. hope to see you around the blogging neighborhood more, max

      Reply
    • Hi Thomas; thanks for stopping by. I believe in reciprocating comments. however, when i tried to leave one i ran into your captcha question. it doesn’t offer a audio or non video option. I understand the problems with spam. but i really hate not being able to tell you how great you did. 😉 i also wondered if maybe we couldn’t work together on promoting shackly. it sounds like something that may have applications in the amusement industry and something i could promote on my site the midway marketplace. email me so i can find out more. thanks for sharing and take care, max
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Hi Max – I am in such a different place than most people because I am retired and my health has been iffy tor years, which limits my activity. I started blogging to keep myself and my mind active by learning new things, so time management isn’t that important to me. But having said that, I am now working on four different projects, learning more about social media, learning photo-editing, compiling dutch recipes and expanding my lavender knowledge. I assign days to each of those, rather than specific times.
    I love your posts – they are always so insightful.
    Best,
    Lenie

    Reply
    • Hi Lenie; what did i say about filling the available space. You started out just wanting to keep your mind sharp and now here you are. i’m glad you enjoy my posts. I don’t know if I’m typical, but I do often wonder if there will come a time when people stop wanting to hear about my experiences. thanks for your support. and i look forward to your posts. they sometimes make me feel like I don’t put enough work into mine. but then i remember we have different goals with our blogging and we also have different sets of skills. keep bringing your amazing posts about helping people save money and their sanity, max
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
    • hi jaqueline; exactly, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and i say that because i don’t want to use the f word failure. 🙂 if we wanted to be treated the way some of us treat ourselves we could have just stayed in corporate jobs. lol and you are so worth it on v-day. would love for you to be my valentine and help me celebrate the third anniversary of my journey towards gastric surgery and getting healthy. take care now,
      maxwell ivey recently posted…7 Tested Tips for Finding and Making Time for YourselfMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Hi Maxwell, great post. I like that… Perfection isn’t attainable but we should always strive for it. :). One of the things that helped me most in making time for myself was finally realizing I couldn’t do it all by myself was getting assistance with my website and blog. It really has freed me up to do more things.
    Susan Cooper recently posted…Dump Cake – A Family Favorite: #RecipeMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Great tips Max! I especially like the one about setting up a dedicated email address. Genius! I’m really bad about getting lost in my emails. I think you’ve covered a lot of issues that every blogger faces, and you’ve made me feel better about my ever-growing to-do list. Tomorrow I will just focus on getting one thing done, rather than all the things I still have left to do!

    Thanks,
    Meredith
    Meredith Wouters recently posted…Goodbye GigiMy Profile

    Reply
  9. I totally agree on all your tips Max!
    I’ve noticed that time management really gets easier when you have a goal in mind and a deadline for it. Deadlines force to focus on what’s important and what’s not. If no one else sets it for me, I need to do it myself.
    Eve Koivula recently posted…How To Manage Social MediaMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Hey max, great post as always, It’s amazing how you can get so much done and still act as if you are not doing much if anything. 2 websites and radio appearances, poscasts, etc. Humility is a lost art. Cheers!
    Daniel recently posted…A Daily MiracleMy Profile

    Reply
    • hello; glad you liked it. i do believe the most important part is to be kind to yourself and realize you can never fit it all in so get in what does you the most good or what brings you the most joy. thanks again, max

      Reply

Leave a Reply to maxwell ivey Cancel reply

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.