Knowing which tasks are the 20% revenue producing.This should always be your focus

My biggest challenge is consistently identifying "Important" versus "Most Important"

I followed your advice from one Frank kern interviews, where you said to wake up, exercise, eat a healthy meal, and then start working immediately on the thing that brings the most money for 2 hours.

That works wonders.

However, I'm not capable to do anything else besides this for the rest of the day (for example working improving my product)

Probably that saying it's true "How you start the day is how you end the day"

My biggest challenge with time management and productivity is utilizing my 5.5 hour day around working on my business, spending time with my 5 year old daughter and her activities and having time to spend with my fiancee. Is it possible to have that balance of work, family and freedom?

My biggest frustration with time management is that I'm always setting do or die goals that get derailed by the unexpected - usually small but inconvenient commitments I've made that I had forgotten about and have to rush off and do. The worst - errands. Anything that requires me to get in the car can quickly wipe out half my day.

For me, the biggest issue is building the discipline it takes to persistently do your work in a focussed manner. Discipline & motivation.

working out what is the most important thing to do first.

I once heard John Reese say that when Oprah finishes her show they dont all get together and say "great show! what do you want to do tomorrrow...". They have their production schedule mapped out for months, maybe years. This is my problem. I do "one show" at a time. I need a btter way to map out my production schedule and then break that map into manageable pieces -even down to the hours, so I have a good framework within which I can run my daily activity.

I like your stuff, btw. Very time-tested but still innovative. -Mike

Finding time in my life to do business. I have to work two jobs just to pay my bills in my tiny one bedroom house, care for my children as a single mom, and get my assignments done for my online college course in business. Maybe the season is not right, but when I free up time and money, I will want to find a coach and develop a business plan.

I'm glad i'm the FIRST one!

My biggest challenge is, i have to help my mom all the time.

She can't drive because she used to have some mental illness, so i have to drive her.

I have to do the grocery, which takes a lot of time.

I have to drive her to work.

I have to drive her when she feels like "shopping".

It's kind of annoying, but since i'm still on my way up, i can't pay a chauffer.

But i will, and it will free up my time.

Thanks for reading!
Jorge

how much time to spend on production vs managing and coaching a team of internet marketers

Being in small office (without doors or cubicles) with the ability for anyone to make comments or ask questions -- though I set boudaries for my staff, it's my biggest frustration.

review my commitments periodically and stay focused on what's important and not be distracted by not so important things...

Phonecalls are the most impressive stealing time thingy.

Eben, Difficult question to narrow down. All of the following at different times have been major time management and/or productivity issues for me.

1. Opening up sites mentioned in emails - resulting in getting sidetracked. (For example, your survey request!)

2. Handling the same emails more than once. (It should be the same time management rule as with paper!)

3. Instant messaging

4. Friends/family who think working at home means I am not working!

5. Bottlenecks with staff and outsourcing meaning that I sometimes have to work on things at less than optimal times for productivity.

6. Lack of a gatekeeper.

7. Underestimating the amount of time something will take.

I used to think time management was the issue for me, but I've realized that a specific issue...that of realistic assessment of HOW LONG a project/task should take...is my biggest issue. I plan to do too much...accomplish too little and get frustrated because it doesn't feel like I'm progressing fast enough. How does one judge a good pace and real progress (other than just results) when you're "in the process" and not far enough along to be able to track results, per se.

I think the biggest distraction for me is feeling unorganized in my life, so I distract myself by trying to organize the small things while not looking at the bigger picture of time management where I could potentially be a lot more productive. It also makes me more open to interruptions and other distractions (such as co-workers and e-mail) because I'm already distracted so what's one more?

Hi there!

My biggest problem with time management, is that I work in an industry that is driven by "the squeaky wheel"... My priorities go right out the window as soon as someone screams loud enough...(I'm a claim adjuster) My motto is: "First Screamed, First Served...

My biggest time management problem is dividing my time between my two home businesses. I am trying to sell a great product and promote a great service (neither of which is related to one another). I am trying to learn as much about online marketing and still get out in front of people. All this.. while the kids are at school!
Help!!

Suzanne

I react vs. respond to things. I check my emails to lead my next activity rather than plan my best strategy for moving through my day. I procrastinate and therefore don't allow myself sufficient time to step back and take a more objective look at my work.

Focus. Doing the thing that needs to be done even when I don't feel like doing it.

Distractions not staying on task...
computer is biggest problem for I get drawn in and have difficutly sticking to the purpoase at hand
am slow typist this seems to compound matters. Thank you, Dianne

The biggest challenge is now deciding which "gurus" to pay attention to. There are far too many lists to be on. So how does one sort the wheat from the chaff?

Hi, my biggest frustration is getting my ass in gear and finishing something.

I keep finding I start things and then never finish.

I'm distracted a flit like a butterfly from big idea to big idea...

oh yeah, and I can't help from shamelessly promoting things in blog comments. (resisting urge...)

Do not know how to deal with the interruption without being mean to others.

The temptation to check email and get distracted with dozens of projects rather than taking my morning productivity time and not focusing on product creation. As the day goes by it seems harder to chunk off 'production time'...until late in the evening, which although sometimes can be productive, many times is at the point of being too worn out to 'get it done'.

My biggest challenge is being able to say no to folks. I enjoy helping people and being their sounding board and I have built my business around that. The problem is that friends and family are not understanding when I try to say no to spending time providing them with the same type of counsel when it is during the parts of the day I have tried to block for the strategic activities of growing my business.

emails of course - and friends wanting to hang out and spend time. cause i work at home and for myself they assume i can be reached anytime and should pick up the phone and that i have plenty of time to do things during the work day. Also, just saying NO!!

Hi Eben,

I find the thing that makes me going off-track from getting anything accomplished is not focusing on one item at a time - it's very confusing to me as a newbie, when I keep getting emails from every marketer telling me about their GREAT product that will help me earn money - of course, I have to stop what I'm doing and watch their videos (mostly because I'm afraid I'll miss out on getting something that will REALLY help me, but most of them turn out to be on material I already know (just haven't had time to put it to work) or it's just too damn expensive for me at the time and then, by the time I get to return to what I was doing, I have lost my train of thought. So, I guess just focusing on doing marketing one way at a time is my biggest problem.

Management asking me to do tasks urgently when i am in the middle of trying to complete a single task properly

Daily news. It's too easy to pop to msn and check up on the latest Palin news, or hurricane status, etc. It serves no real purpose other than to distract.

My biggest challenge is focusing on a single task. Creating content for example, or doing keyword research... How do you hone your focus to allow you to ignore everything else and complete the task at hand

My biggest question is this: when is "good enough" good enough. i want to hit the sweet spot for making high quality without overkill.

for me it is asking myself 2 questions, before i make a decision?, and answer yes, will this add to my clairity, or will it add to my confusion? simple but not applied my many. i read your material and you are razor sharp. we will probably never meet, but i want you to know that i am on your side. And i wish you the very best. Fidel

Maintaining focus and avoiding distractions.

Hi Eben!
my biggest problem is concentrating on one task instead of skiving off and trying to do 3423 things at the same time. Discipline.

Thanks!

I don't know how to organize my time and focus on one thing at a time.

My biggest challenge is multi-tasking including the inability to focus on one task at once.

The #1 challenge to working at home seems to be sticking to a structure (and the discipline that goes along with that), while still having freedom to be flexible. I talk about designing my day, but seldom follow through and get off track easily, majoring on minor things. Hey, even saying this is helpful because it makes me look at it squarely.

the biggest problem, in my opinion, is keep the focuse on finishing all things you plan to start... suddenly, you think that's better start INSTANTLY some new brilliant BIG idea imediately... and just few hours later you're totally out of focuse of it...that's the biggest problem.. tons of stuff happening simultaneously and you tryin' to follow'em.

Hey eben whats up
the biggest challenge that I have are interruptions and distraction.
I cant seem to keep my focus on things.

Thanks a lot!

stopping getting sidetracked and deciding what to read and what to delete

God! I need help on how to manage my time.

My biggest challenge is focusing on an action until it is complete when an unanticipated problem occurs. I often find myself skipping to another task that may be easier to do but lower on the priority list just to get something done.

Eben, I would say my biggest Frustration in the area of Time Management & Productivity is being able to focus on the most productive thing (generating traffic) while still taking care of the other pieces that all seem so very important as well. I think this is harder for me because all the pieces in my mind are all intertwined and I am still working on mentally separating each piece in it own distinct category. Even when I intentionally set out my day to focus for a block of time for generating traffic, there is always some distraction that interrupts me or takes me off of my task, it is a work in progress for me.

Thanks for all your help and support

Ryan Gunness
http://www.getsmartincome.com

The biggest challenge is to stay focused when I get emails from Internet marketers that they have the next silver bullet for me.

Therefore, I am unsubscribing most, if not all, of them. :)

I think the biggest problem I have when it comes to time management is having to deal with the request and requirements of my friends and family.

Opportunity cost. In other words, being really good at spotting the 20% of the to do list items that will render 80% of the end results.

Being unsure that an activity can really produce the results I need or want can sometimes keep me from doing it. How do you work through that?

Sifting through 50 - 100 emails I receive everyday to make sure I keep the ones I want and discard the ones I don't want.

I work freelance from home, my biggest gripe/challenge is regularising it all.

Last year I had a huge personal breakthrough when I segmented my day into three four-hour lots separated by meals. The first two are for work and only work, the third is for me and only me.

I know, Duh, but for me this was a biggie.

This needs to be policed constantly but it's holding up well and is helping me on the road to having something else besides work in my life.

Around the end of this month you will be able to see my modest side project called spitbite.com.

Cash is v tight and I need regular work so it will be developed slowly.

Your stuff is v supportive to me. Wish me luck.

The biggest challenge is choosing daily which tasks are really worth my time -- which leads me to figuring out if my goals are really well defined in the first place....

Biggest problem with time management: Ohh! Isn't that shiny!

i keep flinging myself off on tangents rather than focusing on what needs to be done.

for example, i just spent an hour looking at Vista Sideshow gadgets.

Emails are a big distraction. So many people have solutions for me. I'm trying to select the one's that seem most worthwhile and shut down the rest.

Also social networking is touted as the wave of the future but it seems so time consuming. I see several with multiple posts daily and I suspect they have staff that does it for them. It's so much it becomes clutter.

too much time spent reading and responding to emails. Also, I need to outsource jobs I wasting too much time on.

My biggest distraction is email. I have it set to beep when I have new email. It then displays who it's from. If it looks interesting I take my focus away from what I'm doing to read the email. It never ends there I'll read other while I'm there.

I have tried turning it off buy I missed a very important email when I did that of which I have kicked myself for ever since.

So email must stay on.

Self motivation and time management, and i'm in deniale, about my self worth.

My biggest time challenge is keeping up with the thousands of emails (mostly junk)that come when you sign up for a newsletter, etc. I mean really, do they need to send you the same message three times in one day?
Thanks
Joyce Allen

1. Having ADD

2. Taking care of my 92 year old very active father

3. He also has dementia and is very hard of hearing.

4. I am the sole caretaker==I'm not complaining, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to take care of him.

my own punctuality.

the punctuality of others. I want people to do what their going to do exactly when they say they are going to do. I want to have the power to ensure they do. Also i would like to be able to do this also.

How best to politely cut short meetings, conversations, etc in order to stay punctual without seeming rude or feeling bad for leaving.

If I make a priority list of ten items often 6-7 of them should be put in the number one slot.
When I do a 14 day schedule for myself instead of a 7 days schedule I am much more productive. I thought I would throw that in.

My biggest thing is that someone tells you they can help you if you buy their step by step program. Well you get it and the first thing you have to do is go buy something else, or learn how to drive traffic on your own, even come up with your own product, also the web page templates are not correct according to Ebin. Besides that you have to spend allot of time downloading and organizing the data. I know first hand. I have been thru this a number of times with the biggest names in internet marketing. I actually just leave the info lay dormant because of all the hassle. aaarrrggg.

I want to stay focused on my current task, before I move on to an other one!

"destruction"

I might suggest to talk a bit about the personal boundaries that are respectful and not curt but convey that your time is valuable. On some level this boundary technique or mindset could discourage people from wasting your time. Thanks again for all that you guys do.
Geoff

Not being able to outsource most of the work becuase of the lack of money to do with.

Having to do everything yourself until you make enough moeny to outsource all the mundane tasks.

Thank you

Eben, I'm sixty two years old and the most frustrating problem with time management is "focus" and "planning." Planning out my day, hour, minute and staying on-focus through to completion or abandonment. Then I need to check my plan and measure my success toward my goal. I've often said to clients, "If you can't measure it, don't do it." ...mostly for business purposes but we should be able to measure our progress toward any goal. "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." (annonimous)

It takes planning and focused, concentrated action on the goal to reach anything worthwhile.

Managing email

Getting the top project to done given the numerous interruptions

Next would be getting the 2nd and 3rd biggest projects done

Hi, My biggest challenge to successful time management is my very demanding wife!

I have too many projects on my mind and I try to do each of them on a different day BUT it seems like I am going nowhere!

Its A BAD FEELING...maybe I am moving but I dont feel it!
How can I choose which business to do for the next half year and not do any other business meanwhile??

That's definitely my energy levels.

I am sick and tired off the endless emails hat come from the all you Marketing Guru guys.

These include yourself, Fran Kern, Jeff Walker, Stompernet, TrafficGeyser.

Anytime I try to contact you guys personally, I get no answer, it's all done through Autoresponders.

I have even posted letters to some of the guys
(X Afilliate in UK was one of them), they didn't even have the courtesy to reply.

Although I am based in the UK, I was in San Diego recently, told Frank Kern, but no reply.

However, I have time mamagement issue that I would dearly love to resolve, & it's something that you guys could help with, especially Frank Kern, with his MASS Control ideas.

I am promoting on behalf of one of my clients, a series of one off luxury autobiographies aimed solely at the rich & famous, & millionaires & billionaires. These will be selling at $80,000 to $120,000 each.

Main problem, reaching the millionaires & billionaires.

Please take a look at the various blog articles I've posted to get some idea of what this entails. These books are truly unique and are a family heirloom to treasure.

http://spencerprint.blogspot.com/2008/06/exclusive-luxury-gift.html
Easily.co.uk Blog Article on Luxury autobiography: http://www.easilyblog.co.uk/2008/07/the-book-of-your-life/
Ecademy Profile at http://www.ecademy.com/account.php?id=294213

Any ideas would be treatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Mike Spencer
Products that Talk
http://www.spencerprint.co.uk/social_networking.html

Hi Eben
the biggest time management problem is so many emails to read, so many videos to watch, my excitement about them all. Another thing is focus. I think I know what I'm going to do when I start working in the morning, but then this happens and that happens and somebody calls me and wants to go do something and so on, then I just get so tired I can't focus and just quit for the day. The next day starts the same all over again.

Being new to IM my biigest challenge is two-fold. #1-being easily distracted by new or other programs that promise the world.LOL #2-Advertising...not knowing what's most cost effective, time efficient and what works in general. I need to minimize time spent surfing, etc. I'd rather pay if I know it will generate the right kind of traffic and not with a recurring monthly fee.

How to efficiently access and record priorities/activities...

If project takes too much time, I'm becoming very bored and can't focus on it. And I starting to think about new project. Then going back to old project, to finish in 100% become almost immposible.

My biggest challenge is I think about sex every 10 seconds. It doesn't help that I live on the beach.

Like I really live on the beach.

I have the lifestyle I want, I just need to be more productive.

Hi Eben,

Hand's down the # 1 distraction is the phone. It can be a business call, which can send me off on a tangent or the girlfriend that simply breaks my concentration.

Hope that helps in your research.

Marc

I think my biggest frustration with time management is not being able to break a routine, a way that feels comfortable to do things or prioritize things that is not necessarily effective.

My largest obstacle or challenge which produces an inordinate amount of frustration for me is DISTRACTION, DISTRACTION, DISTRACTION!!! I get soooo very easily sidetracked from my task at hand. Oftentimes, I am in midstream of something and another situation crosses my desk which requires my attention... At that juncture, I have to swiftly decide whether to stay on task with what I'm doing, particularly if it will take me an extensive amount of time to complete -or- quickly shift over to the 'new' project which may, in my mind (and ONLY in my mind), take a few minutes. Regardless of which avenue I take, something remains unattended because before I even get an opportunity to get to the 'other' thing, something else will have arisen. I recognize that I am probably the world's worst at accurately assessing how long a task will take for me to complete it. I'm lost and I don't know where to start! Help! Do get a snapshot of the overwhelming, whirlwind frenzy in which I live?? I get easily drawn away from task, become overwhelmed, stress out, then when I can't find my way among the piles and piles of overdue incomplete projects on my desk, I just escape and find solace is checking my personal email....as I'm doing right now!! Can you help me, PLEASE????

Focusing on the right things that produce sustained positive results

Hi Eben,
You ask for a comment regarding "Time Management"...
my biggest frustration is having a phenomenal amount of ideas and doing the research (Market) as a new person trying to do a real online business and not knowing the proper methodical order to keep me on track to actually follow through and get a website up and running.
I am talking the basic checklist of the items I need to do in the proper order they need to be done... I have been studying for 7 months now and have expended every available amount of funds and certainly every single day 10-14hours a day... and I feel like I am spinning my wheels...
How is that for frustration?
Look forward to some type of reply when "time" permits :-)
Most Sincerely,
Tanya A Chadwick
bottom line, single mom needs to now make money... I have invested the "time" and the "money"... all that I had...just need to have a checklist...ugh!

My biggest challenge is in determining which path through the Internet Maze is likely to get me to my goals in the most time efficient manner.

Should it be Adsense, Adwords, Affiliate Marketing, eBay or something else?

Should I follow the path already blazed by an expert and if so - which one?

I agree with you that we spent much of our time in something that does not matter much and spend few time in something that matters most in our life. Sometimes one may decide to overlook certain things that does not matter, but they will draw your attention before you know it you will be struggling with time.

I have been a "brick and morter" business owner for 16 years.

I ventured into internet marketing a year ago, with the intentions of creating a business that will allow me more time, freedom and flexibility to be mobile.

During that time I never have experienced so much info overload (lot of good programs) and the ability to manage my time/projects.

I lot of my problem is not disciplining myself to not be distracted by every launch and emai.

Also being new to this industry, I find myself wondering if I chose the best route(efficiency and speed)to achieve my goal.

Managing, Sorting information and keeping to a plan is tough in this industry.

I know that was long winded, but you asked.

Jeff

It is simple: to keep away from the Internet as one´s work is so closely related to it.

The other issue is to get a good startup at a workday and not just be a victim for circumstances.

(sorry but my website is only in swedish. It is about b2b advertising)

Regards, Cay

My main problem is finding a time management system that vibes well with the way I feel when using it. A time management system that FEELS right.

I have ADD, and it feels like my natural tendency is to dislike the constraints of many 'time management systems'. This is similar for my ADD cohorts out there... or probably just for any of the predominantly 'right brained- creative' types out there that dislike the feeling of living like a robot. I just have a general unease for any time tracking system that feels like it is:
-tedious (not simple to use)
-restrictive (because of to-the-minute planning, no allowance for free flow)
-makes my time too detailed (taking my focus off of the forest for the trees)
-does not help me see the big picture of how my time is being used.

focus ! concentration ! perseverance!

I work at home - video producer -
Family interruptions (no children), home maintenance chores, high maintenance wife and two terrific dogs all demand time from my day.

I end up working late at night and don't get enough sleep.

My biggest frustration regarding time management has to be the mental shift that needs to take place after a class that I teach. I will focus on preparing for the big project and after it is over knowing what to do after the class to maintain the momentum with the other aspects of my business I needed to set aside in preparation for the class. It feels like a brain fog and I don't know what to work on first...

Hey Eben-Greetings from the Ozarks...My biggest frustration with this home business is interruptions here in the home! There is home maintenance to be done and people dropping in on me(I am in the South-and friends are offended if you tell them to call first here!)+ personal phone calls/emails-a big one! I hope this helps-ALL THE BEST-
Dave Jewett-Serve The Many
714-209-8443

My husbahd is afraid I will spend to much. H e always comes in my room and stands over my shoulder to see what I'm doing

Eben,
I have too many projects... too many balls to juggle at once. And I get too many of those *urgent* calls instead of a few *important* calls that break the flow....

(AND in case you are wondering... NO, I will not run for Vice President even if I'm asked to serve... When I was a kid, I built a "Bridge to Nowhere" over a small brook in the Maine woods and I will not deny it. :-)

Not sure what the optimum is... Maybe it's ONE really GOOD (Financially Rewarding) project... and also projects that can be systematized for passive income. ie... little work needed once set up.

Also, I have benefited from your 60-60-30 plan and 50-10, along with the early exercise / breakfast / study plan... This plan does tend to break down in the afternoon and evenings.

Lately, I have been distracting myself with NON- productive emails from friends and friends with a political bent... AND, Its not THEM! ...The BIG issue for me is to be able to tell that Voice in my head "Thanks for sharing...AND I need to complete this" AND yet, maybe I'd be heard better if I said to that internal voice, "Shut the Fu** Up, will ya!".

AND yes, I've experimented with various meditations...drumming, Chunyi Lin, Hale Dwoskin, Holosync, snorkeling/swimming/friending and just doing other things away from the computer....

I've experimented with a reward system... finish this and you can go watch HotForWords on youtube, etc... Maybe I need to formalize this reward system more.

AND THANKS for your work on the leading edge of Productivity. It's not just "Wake Up Productive", its "Be Optimumly Productive All Day Long!"

-Bob O

Overwhelmed by redundent e-mail

Hello Eben. I probably won't have the money to pay for your program (I guess it will cost more than $100) but I have a lot to say to you about mine and every people frustration to time management.

First, most people don't realize that it's not about the time but about the ENERGY invested. That's the primary reason why they 'manage their time' and not their energy. Of course, it's a flawed model and most of the ppl are frustrated...

The second thing is managing different things in their life. Personal and professional life as most people call it. Most people stuck in their professional life having no time or will for their personal life (or in case where I live, Macedonia - South Europe), it's reverse, most people hate their jobs and LOVE leisure.

My biggest frustration is actually implementing all these energy and time management processes. I'm trying to make a balance between physical-emotional-mental-spiritual energy but it's hard to do it by myself. So having a coach would be wonderful (although I'll have to wait probably year or two till I have the money to go to Tony Schwarz for him to train me :) ).

However, I think that you will teach some of these principles too so I recommend everyone who's struggling with this thing to go and get your upcoming training program...I have a good feeling it's gonna be mind blowing (like most of the stuff you release).

Regards,
Darko

I have several roles/jobs. I have a professional career, I'm a father, I'm active in my community, and I'm trying to build a business completely different from my everyday job. Within each role/job/etc, I have to set priorities and manage time and be productive - how do I go one level higher and balance/manage/stay productive in life?

Prioritization.

Dealing with email from all the internet marketing teachers.

(This is not parody)

Hi,

My biggestt problem in running my current business and starting my new clean energy company is putting the most important things up in the list instead of spending my days with a lot of "not so important" stuff.

I find the biggest challenge I face is finding the time to take care of the regular day to day activities while trying to keep up with the ever changing technology.

There always seems to be a better "mouse trap" and with my time limited the way it is, it's difficult to find the extra time that is needed to learn new programs and software , even when it comes to "automated" systems.

Biggest challenge at the office is the flood of
e-mailed offers that arrive in my inbox every day: great new programs, promises to change my business or my life, etc.
I've dropped from lists of people who way over-do it, but still I get too much of that stuff. Especially too many of the same announcement coming from different people(as with the Stomper thing last week). I particularly appreciate Kevin Hogan and Dave Lakhani: Kevin's e-mail comes once a week, Dave's even less often. And I always know I'll get something of value from them.

Prioritising between the things that pay the bills and the things that promise to pay the bills faster, but always seem to be just out of reach i.e. their are either new skills to be learned, new guru's to listen to and new softwear to buy/subscribe to. Everyone is an expert, but wading through "expert" opinion is an impossible task when you're actually running a business.

i think i have used up unproductive time to linger around people who has nothing to do, basically i myself need help with time, especially a person with no hobby and adventure..

My list of things to do in a day is often unrealistic, leading to a sense of failure, which leads to a sense of why keep trying?

website being built don't know what I don't know, wasyes time. Other people demanding my time then wasting most of it. Lack of adequate focus and organization.

Deadlines!

It seems that I only get productive when the deadlines approach...

I know it's a common "problem" and all... but I'm sure you will be able to share some effective ways to tackle it...

Also, I find that when one has too much free time, he/she tends to "waste the time away".

How do you personally cope with procrastination Eben?

Regards
Shun Jian
http://RichGrad.com
Personal Development for the Book Smart

website being built don't know what I don't know, wasyes time. Other people demanding my time then wasting most of it. Lack of adequate focus and organization.

For me...it's all about 2 things...Being more consistent writing down my weekly goals...and allowing my teenaged daughter's schedule to dictate my schedule..her father has serious health issues...I'm constantly stopping what I am doing and driving to the hospital...I know these are some circumstances that will challenge me..not to mention her other ...

To get the priorities straight is my biggest challange.Thank you for doing this!

Reading emails and eventually sales-pages that start with attention demanding headlines from some guru like: "I think someone might be "stealing from you..." I get 6 or more per day...

I have 2 big issues with time management:

1. How to get started (how to give myself the first push)

2. How to keep focused.

Looking forward to your program!

Arina

i am a single dad ,for me, cooking dinner for kids, helping with thier homework, is my biggest constraint on my 'FREE TIME'

Electronic OCD.

I feel a constant need to check my email(s) and refresh my stats.

Two items: handling email and uninvited drop ins

My one single biggest frustration or challenge when it comes to managing time is having to depend on others. Some of the tasks that I need to do can't move on until I get some results from other people. I do try to get other things done while I wait, however this causes me to lose focus and/or further fragment my schedule.

Ending phone calls that turn into lengthy chats, with the other person doing 90% of the talking.

I am interupted and de-focussed by all the jobs I see around me that need doing. I start on thing and end up going from one task to another--when I realize that I have defocussed, a lot of valuable time has passed and I have not been able todo mymost important job

To many email distractions and daily emergencies that take away from making a plan for my business

Keeping deep focus on the important things and balancing with things that need to be done like paying bills, eating, shaving, etc Also, having time for learning, doing short term targets, preparing medium and long term targets and keeping motivation high even when there is a bunch of unpleasant tasks that need to be done on the way to the accomplishemnt of the ultimate life goals.

Probably my biggest time challenge is that insomnia makes it difficult to predict when I'll be at my creative best. Thus, it is hard to schedule tasks because I'm not sure in advance if I'll be up for it.

Those seemingly short things that end up consuming a lot of time... "quick" trip to the store, checking "just a couple" of emails, waiting for the confirmation email that will show up "immediately", getting absorbed in "information trails" when looking-up info on the web, getting off track with "quick-jobs" that accumulate to being 4-5 hours of the workday.

I think the biggest thing for me would be interruptions - because - a lot of family/friends don't realize or care that I am actually trying to work from my home. They seem to think that because I have 4 kids and homeschool that I'm used to interruptions or that I am just a stay at home mom with all the time in the world, like they were or are. But the kids are usually more considerate, and of course we are all on a schedule. :)

So, I guess in one sentence it's simply that family/friends don't understand and I don't know how to tell them or work around it.

My BIGGEST problem is trying to figure out in advance where the bottle necks will be in a multi-task project. Keeping track of everything I must do and keeping a neat looking desk, where I can find what I am looking for.

Productive Energy is the hardest, I usually wake up kicking, and after breakfast I burn right through the next 4 hours. Productively, but after that distractions start kicking in, Clouded thinking etc.

my biggest frustration is when I'm "ready to go" my wife, kids, or someone else demands my attention. Makes it very frustrating especially when I'm in a moment of inspiration but not able to act on it in the moment.

Yes, researching the online wannabe "gurus"..making sure that they are the real deal...I do not buy people products, unless they have tried it them selves...example Rob Benswell, blogging to the bank...where are his blogs?...After 1 month of research on Benswell and others Today, I came across Yanak Starak becomeablogger.com, he is the real deal today I viewed his videos...that guy is serious about helping newbies...I will become a member tomorrow...I am working on the ideas from the 10 videos this will keep me busy/productive today...thanks for the email you sent me yesterday, once this blog is up I can benefit from Stomper, I'll sign up tomorrow...those guys are real as well...keep sending "real" products no fluff, and you'll have me in your pipeline forever. I've just started my online education w/Mike Dilliard 6 mos ago...It was him, that redirected me to online recruiting (i do not know if I should luv him or leave him alone:)...its too soon, to say if it works. I am going to follow him, and few others...If it work for me, I got a lot of scary offline people, waiting to see the results. Punks, will not do the research themselves: How gracious of them, to put their life on hold for me. I know that you are associated with Mike. Although, I have not done much research on you, based on your testimonies, on a few credible sites, you guys are real, you care for the newbies...take it easy, thanks for allowing me to vent.

it seems to be having a order to do things in and stick to the plan

1. Guys!
I am single and I love hanging out with guys. I am not having sex with them, so, it feels as if they are all hoping for something more. Somehow, I manage time to go out with them and not to work on my biz. Of course, they are smart professionals and I justify it that way, still, they are NOT ingocme generators and after a while, I lose interest for them and look back at how much time I wasted.... then I do it again with another guy and already "know" what will happen. Maybe I am just a flirt? But that doesn't make me money - Doubling my dating is shrinking my income! :-)

2. Emails. Emails. Emails. Including this one that you send. You see, I am replying when I could be at the gym - its 6;20 am for Petes sake!

3. Networking events - they take soo long. And, then you have so much fo follow up with. Its like catch 22. If you make time to go, then you have to make more time to reply/write emails...

- Now, a question for you is - how to manage the time and not be "cold". Sometimes, I focus for a week or so and realize that I am becoming a hermit and really cold. Its like super-masculine energy that is overpowering me. I loose easy-going joyfulness. After all, I live in Hawaii, and people here are laid back indeed.

In fact, I would love "guinea pig" this program. ...So we can see whats possible... if I can remain Delicious human while super focused.

Aloha!
Helena-Summer Medena

Unplanned tasks taking precedence over planned tasks

My biggest frustration is that: 1) I still have a day job; 2) I'm a newbie and really need help a very elementary level --- like someone standing over my shoulder saying, "Okay, this is how you get that stuff onto a web page." I'm learning, but feel like I'm losing a lot of money in the meantime. Maybe it's part of the process.

Biggest challenge when it comes to managing my time:

Figuring what is important and knowable, from that which is unimportant and unknowable...and then simply focusing on what is important and knowable and blocking or getting rid of or eliminating or setting up conditions that causes the disappearance of that which is unknowable and unimportant from ever reaching me.

For me Eben. I think one challenge is knowing what I'm truly capable of. Setting realistic expectations. I've worked to over come so many challenges with much success. My health is 100 x's better. I'm getting ready to launch an E-Course called Help For Stress because it has made such a difference in my life. However, scheduling my time realisticly so I can keep up with the many Roles I work within such as wife, business women, house keeper, book keeper,
web designer, writer, wellness coach to name a few. I know in time I can hire help for some of this, just not yet.

Plus knowing how many programs I need to study to make sure my Launch goes right. Or even which one is really needed.

Your program sounds like one that will be of benefit to me. Thanks for your support. Agape' Darlene

Biggest frustration: Putting off what needs to be done in a timely manner...dread, procrastination. I love the feeling when it's done & behind me, but loathe what I go through (put myself through!) before I just...GET IT DONE!

Biggest issue is learning how to say, "No". Our company (my current full-time job) is in an economic crunch and I am capable (from a capability standpoint) to help out in lots of different areas; from a "time" standpoint, there are truly not enough hours in the day. I telecommute and unwittingly have allowed the work to overtake my life.

My biggest challenge with time management is the amount of time it takes to find good, reliable outsourcers that I can use again and again without having to go through the process all over again.

The overhead required to find quality outsourcers is one of the biggest reasons I'm so slow to outsource.

The biggest challenge for me in managing my time is that I don't have a dedicated work space at home.

Procrastination

Obviously, the internet. It is a gift and a curse. It can serve as a tool to increase efficiency and save time but it can also cause you to waste valuable time without even realizing it if you're not careful about it.

I'm sure you have covered this area thoroughly in the program already and I'm really looking forward to hearing it.

Will it be a live seminar or a dvd program? I'd personally prefer a dvd program simply due to convenience.

Biggest frustration - all the bright shiny objects on the web and the learning which one to use and implement and which to forget about.

Also - side note - I would love to get a copy of your software for the biz analysis quiz you had on Altitude - is it available ANYWHERE?????

My biggest frustration is sticking to it. I'm finding it hard to evolve my time management strategy from just making a list, to alloting times and deadlines. I plan tomorrow today, but often I don't do it because I'm too tired and decide to just wing it.

It's got to be information overload - too many great courses to study, movies to watch, emails to absorb, books to read etc.

We can't live without interruptions and distractions. They are a normal part of our everyday life. The only way interruptions and distractions can be avoided is if we were hospitalized or institutalized. And of course we don't want that. That having been said, ordinary interruptions and distractions to time management would fall into two categories: those within my control(twc)and those beyond my control(tbc). Those twc's are: telephone and television. Those tbc's are: people,appointments, physical and emotional issues,fire engines, racing ambulances, flooded basements, leaking toilets, bills, doorbells, weather. Clearly, there are more tbc's than twc's. I can turn the television off. I can disconnect the telephone. The interruptions and distractions that are beyond one's control are also a natural ebb and flow of one's reality.

Hi Eban,

Well my biggest challenge when it comes to managing my time is my kids. LOL

Yea, I have twins, they are 9 months old and I stay home while my wife go to work (I lost my job), so everytime I have something really important to do I get distracted and it's really hard to come back where I was before, and I end up not doing anything productive for the day. Next day I start where I was yesterday, thinking about the samething over and over again and I can't go foward like this.

This is temporary tho, but just wanted to show you that distraction is really a big problem for most people out there and maybe that's why we don't achive success.

Thank you Eban,

Have a great day!

focusing
that is the area i need the most help with

My Biggest frustration is learning how to keep my time balanced where i feels as if I'm productive for the day, and also had enough time for the people in my life an the things I want to accomplish.

People wanting free advice to fatten their pockets with zero share for you!

I really have people around me who say they want certain things, but they are distracted, and unwilling to do what it takes to get focused. I am strong-willed, but occasionally, I get pulled off track to.

Even though, I get a lot done, I still am getting results. None! (Sales)

I'll keep at it though, I have to be wealthy, it's my life's goal. I want time freedom, a home, and the cars that I've dreamed about. Nothing too fancy, but ones that I've always wanted.

My biggest challenge is uninterrupted time. It seems that some days I do not even get a chance to start, let alone focus, due to phone calls, urgent problems, children calling "mom", etc. How do I stop these continual interruptions of my focus. I want focus on the Important things, not the Urgent!

the biggest problem is that I have projects I try to run in the same time!

Hey there Eban, I'll pipe in a thought I'm sure people have challenges with. I've been a home business owner for 5 years and I still struggle with Time managament. Some of it's procrastination I will admit but my biggest problem comes from having (what I think are)priorities come up often which puts everything else on my to do list on the back burner. Before you know it the day gets away from me. I just have a mental problem of holding off on doing reactive activities till later that are not REALLY immediate priorities. It drives me nuts when something comes in and needs my attention (eventually and not RIGHT NOW) and I put it on hold while I go back to whatever I was doing. For instance: As soon as I saw your email I just had to respond your request right now! Was it a priority though? Hell no! But if I wouldn't have got to it NOW then I'd be thinking about it constantly until it was done. Now 15 minutes have passed and this happens all day every day. Before you know it the day is done. Hope that makes sense ;)

I'm managing an wholesale apparel business in partnership with my son - and writing several children's books I want to publish soon - can't get a handle on daily priorities.
thanks,
camille

Being able to get rid of the distractions. The primary distraction is a live in girlfriend who will by her own design be in dire financial straights if she were to leave. In the meantime her "crises" always take priority...Now it's all my responsibility and i take full responsibility for it. conflict is i was taught to be nice. shit. so what's your best how to bow out gracefully advice?

What if the relationships that make you function are the ones that make you dis-function?

Settling into a system that feels comfortable, fits and motivates on a predictable, consistent basis. My own responsibility *first*, of course - but it's finding the 'right' one that fits my personality, issues, addresses my, ahem, 'issues'/baggage.

I need help on so many levels Eben. I became a Life Coach a year ago with the intent to begin a website so that I could help people Nationally and Internationally. Develop age appropriate programs that would help our children, programs that would empower women in domestic abuse shelters, as well as families in homeless shelters across the country (one of my favorite charities that I spend my time with). I'm especially fond of tying in the aspect of good nutrition along with a making healthy choices and I use myself as a model given that I was totally disabled in 1992, have been on SSD since 1996, paralyzed from the waist down, sustained brain damage and numerous other injuries and at one point in my life I was homeless. I am now fully functional, off all but one anti-seizure medication, walking & dancing!!!...it's an amazing story. Unfortunately, I spend all of my time giving all of my time away.
1) I need to be able to continue furthering my education as a life coach and in other healing modalities.
2) I need to spend time building my website (clueless here)
3) I need to include the products on my website that I'm willing to endorse.
4) I need to set a specified time to do business and stick to the charges that I originally set. I'm always giving away my time and I'm not making a living. Lately I've been looking for secular work to pay the bills because I spend all of my valuable time giving away what I went to school to do, how ridiculous is that?

Probably more than you were looking for, but you alway sound like you're up for a challenge and I am certainly up for giving you one.

Hope this helps!
Have an inspired day:-)

Kathirose Crawford
inspirationtotransformation@cox.net

Thoughts become things...think the good ones! @....Mike Dooley

Hi Eben, thanks for finally deciding to make the program I've been needing all of my life. My biggest personal challenge that I've faced over the last 12 years has been FINISHING my biggest ideas. My ideas always float in my head and I get started on them, but I always feel as though they are TOO BIG to complete, and so they never get finished. I need to figure out a way to simply JUST GET IT DONE.

Can you help?

=NB, LA, CA

My biggest challenge is knowing "what" to do.

What is the most effective use of my time. Is it to read and cram content for my market, or simple to implement what I already know. Or a balance of both.

So I guess it would be prioritizing in a way that gives me instant results and long term growth.

there's just so much to do, andyou get overwhelmed a bit.

tough to takenotes whenyou're workingon a small desk.

Eben,
One of the biggest problems i find is sifting threw all the programs that I am being solicted for. How to not miss what could be a great program but yet get the necessary information with out spending alot of time reading all of those lenghtly sales letters that are out there.
Thank you for your time and dedication to your profession.

How do I sort Emails to see the "Latest Best Offers, Videos,and Software" with the hidden time waster? Good is the ememy of the Best.

I would say my biggest problem when it comes to time management is not wanting to do the hard tasks and busying myself with easy tasks first. I tell myself to get the big stuff done and not worry about the small stuff but I find it difficult not to get distracted.

I find myself overwhelmed with "Work @ Home" programs that I've paid for, jumping from one to another & losing my grip ! I want so bad to make some money on the internet that I must have 20 different programs going & I get mixed up & lose focus. I don't want to miss any bargins, so I sign up, make a file & tell myelf that I'll get back to it when I find the time. But . . . . I'm spinning my wheels (& Losing $$$$)still stuck without having ANYTHING up & going. When I know I should be making money right now ! I'm just lost in all this confusion ! Then I just want to give up on the whole thing !
I hope this makes sense to you !
Sorry to hear that you won't have this program going SOONER ! ! ! I could use this NOW !

My biggest challenge when it comes to Time Management is in trying to determine how much time to devote to each smaller task I must do in order to bring about a desired outcome by a particular time.

For instance, if my end goal is to have a successful adwords/marketing campaign up & making me sales by X date, how much time do I spend doing all the small steps that lead up to it to ensure that I hit my goal?

Similarly, how do I monitor progress along the way to my goal if I don't know what all it takes to achieve it?

If I want to achieve X goal by Y date/time...but don't know how many total steps it takes to get there or how much time each step will take, how do I consistently manage my time in the middle of everything so that I make sure I'll hit my goal in time?

I find I do fairly well at hitting my goals when I've done the process before & when I know how long each of the tasks to get there will take... but when the tasks or process is new to me, I have a hard time budgeting time effectively per each individual step in order to achieve my desired end result on time.

Thanks for this course, Eben - I've been excited for it for some time now!

-J

Distractions, phone calls and errands, I look up and boom 1hr, 2hrs down the drain, cutting into my time to complete different tasks.

how to get other's to understand how important what you are doing.

My single biggest frustration is not knowing what to do next. This is probably due to being overwhelmed with things that need to be done to acheive different goals, and lack of the energy to do all of them.

Hi Mr Pagan,

Now, my biggest problem with time management is controlling my emotions.

Let me explain...

I am good at completely shutting myself of from outside stimuli when I need to focus on something that I need to get done but the biggest problem I have had is shutting out my inner self from affecting my concentration.

For example, I may be going well for two or three days and be very productive in those few days but then I'll have an real life issue with a girl I'm seeing or with my family and all of a sudden, despite how hard I try, I can hardly focus on what I need to do...

Now, while such situations are not a daily occurrence, when it does occur I find it very hard to get back to the level of focus that I had... and in the worst case I can remember I was off my desired form for over a month.

Its not easy for me to admit such a shortcoming but I thought I should put it out there because who knows I may not be the only one:)

Anyway, Mr. Pagan, if you have any advice that would help my rather personal and quite abstract problem then I would much appreciate it.

Have a blessed day:)

My biggest challenge in time management is self sabotage. Which creeps into my day in very subtle ways, and suddenly 4 hours have gone by and I didn't get anything done. It's probably fear of success on some level.
The other thing is multitasking. I already know from experience that it actually takes longer to do stuff when I want to do a few things at a time and is also not very satisfying. But I still do it.
The last thing is the messages my mind gives me at the end of the day proclaiming that I didn't get anything done today, although I did. Time management is a mind thing, has actually nothing to do with time, but with my action of mind. Anyway good luck with your program.

I have difficulties in differentiating between urgent and important

Eben,

When I use to go to work at a brick mortar office it’s very easy to get away from most distractions, you just closed your door. Now that I work from home my biggest problem is getting those focused blocks of quality work time. I try to work a minimum of 12 hours a day in blocks with some down-time. During the down-time I try to spend that time with my girlfriend and my son, or doing jobs around the house. Family and friends know that I can or could just drop away anytime to join them in conversation or activities which also can eat away at focused work time. It happens quite often; so this I would consider as my biggest challenge. How to discourage them from interrupting or change there mindsets so when I have to say “no” it does hurt their feelings and leave them disappointed.

Thanks

Mike

My primary time management problem is interruptions by people who think whatever they want is always more important that what I am doing.

My secondary time management problem is prioritization of the opportunities I have. So I can choose which ones have the greatest probability of success.

I'm a stay-at-home dad these days due to a recurrance of my multiple sclerosis.

I've taken to the internet marketing niche as it seems the obvious route for me considering I'm mostly housebound.

the trouble is, well-meaning friends and relatives seem to find the need to call on me relentlessly and take up SO much of the day.

I don't have the heart to be rude and ask them to give me some space, but it's what I need. I find it physically 'draining' and it leaves me with little energy to focus on 'making a living'.

What would you suggest.

Pete.

Biggest challenge is procrastination...... I'll elaborate later.

My single biggest frustration when it comes to managing my time is I'll make a to-do list for the day and often times I'll get distracted with the day to day stuff of running my business and a lot of the to-do list never get done.

Too much time and effort wasted and no money to show for it- people taking my time and expecting me to pay them for it. Also people not paying me for my time

I decide which item to be done by looking at the importance.

Sometimes it is important but takes longer time to complete.

It makes me feel very demotivating after working on it for some time and did not see any results.

Should I go for smaller item and celebrate on smaller victory first or by level of importance ?

Kind of dilemma in certain situation.

I am still behind on my bills and having a hard time not thinking about it everyday.

My biggest problem is lack of focus to my real committment. I lose sight of where I'm really headed and spend too much time on things that don't help me achieve the end result. If I would write out a short list of things that would get me to that goal and not do anything else until I completed the first thing and then went on to the next. I think that would help. Put off reading e-mails, making phone calls, and all the other distractions that don't help me reach my end goal would be of benefit to me. But for me it is easier said than done. Do you have a step-by-step solution or any suggestions?

Deciding what is truly the most important thing to work on? Deciding what doesn't need to be done at all? Separating the good from the great?

My biggest challenge in time management is keeping my family life separated during busy work hours while working at my home office.

My biggest challenge is actually getting myself to do the things that I know I need to do. When you work for yourself, it's incredibly easy to goof off, and before you know it, your day has passed.

Biggest challenges to effective time management:

1. Becoming side-tracked
2. Procrastination
3. Time spent online

Hey Eben, what's going on man. I hope you enjoy what I shot out to you in the mail today you should be getting it soon. I think you will really enjoy it and it is perfect timing. The biggest frustration I have with managing my time would probably be having to take time to sleep. I really love it when I get very productive and integrate a ton of knowledge and get into a period of my life where I love to learn and have creative interesting ideas and although I understand sleep is certainly nescessary sometimes I just want to keep on keeping on if you know what I mean. I know this probably may not be your conventinal answer but, thats is where I am. You said something in your man transformation seminar that I took and implemented immediatley and I dont even know if you were really suggesting it but you were talking about how if you take a 20 minute power nap that you can just keep going for hours more. I've used that quite a bit. This is great man keep up the good work and I will talk with you soon

my biggest problem right now is that I have my son, his wife, four kids and two dogs that moved back in with me a few weeks ago when his house burned down and all they had left were the clothes they had on their backs. It's like cooking and cleaning up behind a army right now.

My biggest challenge is "making a plan/todo list for everyday"... I manage to do this a few days and then slip off...

Another challenge is feeling sleepy/sluggish in the middle of the day. I guess I just need an afternoon nap!?

My biggest challenge with time management is how to train higher level team members to do higher value tasks that I'm not already an expert at. For example, training phone people to be more productive, when I have no phone experience. I have to go try to research something that I know I need to have my team get better at, but that bores me to tears, and then teach it to my team even though I have no experience. That takes a lot of time.

Trying to work from home, my biggest time issue concerns putting out fires all day long, family things that just have to be done RIGHT NOW.
If I had the finances I would rent an office for my promotional marketing business.

The constant bombardment of spam from those I signed into while believing that they wouldn't sell or give my address out to anyone. (This of course does not include you). I enjoy reading your stuff and listening to you speak.

My experience with really scheduling my time has been a challenge. I find I leave myself out and/or do not schedule personal time. It's easy to become a "workaholic" yet then I find myself frustrated because there seems to be no "down" time! Time to just relax, read, or just enjoy the day. I have set office hours but if I don't get finished in that time frame I keep working. Knowing a good protocol and disciplining myself to stick to it would be helpful. What is a good protocol and how do I stay flexible? I am a Mother of 6 children so a rigid schedule doesn't work very well. Sincerely, Susan

The biggest difficulty I have related to time management is how to prioritize. Almost everything seems just as important as everything else when it comes to my biz. Some things are deadline driven, but beyond that... ugh!

I get caught up reading emails on how to stuff and never seem time to apply the information...too much a perfectionist.

The biggest is...

Too many e-mails...

Not enough delegation.....

too many papers........

too many projects.......

Putting out too many fires....

Business loan app's decreased 30% putting more time pressure on finances.

Running always late by 10-15 minutes.

My biggest frustration in time use is that I do not usually use my time strategically, that is, in a way that directly brings internet marketing profits, that makes me money.

I just don't see how so much can be done in a day when something as simple as writing a blog post or a sales letter can take all day. How do you build an online business when it all takes so much time?

Hi Eben:

My personal demon in this is how to beat Resistance, as defined by Steven Pressfield in his awesome book "The war of art" (I suppose you know it, if not, you really want to take a look :-), specially for this...)

He says that the main problem is not knowing what you have to do or how to do it, but to SIT DOWN AND DO IT.

(Amen IMHO)

According Pressfield that is the difference between amateurs and professionals, to overcome Resistance, the ability to DO IT everyday even when it rains, the mail is still screaming, the inner inertia attacks or your friend calls searching for some chit chat...

I saw your motivation technique some time ago for this ("My why, now apply...") but other similar techniques for me would be the best...

Hope it helps.

Best Regards

Even right now, I know that I shouldn't be filling out this survey, but I need to stay focused on what I need to learn to bring more money in the door. Big Rocks. And when I'm not excited about them or they are challenging, it makes it tough to get excited about them. You the man Eban, When I grow up, I will be like you. Present tense! Thx Lee

How to keep my focus during the day. I am great at coming up with a plan. My challenge then is in the implementation phase of the plan, in following up in a focused fashion to get things to completion fast.

As I loose my focus, I loose my momentum, and things take much more time to get done that they should.

Hi Eben,
My biggest challenge is implementation of the things I know I need to be doing. For example, I know I need to wake up productive – drink 32 oz of water, go workout, eat a healthy then start working in 60/60/30 increments. Some days it works and other days I wake up, find my contact lenses and fire up my dual screen monitors and work till I am completely burned out. I know I shouldn’t but I still do it…. bad Gary no cookie!
Once I fall off – I spiral downwards from there and 1 day turns into 2 days which turns into 1 week and so on. I have been trying to keep a notebook of my progress to see how well I am doing over the course of a couple of months. My biggest issue is not managing my time but managing myself. Making sure I stay away form text message conversation, youtube jumping, news reading and other time killers.
I would defiantly like to see some worksheets that are easy & simple to maintain to track progress. An accountability system would useful as well. I would do it everyday if I knew somebody was waiting for me at the gym. I’ll be at next guru mastermind summit so I look forward to your tips. Don’t know if that is just me or if other people feel the same way.

Best Regards,
--Gary Zaydman

I have a hard time staying consistent - too many other things pull me away such as a new ebook, new mastermind group, etc.

Hi Eben,
My biggest Time Management Challenge has to be email management, especially when I have to sort through all the jink, spam, legit ads, unwanted ads and offers while trying to avoid missing important emails from partners, sponsors, customers and still be productive.

Ricardo

Having too many different things to do!

Committing to a course of action for the day.

Thanks Eben. you are wright a bought time been wasted
My bigst problems are Email which taking 90% of my time in most cases without any benefits as you say life is short and we can't replace it. Take care Louis

Properly prioritizing my work, so that I do only the highest-value tasks.

Also, categorizing the tasks by what I should do myself, and what I should outsource to someone else.

For me the challenge is how to set priorities...
I once saw this really nice demonstration with two glasses sand and serveral rocks. If you put the sand (all the small things you need to be doing in the day) into the glass first you won't fit all the rocks (the big important things you need to do) into the glass. But if you put the rocks in first, all the sand will gracefully fit in too. But I am not able to implement it. i get lost in just keeping up my life as is. So even though I know a lot I have not started with the big things....
I guess the other way to frame it is commitment, disciplin and i guess you could call it devotion to really set the time aside to work towards my goals...
Hannah

My biggest problem is focus and concentration. I want to do many things in this industry and have the talent but the focus is off centered

I don't have an office at home so I am in the middle of the family all the time, so I stop and start and lose my way.

My biggest challenge is to keep focus on the important things. My attention is easily lost.

Hi Eben,

My biggest challenge dealing with time management is prioritizing.

My biggest time management thief is myself.

I am so caught up in detail and paperwork and having to "know" what everything is about in detail before I can take the time to risk doing it.

I really don't know how to manage my day and in what order. You would think at 53 years old and a secretary since I was 17 that I could do it at home. My work is organized; my home office is a mess.

How do I sort, when do I call people; where do I go to network (have been a mom and had a J.O.B. for years) ; I don't know how much time to focus and if I don't get it done I feel guilty.

Afraid to pick up the phone but am getting better.

Bottom line, I'm too detail oriented and not enough "action" oriented.

Please help me put my MLM business in order.

Thanks
Ruth
To expand your network, please check out : www.zenzuu.com/ruthk

Hi Eben, You rock dude! You're onto something here... time management is my biggest challenge. 32 years old, resigned from my last "jobb" October 1999. Cool eh? Yeah, but guess what? Turns out I'm not a very good boss for myself. Biggest challenge is that I don't have to answer to anyone, and don't have anyone to answer to. I have my freedom, and now I simply don't even listen to myself. One guy sets the alarm and has a plan to be productive going to sleep, another guys turns off the alarm and sleeps in the next morning. I haven't gotten these two guys on the same page. Years are going by. Constant rebelliousness against myself. Life is good, but it could be better, MUCH BETTER! I often wish I could go through USMC Boot Camp again to condition in habits and routines. I have a goal to take one month and go to a place like Canyon Ranch with full support to condition in the daily habits and routines (sleeping, eating, exercising, reading, writing, communicating with family & friends, autosuggestion/visualization, money management, working on projects, etc) I want and need to have the levels of health, happiness and wealth I desire, but my bad habits are holding me back and it's taking a looong time to make changes. I've resigned to "little by little, bit by bit". This from a guy who's made plenty of major changes before, a former "poster child for change". I move to Hawaii in December permanently and view this as an opportunity to reset my clock and build the habits that will have me closer to my potential in this life instead of watching people continually steal from me, including that rude guy in the morning! I'll be watching and listening.... THANKS!!!

The attraction to "eat" all the TRULY VALUABLE information that is being provided by the "gurus" or the news, or whatever.

The info IS valuable... and RELEVANT to my business... but it is impossible to consume it all and have time left to produce anything...

The only choice seems to be to pass up good info... and therefore be less informed... but perhaps more successful!

Hi Eben:
Email - I have so many good well wishing friends that have good jokes and political commentaries to send I can't stand it... I have for some of them have Outlook automatically file them for me and look at them when I have time. (That works) but when Obama is screwing around it's need is immediate for me to forward it on to my 30 friends so I do not seem outdated. It takes me an hour at least everyday to go through all the cool stupid videos my friends send me... and many of them are fantastic... like airplanes and animals and fishing and such.

Sure... I could kill all my friends email everyday and save 3 hours of BS and that doesn't include the 2 phone calls I usually have to make to other friends about saving our country and our constitution.

3 - 4 hours a day before I get to work and then I have to go somewhere and mostly nothing gets done... I'm semi-retired but I need to make some money to stay that way.

Your long time Subscriber..
Terrill

PS I do not even have time to read most of your emails!
arrrgh!

The biggest time management Issue I have, especially working from home, and in network marketing, are all the calls I get for help with this and help with that. Often, it's a very simple question, and doesn't take long, but it breaks my "flow" and the time it takes to get back in the "flow" is usually much more than the time I took out to help someone.

Eben,

I think one of the major issues in my life and probably of many other IM´s is trying - on a daily basis- to do and finish to many things. Things and/or activities regarding short & long term goals plus ¨normal¨ daily activities. And, usually feeling at the end of the day drained and uncomfortable for all the activities in my mind and my to.do list not completed !

What do you do to tackle this daily cronic problem?

Thanks in advance,

Ricardo Janet

You've already covered almost everything I can think of in your "Be a Productive Guru" video. But here's a few I thought of.

Distractions from email and telephone are the worst, but I also get sidetracked while looking up stuff on the internet and ending up reading about something else totally unrelated that caught my eye. 10-30mins later, I realize I've been sidetracked and then try to return to what I was supposed to be doing.

I also have a hard time starting on something when I know I'm going to have to stop shortly for an upcoming appointment of something. Listing, prioritizing, and scheduling what I should be doing is also a big problem I'm trying to tackle.

Thanks Eben for all you do, especially the free stuff as I'm not yet productive or efficient enough to fully benefit from your GuruMasterMind Program. However, I hope that by utilizing your free stuff I will be soon.

Roland
http://www.TechSquadLive.com

My biggest problem is trying to carry out too many projects at once. I need to focus on the most productive projects that will benefit me and my business the most.

I am also too easily distracted to the next best great marketing tool that is being launched instead of using the numerous tools I have already effectively.

Regards

Steve

My biggest problem with Time management is that I always have too much things to do in a day and can never seem to get through everything, something almost always get left behind.

When a person has too many things to do than is physically possible in a day what do you recommend?

side track
time
speed
the big picture over all

Some challenges I notice regarding time management and productivity that I haven't seen adequately addressed elsewhere are:

1) When doing a lot of inner-work on myself, I often successfully shift my perceptions, awareness, my way of being with reality. I tend to notice that doing so is often followed by periods of adjustment, self reflection... like stepping into a new version of me and having to get used to that. So my challenge is a great way to develop massively as a person and maintain a cogent calibre of alertness such that as I do, I can be maximally productive instead of distracted by such shifts?

2) I'm naturally interested in exploring as many worthwhile experiences as I can. This curious nature leads me to often choose to do new things instead of narrowing my focus. How can I satisfy my desire for breadth of experiences and stay focussed enough to be very productive?

3) If I'm aware that, on a given occassion while attempting to get something done, I notice myself experiencing a way of thinking that distraction creates a feeling of releif, how do I, in that moment, powerfully refocus my attention to go into a really productive state and complete the task at hand?

4) If I'm under pressure to perform, how do I balance and make sense of short term and long term choices; for example the difference between working until 4am to hit a deadline, or getting enough sleep and not reaching a deadline?

5) How do I balance following my intuitions and inspiration and applying a structure that encourages maximum productivity? How can I be an artist and maximally reliable and organised?

6) I consider myself to be quite empathic or certainly sensitive to peoples "energy" such that if I'm around people in a certain mood, I feel like I can process their emotions through myself which can be distracting. What do you consider the best way to deal with other peoples "energy"?

7) How do I deal with the growing deluge of cleverly conceived adverts that attempt to out evolve my process for handling them?

8) How should I think about what I'm doing so that I naturally hit all my deadlines earlier?

(Having been through the WakeUp Productive Program as part of the GuruMasterMind; I think what you've created is fantastic and very beneficial for me).

My biggest time challenge is managing my digital data. How do you organize your various computers, external hard drives, emails, website, blog, newsletter, audio recording, video recordings, written content, testimonials, tele-seminars, pod casts, webinars, digital pictures, social sites, outsourcing trascribing, articles, voice mail and more. I am learning technology as quikly as possible and find myself very challenged. Do you have experience with VM Direct or similar video email service to share?

Michael

Monkey Mind is sometimes my biggest problem being 50 plus it doesn't take much with adult daughters and a son who at times act like children as does my wife the mother of them. I have a great foundation of knowledge but can not seem to get to work and make money. For me it's time to stop learning and start doing what I have learned. You can not imaging how many houses I started on this foundation (Mentally). The magic bullet for me lately has been, Never Give Up!

When people do not deliver and I have to scramble

My own timemanagement is excellent, however it is some time hard to get new managers up to speed with time management

Hey Eben,

Firstly, I can already tell that the Wake Up Productive Program will be a great program for those who would like to focus on being more effective during their work time. Especially for people who have no one to manage other than themselves!

So here's my situation: every two to three months I make a list of things I'd like to accomplish. What ends up happening is that I start out great and then after three to four weeks, I start slacking off and end up losing interest in doing the things I initially wanted to do.

Moreover, I start distracting myself from my initial goals by creating new ones every time a new idea pops in my head. It's fascinating on how fast I just throw out all the goals I had to start "fresh" again. This leads me to believe that my decisions are often based on an emotional whim and so they become unstable. In the end, this just makes me not focused on anything anymore and so I become far less productive and persistent. This deeply frustrates me, because it seems to be going on for quite a few years.

Also, I'm a major procrastinator when I have to do a task that I don't necessarily enjoy, but that I know will pay off in the future. This is by far my biggest challenge, even though I know exactly what I have to do. As soon as I sit down and I'm about to start, there's this immense urge to get away from the task at hand, I end up doing everything BUT what I set myself to do.

Thank you,

Khalil

I have a hard time getting going in the morning. I wake up knowing what I want to do, but I won't get out of bed for some reason.


Maybe the reason is I am up late at night working on SEO and copywriting and research and have lots of ideas. How to get to sleep on time would be helpful. I have found stretching before bed helps.
I can always use healthy meal tips.

Hi Eben,
my biggest issue is when I sit down to do the most important thing there are always other little things that I think of and do them right of away. For some reason I always try to get the insignificant stuff out of the way first which is not the optimal way to do it.
I know that this is common but I do not know, I guess the answer is to prioritize but smetimes there are other techniqes to be more productive

Time managment and the internet. THE HANDS DOWN QUICKEST WAY TO MAKE MONEY ON THE NET. For cheap (for low income people like myself) The thing is, we can either go get jobs, but we waste our time doing so... Try to make cash on the net, (for starters) very difficult to move anywhere so you DONT have to get another job- which then takes away your time. See where im going here?

My biggest challenges come when I start a project only to find some aspect of the project requires someone elses attention and I have to put it aside only to wait for someone else to follow up or act before I can continue. When I lose focus in this way it seems to put a ripple effect of lost focus in my day and causes havoc. The challenge I face is getting back on track with the remaining projects without devoting undue attention to the project and waiting for someone to act.

Hi Eben. I would say my biggest problem is because I still work my business part-time, I'm a bit scattered when I get down to it. When I try to implement the things I've learned, I find myself at a sticking point and then disctracting myself to find a solution. This always leads me to getting off tasks and more scattered.

My greatest time management challenge is that I cannot focus my self on one particular task, thoroughly complete it and then move on. I'm very random and try to make everyne around me happy while I lose out on myself. I need to learn to say NO! and get things done in a systematic, prioritized fashion.

I have a hard time getting really clear about what I want. When I do have time to sit and think about this stuff, my mind tends to wander into gazillion different places. I know that meditation and such would help.

But I know that getting clear about my outcomes will help me prioritize my life and plan my weeks. When I sit down to write this stuff down, I get stumped.

I think everyone wants a recipe, but it's a unique to the individual.

Anyways, i'm rambling. Don't really have a question for ya. There's a lot of fine books on time management. I've even read a few. But my problem is just figuring out what is really meaningful to me.

By FAR my biggest time management challenge is my e-mail. Once I've opened up my e-mail box I find myself lost in the flood of free videos and "have to haves" that I feel compelled to at least take a look at.

Don't get me wrong...I love the videos and learn a lot from them, but they're sucking up way too much of my time.

I've tried different tactics...such as leaving my e-mail to be opened at the end of the day after I've accomplished my other goals and tasks of the day...but this system only seems to last for a few days and then I find myself right back into opening and reading my e-mail first thing in the morning and before I know it, it's already noon and I haven't accomplished anything that I set out to do that day.

Suggestions Eben?

Thanks,
Jane
http://sales.yournichetemplates.com

My biggest frustration is meeting deadlines, or somehow always finding myself in a situation where I end up leaving a very important assignment to the last minute.

Good idea....Time Management
I'm a caretaker for a 104 year old ex mother in law. She has many needs and is always interrupting me at the keyboard. I also get many,many emails from people wanting me to send them money for this or that.
I'll be 80 in a couple of months and am studying AWAI's course for Six figure copwriting. Not much time to work but I get up at 5 and work for a couple of hours before she gets up. Thats my life for now.

Just finding my lifes purpose
The career which i love and feels like a hobby!

Please help me out and in the future i'll do something for you in return guaranteed, i promise!

Hi Eben,

Today...losing all emails received since 4/14/08 :-(.

In general, having more emails than I can possibly keep up with. I enjoy being able to stay informed of things going on, yet too many is too many.

My need to manage my time among website updates, contacting lists, advertising, etc.

Your offerings are always so greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Richard Mosely

Everything seems to take me longer than everyone else.

Simply having a shower takes me 20 - 30 minutes. Making a sandwich 20 minutes. Washing up - 20 minutes. My mind is always wandering. I seem to be thinking too much about everything OTHER than what I'm up to and it just slows me down.

The biggest challenge by far is dealing with overdue accounts - i.e. chasing people for money. It is a complete waste of time and resources. It robs me of productive hours, yet if I ignore them it becomes a cashflow issue.

My biggest challenge when managing my time is not, that I don't know how to manage it. I know all the theories that are out there. My problem is getting myself to start planning. Although I know all the benefits of time management, I get my self lost in all the things I need to complete. I feel I am too much future oriented on all what I could do, so that i loose the now - the things I need to do in order to get to the future. I hope it helps. Regards, Billy

For my biggest time-management frustration, I have to echo your email. Interruptions. Whether the phone rings off the hook, or people "catch" me, it often "costs" me when I re-route my own plans. Many of these interruptions are urgent -- someone is sick or needs help -- and I feel like I have to oblige right away. Urgent/important or not, interruptions throw me off my schedule, my plans and my goals.

I would have to say my #1 biggest Time Management Issue is scheduling & balance. So many projects, so little time. How to say no, and still keep clients wanting my services???
HELP!

My biggest frustration is trying to decide which project is my highest priority. Another is trying to get my parents (90 and 84) to realize that when I'm on the computer, I'm not just playing - I'm really trying to build a business that will support me (and them.) They have 60 years of thinking of me as a child, and it's impossible to get them to understand that it's now they who depend on me, not the other way around.

The biggest step is always the first one in getting started in a productive session. I have found the only way to get into a productive mode is to simply start, sit down at the desk or computer, start typing or writing, then make more focused adjustments as I get into the session. If I wait to "get organized" there are too many distractions that seem important on the way, pulling me off track and taking time away from the productivity goal.

My biggest challenge is finding the balance between what I need to do and what I have the stamina to do, with the added complication of limited finances. I am disabled (car wreck 7 years ago - uninsured driver) and my wife is a disabled veteran who is going back to college. To help her I am taking care of the house best I can and working on my site/blog and some new music books I want to release in the rest of the 4 or so hours/day that I am up to doing anything. I listen to the free videos and read some of the blogs and free e-books because I do not have the cash for any of the paid programs. Your stuff has been a big help! ( I don't even have the $300 to file for a LLC in my state.) So I do what I can, as I am able.

Having enough of an organized and living task list to be able to respond appropriately when the myriads of time and energy requests present themselves. My calendar gets out dated and then life does to me, instead of me knowing what is reasonable and what is not. Plus, I spend too much time online (infotainment) instead of getting through my books. (I know, there's my answers right there ... thanks).

My biggest challenge is deffinently information overload. I work full time on my Internet business from my home office and trying to keep focus on that one thing (job) that brings in that next paycheck can really be frustrating, when I do not know for sure which plan or ‘business opportunity’ to follow to make the next paycheck. I never really know for sure if it is worth my time, right now, to pursue this special project and not just focus on that one thing that in the long run will be a real good business. I keep getting bombarded with ‘quick cash’ opportunities, which I sometimes have to follow in order to make money. I need one great plan that brings in money now and in the future. Does that make any sense?

The biggest problem is CURIOSITY! Every time an email arrives by a person I respect offering a new video or a webinar or a product, my tendency is to check it out, Then I visit the forums and ....oh cripes, it's time to hit the bed. There's always tomorrrow!

When your task require outside resources out of your control and it throws your management off how do you get back on target?

My biggest challenge is staying focused. I start to plan and get side-tracked into making calls from my to do list.

I'm the thief. I'm 80 years old, disabled, can't walk, see or hear well. Won't give up. Get every friend or relative to do things that need doing that I can't do. Trying to heal cancer naturally. Want MOST to be independent. Would even like to earn money. Pray a lot.

Checking e-mail and browsing the Internet has almost become an obsession and I waste much too much time doing it.

How about a computer folders and subfolders filing system with a file naming strategy to efficiently and easily pull up computer files, and to minimize time to reach a file, and to easily remember where the file is.

Eben, for me it's just figuring out what to spend time on. I'm sort of a newbie so I'm all over the place. I get different advise from different people. Some suggest having a blog some suggest working on your copy writing and the list goes on and on. I guess it's like you said "in the guru business you need access to the right information at the right time from the right guru's" and right now I don't have that. I hope this post helps.

Charles

It is amazing looking at this huge list that has all the issues I face.

The NO. 1 thing is not having a plan. Or not following the plan. I have used many planning tools but none have lasted the distance. Bring it on Eban.

I'm looking after an elderly parent with health problems. I've been out of work for some time because of the difficulty in scheduling around my mother's needs, which only increase.

Right now my biggest challenge is in needing to make impromptu videos and I'm not an impromptu person. I need to write it all out then practice before I can ever record, then it doesn't look natural!

I have trouble with following through on what i need to do, if i get tired, i cant seem to follow through with what i said i was gonna do earlier that day

Eban,

You know the ol' saying, "great minds think alike," right? Well, it may look like this to most--for clearly you and I both have the great minds part down-- but the reality is this common viewpoint isn't a thought as much an absolute truth.

Your second comment said it well, and in my own words, "how you start your day is how you end your day."

It's about starting your day with a sound, balanced, nutrition food, well integrated, concentrated exercise and add to that some sort of mindfulness practice (can be part of your exercise like I teach or meditation) and I suggest a Gratitude practice to get the universal energies aligned...

Do this and only then can you know how much you've been needlessly suffering through your days.

It's all about your mental focus and physical energy. Master these and you are one huge step closer to mastering your time. Even the best time management will not in itself overcome a physical handicap which is the common state people have come to tolerate.

Here's to your life at Full Strength!

Thanks,
Shawn

My biggest challenge is juggling a fulltime job, being a father and husband to the best of my abilities with limited hours, and then attempting to squeeze in a little time to devote to building an online business.

What happened to the luxury of sleep? :-)

Paul

Eben,

I have always appreciated the tools you have given other people by consolidating knowledge.

Making baby steps in any issue a possibility.

I'd love to get some tools that will help fight the battles when I know I am consciencely deviating from what I know is priority.

In college I used to wait tables. I would have 3 or 4 sometimes even 5 timers going off in my head which told me when is was appropreiate to go back to a specific table for service.

Now I have timers going off when I KNOW I should be making a move on a tack...but sometimes come up short.

Doesn't make me happy, not indicative of the man I am. I don't think it is a self-discipline issue...but more of "do now what should be now" What I like to call the "double now" Where what I am doing won't count as much if I do not do it now.

Like a waiter who is late bringing the check...he just lost his tip for not reacting properly to his timers.

Apologies for the sloppy spelling. Thanks for all that you do, and one day when I can afford to see you, it will be an honor.

Best Regards.

My biggest challenge is trying to set aside the time to perform keyword research to develope content for a website along with working a regular 8-9 hour job, meaningful time for my family and regular responsiblities maintaining my house.

I get caught up answering surveys like this one and being a "student" as opposed to an "implementer". I still have a hard time getiing the computer to do what I know that I need to do.

A bit tempted to first read all the comments in response to this post, but I figured out that was going to not only take my time (despite the advantage of learning a few things instantly), but also bias my opinion at least.

So I think the most devastating time cruncher for me comes in form of unplanned side attractions like paying attention to every minute detail before going on to the next step(not a bad thing, right?).


But until the day ends before I finally realise that I've only been able to accomplish just one thing.
A task list would definitely help a bit but they are often ignored till the end of the day if you never have to look at them while working.

I get far too easily distracted. It seems my motivation and dedication quickly wane.

Getting interrupted by fellow workers is by far the greatest challange to progress, closely followed by checking Email and a ringing phone.

Eban,

First, it is getting clear on exactly what you want. Ok so you want to be in this business or that business.

Second, it is getting help building a blueprint.

I think most of the time people was time b/c they are unclear what they are doing.

My biggest challenge is to set priorities that will lead me to productivity and follow them, since I have social life and things that i have to do in daily base. Thanx

Eben, for me it's staying focussed and concentrating on the 20% that gives me 80% of my results. For me the major challenges are dealing with information overload and deciding on priorities.

I think I have a 'Self Distruct Button'that is on autopilot so that once I am 1-week into something I want to do personally, i spend the money, get started, and then 'BUZZ' the button switches on. I am a professional business coach and I devote unlimited time to helping others create a successful business, but I havn't been able to give myself the same time committment to building my online business, even a coach needs a coach.

Remembering the fact that it is impossible to be "swamped".

Its more about focusing on what can be achieved and removing all other things that distract!

The problem is me. Knowing the thing that needs doing but prefering to do something else. Stephen Covey has his quadrants and often I am in the important but not timely area.

I work long hours. I have 2 & 4 yr old. There is such little spre time to get anything going on the side, stuck in the rat race. There are too many webs selling courses which only sell the candy floss of marketing. THere are so many web softwares - which to prove - where is one damn course that gives you it all - all the steps to get ahead. It is the wasting of time finding the peices to the jigsaw puzzle when you just don't have time - that makes it take forever to get soemthing started in an area where you have a lot to learn

my biggest problem is a lack of concentration

I get so many ofers and trying to decide how to screen and decide what I need and don't need is a critical concern of mine. And time waster. Too much hitting my email box. And I am naturally curious and that adds to the problem.

My biggest frustration was with too much time management,craving communication, and free time, for years. When I went to work as a minister, serving in a large school. They rushed us all day, provided all our needs, but not a minute of free time, to talk to others, from dawn til bed time, and on my day off, I was to merely leave the premises, No management in the school, nor fellow staff, could find time to talk, nor even support my written queries, except maybe two minutes per month. When everyone is managing every minute, the scene breaks down, in the opposite direction. Mikey

Eben- like so many other responses my problem with time management is Focus. I write a daily "to do"list and try my best to stick to it but checking emails and updating or viewing social network marketing groups are time consuming. Before you know it the day is just about gone. It's frustrating and I am fighting to overcome there distractions/ stressors...not to mention distractions from the family.

My main problem with time management is that I am unable to work within the stipulated time that I set for myself... I am trying my very best to always be ahead of schedule in whatever I am asked to do..
Waiting impatiently for Mr. Pagan's impending powerful lessons on Time Management.

Doing stuff right the first time and then having to deal with vendors, suppliers, banks, etc who screw something up. Then they apparently say the do not have the information I've already provided, asking me to provide it all again. Often they can't even find what they told me to do initially. Much time is wasted on this repeat nonsense.

Too many passwords to keep track of...15 pages of stuff and growing, names, credit cards used etc. None of the software's I've seen are worth a toot. Wastes time trying to get into to do your work and be locked out and need to hunt for password info. Then with all the worry warts requiring me to change my passwords "for my protection", more time is wasted. (Hell, if I can't keep track of my passwords, who else will how to use them, or even care to? Why are so many password changes necessary? A waste.

Hey Eben,

I have a couple of concerns which I would like to share with you; hope you take them into consideration while compiling & delivering the course or even your intensely valuable free videos :)

1 - How to handle distractions & externalities, yet be productive at the same time

2 - Multi-Tasking: (Basically, I panic when too many things come at my face and most of the times left without a solution which is affecting my health as well)

3 - Forecast Accuracy: Can you share a road-map for successfully achieving targets, i.e. from project conception to end product (projects in pipeline, forecasting and getting the best results)

Thanks for being such an amazing person :)

my 3 main problems:
1. When in the process of my work I find something problematic that I don't know how to solve I immediately loos my concentration and cannot go on with other things.
2. Determining what kind of activity will actually bring the business profit.
3. I am in a period in which I am trying to astablish a business from home but I still workink full time job, and I find it hard to use my time effectivly sometime because I am too tired or lose my concentration.

Remembering that every minute wasted is a minute you will never get back.

By wasting I mean wondering off on tangents etc...

I think it boils down to lack of discipline.

Not waking up supercharged with energy. It takes about an hour to warm up.

Hi Eben
my biggest challenge is growing from being a single operator to using leverage and having a small team. too many skills sees me tied up doing work that i dont feel confident in outsourcing.
Love the altitude videos, your interview with Tony Shwartz was amaazing.

Always looking for next cool technique, tool, magic bullet, or shiny thing that distracts me and I end up Never finishing one project before jumping to the next.

Another relevant challenge in terms of time management and productivity is carefully making sense of the amount of time I contribute to other peoples development and making the most of my own.

In many ways I am very productive working with different people; and this yields a benefit though I'm not always (directly) the person who benefits the most.

So how do I best make sense of how to orient my time so I'm massively contributing and taking care of myself?

Hi Eben,
The biggest problem with time management for most people I believe has less to do with the different techniques that they use or know, and has more to do with lack of intrinsic motivation to take control of their life.
I would really enjoy some information on the topic of long-term motivation, and getting rid of distraction and negative people, so that your focus can go where is most important.

Email. Trying to keep up with it and the distractions such as continuous offers for the next big thing. In addition staying focused on one task at a time until it is completed. I find myself scattered over several projects at once and none getting completely finished.

Hi Eben,

Like your style. Kudos man.

Leveraging time seems to be my hang up. Too busy
to do anything but
sporadically apply myself
to all fields of endeavor.
Finding time and trust are two of the hardest time
mangement problems. I am
still in the development
stages at this time. My
time prior spent in
researching and actual
studying. Too many
mentors and not enough
money/personnel, LOL.

Have a great and prosperous day.

Eben,
The time management sections in the Altitude course were most helpful, so I'm sure this will be a good product.
But I'd be reluctant to invest in this until you fulfill your commitment to us Altitude subscribers who couldn't make it to the one-day marketing session in January. You promised us a DVD of that day, and for months all I've been hearing from your staff is that there are production snafus and it should be out in a month. But each month it's the same story.
Please follow through on this. The marketing aspect is one of the main reasons I bought Altitude.
Thanks.

It seems like we have developed so many new ways to interupt ourselves. The worst is that there are things I want to do and things that I have to do, and I prefer to do the things I want to do... well you get the idea. But on top of that it used to be the phone and the open door were the worst interuptions, but now we have email, instant messanger, blog alerts, and the need to twitter, myspace, yada yada. It seems like you never finish anything where you don't get interupted by something before you are done.

How to overcome my procrastination towards those tasks that I know are the most important 20% that will gain me 80% of the results I desire.

My biggest time management challenges are on topic of how to get back from distraction and how to plan flexible enough, so that I can use the external opportunities.

Thanks in advance,
Nash

too many project options.

My comments are the same as Sharon Hayes - lack of a gatekeeper and underestimating the amount of time something will take!

Being self employed & working from home, with the cutest little Son in the world, how do I ensure I'm giving him enough time and me enjoying enough irreplaceble time with him, balanced with being productive and successful in business, but if business is really the means to an end, almost makes me want to work a bare minimum and have a blast with my son.

My biggest time management problem is more an information problem. I still work a 9+ hour a day "Day J.O.B.", and when I get to my business there is / are so many different options and or people trying to give me advice (the internet gurus)that I don't know where or which way to go.
Thanks

My biggest challenge in Time Management is use of computer: internet (it takes forever for each page to appear), email(too much junk and too many messages from everybody; friends forwarding those powerpoint junks), windows vista (too many crashes of OS and IE browser), email on mobile (it really sucks: one gets hooked).

The hardest thing for me is to work on massive tasks that don't need to be completed for months now. The stuff which needs to be done immediately otherwise consequences will ensue is easy. But the really important stuff that takes weeks or months to do and often has no set time at which it must be completed is hard to get motivated about now.

Hi Eben,

My biggest challange in time management is adjusting my effort in a time frame compared to the work i have to get done. I'm still satisfied if I finish half of what i intended to do , but would be more happy finishing all.

AA, and i hope this product will contain new material, not old rehashed stuff.

cheers,

My biggest time management problem is in being clear about what areas to focus on. I tend to be scattered, going from one project to another, and things get done, eventually, but not very efficiently.

Interruptions by phone, Fax or E-mail. Knowing which ones to respond to and which to send to the trash where they belong.

Hi Eben

Lack of confidence and endless worry, are the
biggest time wasters
in my life.
Marion

Hi Eben

I've often wasted time on some new internet marketing strategy/program due to my lack of experience before I realized it really wasn't a very effective strategy/program (or had no support).

My problem is how can I judge whether something is worth spending my time on when I lack the internet marketing experience to make a judgment in the first place?

Cheers
Gina

I wonder how many adults suffer from ADHD (adult deficit hyperactivity disorder}? To some degree most might have some problem. What is the answer that is safe and natural?

My organization problem is very much like the rest only I do have a couple of days during the week that I can donate completely to my business, its just that when I get started I start looking at different programs that I have signed up for and trying to download them and for some reason they won't download on my computer. I have some issues with my website in that sometimes it goes away then when I get it back all my products are no longer there so I have to start all over again putting them back. Well I hope this helps you in some way.

Patty

I've used your technique of setting a timer, which works great, but what I'm having trouble with is leveraging my time, finding somebody that I can trust with caring for my child, housework, and all of these other things that have to be done that I don't have the time to do.

I work at one company and am training for another opportunity.
In the meantime the thing I'm most passionate about goes largely uncared for.

I am a firefighter, own my own plumbing company, and I'm trying to become a real estate investor. Plus I have a girlfriend who wants to get married and have kids. I wish there was 40 hours a day! That is my biggest pain

Hello Eben,
I would say,be able to get my brain to relax...so I can focus on the task in front of me...
Workin out before definately helps.

spending too much time on non-revenue producing action items and too cheap to get someone to do it. Having the attitude I spent $10,000 already on getting this business going don't need to spend more... I'll do it myself. The numbers are exact but that is the biggest frustration right now.

The other is being too opportunistic. The perfect example when yourself and other internet marketers say, "You got to go check out what my buddy Frank or someone is doing". Ok... it takes me away from what I am doing without knowing how it fits into my stuff. It's usually really great tidbits of information that I need to figure out how to fit into my business. Again, is this a distraction or part of growing a business?

Making the decision on the things that are strategic in nature versus opportunistic and getting better in identifying this in sales letters and the whole hoopla of a product launch.

For me it is balancing my family (hubby and 5 children) AND my business. I think within my business it is balancing mentoring time and marketing time properly.

I'm pretty good at the bit in the middle.... but its the getting started and sometimes getting it finsihed off where I need a kick up the butt!!!

Up for ideas.... and hey...get Richard Yorkes DVD out in the post...

My biggest problem is sticking to a plan that I start. there is so much noise out there that it is easy to get distracted.

My husband is terminally ill, and has been unable to work for 3 years-I am his caregiver.My 24 yr. old son just had his foot amputated from diabetes-I am his caregiver. My 80 yr. old mother lives w/me and is not to "with it"-I am her caregiver. Plus I have a 15 yr. old daughter(self explanitory!) and a 12 yr old son. Also a 26 yr. old son(my only help.) Grocery shopping, running all their medical accounts,
cooking,cleaning, paying the bills....on & on. I Usually don't even get to my computer until 9 PM at the earliest. I need another me.

Eban,
You are truly an inspiration when it comes to marketing! As far as free time is concerned or time management I would love to be able to focus more of my time on the large profit producing functions of my businesses rather than getting distracted by all of the nonsense that happens on a daily basis. I guess that means getting a little more disciplined when it comes to handling those little time stealing things that come into your life daily?

Who do you trust; who do you follow?

when my body is not active i tend to be sleepy which will result into a nap.,which i hate since its unproductive ..? do you have any boost? except caffiene///

One time management thing is eliminating distractions such as Email, Myspace, Youtube informational videos, Facebook...(blocking procrastination sources I guess)

Hi Eben,

Love your work man.

I find it very difficult wearing the many different hats for a scheduled period of time in my healthcare practice. I feel that I am constantly in catch up mode in the present which in one way is great as I love and feel blessed treating all my patients but from an executive hat I would love any tools that can better manage my time when it comes to marketing and scheduling out the future at least 3-6 months out for things like lectures, radio, writing ebooks, infomarketing, networking, training, etc.

My goal is huge expansion and growth. I feel overwhelmed and it's killing my social life on weekends. Perhaps I am impatient and want things yesterday. I am starting to trust others and fully delegate some routine things to my staff which frees me up a little but most of the time I am stuck feeling overwhelmed and just keeping up.

Breaking everything down into manageable pieces is key I know but it still seems like I am chasing my tail and before I know it I'm back to spending hours seeing my patients which I do love...

Being comfortable in the present while having a firm confident plan that is continuously set up months ahead of time in a manageable stress free way is key for me.

Thanks Eben. Keep up the fantastic service you provide!

Hi Eben!

Next to email checking too often (which I've now got corrected after watching what you said on Frank Kern's DVDs I just got last week...) I'd have to say that being single, and spending time on singles sites was my next biggest time-drainer - but just becoming aware by way of your section on Mass Control was a great eye-opener. Just the same - any input you have on this specific topic would be highly valued.

Thanks for asking!

Dave

Stevie Knight hit it on the head for me: "realistic assessment of HOW LONG a project/task should take". I'm writing a damn good book at the moment, working on it first thing everyday for 3 hrs, but I underestimate the amount of time it takes to get it completed... again!

Eben,

Glad to see your time management capsule.
See, we are operating in the business where extreme focus can derail our eventual agenda of selling products to wide audience. Yes, we needed the extreme focus for product development but now since we are done with the development phase and are into marketing and selling, we can no longer afford "horse with the blinkers" approach.

We have to address all the clients from all geographies with varied cultural backgrounds.
I am currently based in India but creating information products for US/UK/SG. Here the work culture is different from the one in US/UK/SG.
Sometimes due to cultural clashes, I bear the brunt. I cannot force people here to behave in a certain way even though they are obnoxious. My problems and frustration are not with any individual but with the nature of the way things are evolving. Since as a company we are very small, I think it is growing pain or startup hiccups.

Now, I have started to live with the change. I am loving the eccentricities of life and the way life is meandering and finding its course like water. So, no complaints with any body.

Vivek

1. finding the most important(valuable) things to work on.

2. Then muster the courage to do it.

Hello Eben,

I just have so many things on my mind for my business and really am just looking to eliminate distractions. I get caught up reading email and researching instead of actively completing the things that will get me where I need to be in my business.

You're a great coach so I look forward to your project.

Donovan

Networking events - they take soo long. And, then you have so much fo follow up with. Its like catch 22. If you make time to go, then you have to make more time to reply/write emails...
2-the way from my house up to my work , it take more time and taht make me so tire
3-when iam planing to do some thing our family( wife ) distruct it by her planing .
4- always ithinking well to increase my income, when iwant to paass through something will make me lazy to go on that project.
5- The most proplem to do my project to fine very strait person to mange this project, becouse iam busy in my work( emplye in private company )an dcna not mange the project well
6- some time my family always abourted out thinking ,they well not agree this project

balancing it all out. i.e. fitness, relationships, new projects, refining skills, keeping upto date on emails etc. and doing all this daily.

I find that I tend to waste a lot of valuable time. I know what I need to be working on but I tend to procrastinate the harder tasks until it's crunch time and I wind up putting myself into a box. I have a feeling this is putting undo stress on my life and I need to get organized and get a handle on things. Really need to help with focusing and just getting "it" done before jumping on to something else. Thanks!

Like others have said, managing a work/life balance is extremely challenging for me.

Another thing that's a challenge for me is prioritizing tasks/duties in order of importance, and defining a set routine to achieve those. Whilst I try and do my best there, I could always do with some help :)

My challenge always starts from choosing between or among competing interests and before I realise it, I would not have done anything and lost time if not both.

There's a difference between MyTime and TheirTime management. To manage your own time, you should manage other's: team members, stakeholders ... Be aware how they perceive time, what is important vs. urgent to them.

Eben,

Don't know how to say this. If I write this down it feels a bit stupid. But my biggest problem is knowing what to do and finishing my projects till the end. I tend to start, be enthusiastic for a little while and quit before completing. I.e. my shelves are full with half and even full written manuscripts, but I don't make the last step to put them online.
Another problem: despite the rumours that it would be easy, it always takes me a lot more time to kind of finish.

My Biggest Furstration When It Comes To Time Management And Productivity... IS THAT I CAN GET THE BALL ROLLIN' AND ONCE I HAVE SOME SUCCESS I STEP BACK AND LOOK AT MY ACCOMPLISMENTS AND STAY THERE AND STAY THERE AND OH WAIT A MINUTE I'M NO LONGER ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING... Kind of like the fat guy that says I lost 20lbs let me go eat A Bucket of fried chicken with a slab or lard on the side...WHY DO WE DO THIS???

I'M NOT IN INTERNET MARKETING, I'M AN ARTIST BUT i AM HIGHLY INTRESTED IN WHAT YOU CAN TEACH ME ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT BECAUSE my career also depends on focusing on the essential. Inspiration brings many ideas and it is allways hard to discriminate those who will best serve the purpose of getting through to the public , or to the art galleries.
What techniques do you have, to sort out the best ideas?

My biggest "thief of time" is reading every latest "golden bullet" from the internet gurus (and email lists) and trying to decide which ones and how many I can successfully manage; what is the recommended hours to be spent profitably on a task?

Hi Eben, Two big ones, sorting out the REALLY important things I MUST get done(usually spend waaay too much time trying to work this one out)and not falling victim to the email/phone trap. I guess it breaks down to better planning, which will require more education on my part, and learning to NOT get sidetracked from my schedule:)

For me, it's knowing how to prioritize my tasks and scheduling effectively.

1. Motivation
2. Keeping focussed and consistently productive - even on menial tasks.

Aloha Eben
from Gina in Honolulu

Yes, what they all said! LOL

Not enough time in a "lifetime" for all the creative projects I am capable of.

I love your style and inspiration-Thank you

My biggest challenge to time management is learning how to say no.I tend to accept every request for assistance,company,etc.

Hi, I'm a serial procratinator. I'm so glad that Wake Up Productive has come along. I would like to share my story with you all - it's about the perils of reading the wrong stuff at the wrong times, and how this can affect your marketing and how the Koreans used this technique on POWs: http://www.phatmarketing.net/blog/2008/09/warning-reading-this-could-screw-up-your-marketing-efforts/

I feel always busy, I could not find time to do my personal interests and I am rather a slow person

My day job is a school bus driver for special ed kids which is split shift and I have to get up at 4 am to get moving and at work by 5:45 am. I am not back home and at my computer any earlier than 5:15 pm and I have to be in bed by 8 pm to get my sleep. And then their is life in between or special field trips in the evening. My best time is in the morning to function and when I get home I am well wiped out and can not think. Is that a time management problem?

I work for Zielix Inc. I found some difficulty after launching a service or product. I found it difficult to manage time for marketing. It is the important part. I'm an unmarried person and have the time but its difficult to manage the time as i used to have stress after working long specially after launching a product.
I work with Zielix Inc as I have few shares in it and I also play a major role in company's product launching and marketing. I work from home.

Thanks
- Jake

Thanks to a few things Eben taught me, I've learned something REALLY important. At his recommendation, the few books I've read in the past 60 days have really made it clear that I have to change the underlying "program" before my actions can change.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and T. Harv Eker's concept of a "blueprint".

What to say when you talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter and his concept of Self Talk.

And the old classic - Think and Grow Rich - Autosuggestions.

In a short period of time I've proven to myself that what I say to myself affects not just my actions, but also how I feel physically and emotionally too.

Want to change your productivity? Change what you say to yourself about productivity. If you believe you aren't productive and just can't get stuff done - you're right.

Managing the establishment and marketing of a new business opportunity whilst working a part time job, caring for my family , homecaring and spending time with my ageing mother who is in residential care, plus somewhere in there trying to find time for "me".

My biggest challenge isnt so much managing my time but keeping a consistant flow of clients and work,Ive recently have become self employed in my own massage therapy practice and other things and I am having a problem keeping a consistant flow of clients.

My phone rings 20 times per day. Most of these interruptions are counter productive time wasting contacts. They definitely steal my focus and inspiration for my work plan. How can I wade thru the 150 emails I receive and field all these phone calls?

My biggest challenge through my life has been the fact that it usually takes a few minutes to a few days to make a bad decision, and a few years to a decade or more to fix it and try again.

Procrastination
Lack of Motivation
Underestimating the time needed to do a certain task
Serious distractions such as girlfriends etc

My biggest issue is being interupted for support issues, deemed as urgent, when it is just a simple thing to fix. I am trying to focus on Internet Marketing for optionsuniversity.com, but invarably I get pulled away form my focused tasks to answer questions that I do not have the answers to because it is not part of my responsibilities. I have a new assistant to do support issues, but this requires training him to the issues. I have been told to cut down my hours, so what do I cut out. I tried to put up a schedule of what my time would be spent doing, but this didn't take, nobody even wanted to see it, and so didn't follow it. Time management important, I will convince Brett to sign me up so I can be more effective in what I do. Now on to the several tasks I have to deal with this morning :)

Eben,

My time stealers are chronic pain and chronic fatique. I realy have very little time in a day to do my daily chores, check my e-mail, work on my website, fix meals and all those wifely duties. The only time I have to do any computer work is late morning just before the chronic fatique has taken over my body. I really do have have these health issues.

It revolves around fear. the fear of continuing to achieve and accumalate YET not getting what I really WANT...so it robs me of my time and focus. it still affects me even if I know the solution to it.( stubborness)basically emotional and Psychological power is the cure. Thank you DD! ha ha

Long attention span and the discipline to stick to workplan

I am a person that have never been able to hold (keep) for long time neither a relation( friends ) nor an objective ( or goal )
All of a sudden I reach and emotional aspiration, and ten I drop it.
I have two sons ( a Civil engineer and a Business Administration) and a daugther ( medical doctor ) and I have been married for 37 year (uninterrupted relation)
I act as a business consultant. 61 year of age and counting.
God Bless you and your effort to help others
Rafael

Thanks for the message..
well. I think that there are 2 things thatmakes me lose time..
1-Spleep more than 8 hours..
2-The people that are around me..
and I feel a little disappoint...
I´m an english teacher and Spanish teacher(http://spanishinguatemala.blogspot.com)..
so...I think sometimes that I'm wasting the time..
so..thanks a gain

att:Joshua

Starting in Jan.08, I knew nothing about online sites. Each e-mail I got if it looked like it would help me learn I viewed it. Now, I have 5 sites in progress. However, my time loss is out of beleiving. When I go to my e-mails I will have 800-900. How on earth can I get them off without also taking off the ones I need to work with my sites. Please Help!!!!!

Focusing.Resource management /mainly time and money/.Procrastination.Planing.Deadlines especially official,like tax.

hey! my biggest problem is that i
am always afraid to do things on my own,what will people say, and

procrastination.

Not necessarily the biggest problem re time management must definitely the most frustrating is losing paperwork or figures you know you have put in a certain place, then not being able to lay your hands on them when the person phones or when you're rushing to a meeting.

My biggest challenge is staying motivated to perform the work that I know must be done in order to succeed. In other words not procrastinating.

In all of my reading and courses, I keep hearing how a break every 90 minutes will increase your productivity and efficiency. It is always mentioned that one should do something completely different then what you have been focused on... like walking around the block, watering plants or eating a snack. First problem is how to refocus after the break every 90 minutes? The second problem is in eating the snack. Some advise chocolate or caffeine, others advise carbs, and still others advise protein. What's the best?

I am not maintaining consistency. Here is the example if I take up one project I should finish start to end. In between I will jump to another. At the end I won't finish any thing. I need to control my thinking. How does we do with effective productivity.

My biggest problem is procrastination. I tend to put things off until my back is against the wall. I also tend to work on those things that I like to work on instead of some things that are a higher priority.

Staying focused enough to not let the other things I need to do get in the way of finishing this thing I'm working on.

My biggest challenge? Working in my home office, where my wife also has her computer, and comes and goes doing her stuff (mainly e-mails). How to not be taken as rude when I am trying to concentrate and ignore her, as she wants to show me something or discuss something.

We celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary today, so we must be doing that right - but my personal business suffers!

My biggest challenge is sleep related. Since I was about 14 I have always been very sleepy in the morning, and wide awake at night so that I can't fall asleep until very late.

I've researched it a lot and tried a ton of different things, it's not caffeine or exercise or the usual culprits.

My body is operating on about a 25 hour day instead of 24 so it continually is shifting later and later. There is a medical term for this called DSPS (Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome). Lately I've been trying light therapy with some success.

Anyway, this has been the biggest hurdle to my productivity and time management.

Biggest time wasting Instrument is a nagging
Housewife, who allways
disturb the work, so far as
you work at home.
Get me this, do that,...
Therefore for concentrated work, there are
to make agreements, to solve such problems.
Otherwiese you get nowhere...

I've read that the the two best time management "techniques" are the 80/20 Principle and setting deadlines. Is this all there is? And are deadlines really that good for everybody? If not, then what could be an alternative?

Hi Eben
I'm been involved with internet marketing for about 6 mostley gathering information and trying to get a better feel for what's going on in the jungle of internet marketing.I got some great exposer from signing up for giveaways and got on many lists and sorta know who is who and who is really sincere about teaching others and those who just want to get in your wallet.I've come to realize to delevelope effective time management
skills you've got to stay focused and stick to a game plan.You're always going to have interuptions and distractions.It's just like anything else to get the results you want you must stay on course and block out all the other noise.It's very easy espically for newbies to develope poor time management skills.

Hello Eban.

My biggest frustration with time management is not being able to establish a routine for myself. I feel like i live in chaos. None of my days are similar. It sounds not boring but when it comes to money i cant even save up a penny. Thats why i always start to read great napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich every time, see the light at the end of the tunnel and got lost again. I read your double your dating book and it changed my whole life. It skyrocketed my success with woman. The reason for that is that everything you were telling was REAL,SIMPLE and most importantly CLEAR. I am sure you will make the same again. What i really ask you is to keep the price less than reasonable. Because when i suggest you to my friend he may be convinced but when it comes to payment, they always give up. they dont want to throw away their 40 dollars. So making it cheap will not make it less valuable, reverse it will give more courage to people who wants to advise it to their friends.
Best regards.

My other frustration about time management is that i am on depression pills.They make me sleep a lot and they make me to feel like " i dont want to do anything" I think this is really important point for people who has to use these kind of pills.

Time management issue number one taking time out for me and getting exersize.
I am that work a holic....
I must be starting to do something productive here because I no longer am sleeping in the chair when I get home from work. I am working on my business and self improvment automatically. I can't seem to wait to get started. Hum I just realized this. Joyce

My wors nightmare while working at home is the phone....the e-mails....I am a realtor and I live on my phone and computer....I can not organice myself and disconect the phone...I have to answer emails....particularly when money is short due o the terrible economy we are having. Me personally I am full of debt and I have to make money, but I can not concentrate. Thanks Eban for such wonderful training help!
Adriana

Email management.

My biggest problem is distraction and keeping paper work organised. my office/work area is always so cluttered with unfinished low priority stuff it is hard to move forward.

Starting a project and taking it to completion. I am trying to start some internet businesses that I signed up for on the web. I usually get bogged down with the complexity of web-based businesses and end up quitting them like alot of people do! I'm listening to alot of webinaars and I'm getting more familiar with the area of internet marketing. But, I need to get more familiar with how to build "lists", use of auto-responders, and good sales/marketing copywrite.

I work at home in networking business.

I am a night person--creative in evenings-8-12. Is there any hope for me and being effective at night?

My biggest problem is distraction from the phone ringing and from my roommate interupting just to ask a foolish question.
Thanks, Lucille

My one biggest frustration is consistency, that is doing the right thing day in day out for long enough to make a difference!

My biggest challenge that I have are interruptions and distraction.
I cant seem to keep my focus on things. sometimes I am too greedy to engage myself in different tasks in the same time fram.

Hi Eben

I think this time management course will be the greatest course for mankind, you've totally won my devotion.
Staff is to me the biggest problem; my staff think I've nothing better to do than to baby sit them all the time. I know if I could control my staff's diet I would be able to control their attitudes. How can I implement a diet plan for my staff?

I guess the main problem I have is staying focused and ignoring interruptions.

Regards,

Fred Gillen
http://www.FindaLocal.com.au

My largest difficulty is underestimating the amount of time it will take to complete a given task. I ALWAYS seem to run longer than the time I allot to accomplish a task. It moves my days off schedule and less gets done than I originally intend.

My day is so fragmented with lots of small but necessary interuptions.I have no "alone" time to work on important projects
in order to further our business.I "steal" a few minutes at a time but this makes progress extremely slow. VERY FRUSTRATING.

Procrastination and organization are my time stealers. I tend to get overwhelmed by what needs to be done and the time it takes to get organized that I end-up putting things off.

My biggest problem is that
nice and interesting things come first and opposite/routine ones last or not at all.
Perhaps I live too deep in my head and so it´s far too often and too reluctant to handle ordinariness/reality.
Routine things I make too fast and nice things last too long. But I finally and fortunately understood that I can and that it is up to me only, to do something about it.

Prioritizing what's revenue producing, and the first thing you spoke about doing things for a week and quitting b/c they don't work. Spend too much time getting ready to get ready.

Eben,
I know that my biggest challenge is technology. business email(s), voice mail, cell phone, cell phone text messages, cell phone voice message, message manager at home, email at home, faxing oh and having to change passwords frequently - our lives are spinning out of contro. After watching your video, I closed my email(s), turned off my phone(s)and made a list of all the "friction" triggers. I'm definitely off to a more productive day today.
Thanks again,
Lynda

I finally am making the time, but not making the best use of it. things just take me unreal long. It is mind blowing. Sometimes I get stuck on something and it will bring me down, but I am determined to get it done. I have soo much going on it is hard to focus. I am learning, but it has taken literally 15 years to get to this point and I am still struggling. If I could get everything done on my list, I would be light years ahead of where I am now

Prioritizing projects to get the best return on invested time and staying focussed and on track to fruition.

Ha! For me it really is people stealing my time - I feel that I spend way to much time walking people step-by-step through something that had I just done myself would have saved time. Alone I can manage my own time very well, but I fall apart when trying to manage my time & manage others time as well.

My biggest problem is sticking to one thing for a long period of time... and even when I do stick to one or two "main things" I still start up other projects within the same "model"... and as a result dilute my efforts.

My biggest challenge is having too many projects going on, all of which are important. I really need to prioritize the projects and take a lesson from you on breaking down activities in blocks of time.
Your information was very beneficial.

Hi Eben,

I have a husband that is disabled. The responsibility of handling all financial and household chores falls to me. He needs help doing simple things and has memory shortfalls. I live such a distracted and fluid life, every moment is subject to change due to the demands on my time. And if I'm quite honest, I use the computer as my source of peace and "me" time. I find myself playing mindless games just to maintain sanity. Okay, sometimes it is painful to face the truth about oneself. Thanks for your vidieos, they are helping.

Making call backs to customers that are having a hard time to make a decision,
they take up a lot of time!!!

I want to spend at least 4 hours a day socializing on my networks but I find myself spending far more than 4 hours talking, typing, chatting and that leads to neglect on some other tasks i need to complete, like data entry ect. Then I have piles of work to complete on the weekends when I should be having fun.I can talk for hours and hours on the phone, chat for hours on the internet and I would like to learn how to "wrap" up a conversation without feeling like I am not spending enough time with the person. Its in my personality to talk to much so it becomes a huge problem in my day. I put people first, work last. But thats my problem.

I need to get up, go out and take action. Talk to at least 5 people a day.

My hardest frustration with time management and productivity is unique in several ways.

I have always been a very organized and structured person ... spent 23 years in the military. It is those traits that really frustrate me. You see, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy last year and it really controls my life. I am not longer able to organize myself, work, or live. My challenge is to work around my illness that is unpredictable. So having 2 hrs of uninterrupted time is definitely an exception rather than the rule.

I think if I was not so organized that it would be easier. I find myself unable to function very well in a disorganized environment. For what it's worth ... that is my frustration.

My biggest problem is both a blessing and a curse. Because of the internet, my organization spans the globe.There is therefore a need for me to be available to support people much of the day. I could be on the phone or my blackberry from 7 am to 2 am. It is hard to turn it off and enjoy the blessings of self employment.....which is why people like me do this.

Finding a time when it is quiet. I find that I get the most work done from about 9:30-10:30 because my little noisy brothers and sisters (bless them) are sleeping.

Some times it is difficult to turn your mind off a subject. We all multi task but at some point you have to give a project a rest and go on to something else. The annoying part comes when you are working feverishly on a project and out of no where an idea or prase come into your mind about the project you are giving a rest too. Your concentration is shot so you jot down the idea so that you will not forget it and then try to refocus on what you were doing and where you were.

hello Eben and thanks for mail, my biggest challenge is to keep calm and head clear I think as i have so many"balls" in the air at same time, i have rounded down to two jobs that goes hand in hand, but I have two grown kids who still need my help... and some other things
Vibeke

My biggest challenge is that I cannot concentrate on one thing, and one thing only. My mind wanders A LOT!

I use non-income producing tasks as avoidance to tackling tasks I'm unsure of that would be income producing!

My biggest challenge with time management is that as owner of my own business, I am always on. I know my husband feels like I work a lot, but I work from home with our kids, so I feel I don't work much at all. I have to make the few hours/week I have alone to work be productive because I know I'm not very productive when I'm also watching my children.

Hello Eben,
Just to know where to start would be great. I have a 40 plus regular job. On top of that I wanted to make money on the internet, and found myself signed up to a network marketing company and internet marketing learning how to build my own SEO site. As for life I only do what is nessacary, feed the animals and family. Once I sit down to write, ads or content I usually drift off because of all the things to do. Is there a software that would arange, schedule, prioritize, and limit times on certain projects that need to be done . Thank you for your time, I know how valuable it is.

Great Video, Great compilation of Management / Organizational ideas. Thanks for putting it together!!!

not staying focused, my mind is all over the place

knowing where to draw the line with projects and tasks...what is the difference.

Also settling on ONE system to manage myself...and finding time to work the system rather

For me the biggest challenge is staying focused. There are so many distractions, including my relationship with my wife,
that I need to set asside during the workday; easy to say!
Steve G.

The biggest issue that I have with time management is my family. I have a 17 month old and a 4 month old...and My husband goes out of town for work. So I am basically limited to naptime..which can be interrupted by the kids waking up early, or not staying on the same nap schedule and "windowing" their naps.

Very Frustrating.

Hi Eben,
You talked about my biggest time waster in your first video-reading emails. After that the biggest challenge I have in manageing myself is I commit myself to too many projects. Many times they are good projects that are for a good cause but they distract me from my personal goals and dreams.

My Biggest Challenge is to avoid doing what I like to do VS what I have defined as my priorities, I guess this has little to do with how you manage your time but more with how you manage yourself, after seeing your video I have named this behavior Monkey Tasking.

Thanks, Alberto M.

I'm 70+ and retired fifteen tears ago. Initially I kept myself busy by learning how to build a WYSIWIG website www.sacochius.co.za. Presently bored and indecisive about what to do.
Time Management For the Unrich Retired?

My biggest challenge is that I have difficulty with focus, specific one issue at a time focus. I'm not talking about multi-tasking.

I worked for the government for many, many years in law enforcement and corrections. My last employ was as a Sergeant in a 3000 bed state prison. Believe me, I can focus. What performance level I've had to maintain over the years is what they call flexibility. There IS no routine in this field. You want in the door and must be ready to deal with whatever is going on, and you need to be able to jump quickly to something else if it's a higher threat. Life and death decisions are made in seconds and you're lucky if you only have to re-heat your lunch in the microwave 5 or 6 times. Checking e-mail? When you get a minute. Going home on time, maybe.

What is a workable routine? I have a morning routine for myself. Once I sit down to work, I find it difficult to settle into a "routine". I know what things I need to accomplish and I work on those things, but it doesn't feel like I'm working in an optimized manner.

I need a frame of reference for this type of business, rather than the crisis management form I know so well. I'm good at crisis management. Without crisis management, I'm lost, and believe me I never liked crisis management in business. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Just wanted to say that emergencies like my cat getting very ill. Time to take to vet and then go get her. A husband who wants my time. A 93 year old mother. It is hard to set a block of time. I am trying to get up a schedule. I haven't done that I think that is what I need.

Arlene Ba

My problem is I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING ON THE COMPUTER.Norman

Hi Eben
Biggest challenges are:
1. Self discipline (lack of sadly}
2. Doing the important, when I should doing the URGENT like phoning prospects
3. Not following my daily 'to do' list
4. Getting out of bed at 7am not 6am
5. Not prioritising my work load properly
6. Fear of rejection
7. I read soooooo much 'self improvement' stuff I feel like an educated derelict
8. 'Procrastination is the seed of self destruction!'
9. On a personal basis like most folks - Being distracted by serious personal crap i.e. battling to see my son and fighting the gender bias family courts. Getting the home improvements and housework done etc.
Yours Tremendously Paul

My biggest challenge is raising a family and releasing that stress in time to concentrate on late-night business related projects. I feel as though I can't get my mind focused on what is at hand.

I don't think even you can help me with my biggest challenge!! haha My business is dependent on "walk-in" customers. I will be in the middle of something and have to get up to serve them. I do have staff but feel that if I didn't have my finger on the pulse all the time and know what is going on in the shop I would not be where I am now!! I am a 'home executive' too....kids, husband, dogs & cats

My biggest frustration is procrastination. I get an idea and then think of all the reasons why I should not invest the energy and resources in it.

My bigest challenge is getting my message in front of people that really want to join my business.

Convincing my wife that I need to work. I think my wife is my biggest distraction, but I'm not sure how to gracefully convince her of that and get my time back. I can't seem to focus and have uninterrupted blocks of time, even though I have a separate office outside of the house!

Hi Eben,

I am what one would call a patriot in the tax honesty movement. the goal is to get the executive branch to recognize the limited application of the tax laws encoded in the Title 26 (IR Code) and to recognize that people, at least the people of the united States of America meaning the states of the union, have fundamental rights with one such right being the right to the fruit of our labor. This is encased in case law by the Supreme Court in The Antelope, 23 U.S. 66, 120 (1825) which says: “That it is contrary to the law of nature will scarcely be denied. That every man has a natural right to the fruits of his own labor, is generally admitted; and that no other person can rightfully deprive him of those fruits, and appropriate them against his will, seems to be the necessary result of this admission.”

Needless to say the subject becomes very deep and complicated when the USA, Secretary of the Treasury agency IRS and its DOJ attorneys use deceitful tactics to entice the average working man/woman to pay such a tax when there is no corresponding liability; and even more complicated when DOJ utilizes federal court procedures to avoid producing evidence of the truth to the point of committing fraud upon the individual and upon the court. If it produces an outcome that they desire they are fine with it because the courts will not take a second look at the fraud if it were to be allowed by the negligence of the defendant.

If one is a "Taxpayer" then one should pay the tax on their "income" gain or profit from the activity which is subject to the tax. If one is not a "taxpayer" or one whose earnings is not a result of a privilege of government then one should be able to stand by his rights and not be hindered by an overbearing and out of control executive branch of government.

Obviously I am passionate about the subject. It is not one that I can let loose of for to do so would be to acquiesce to the fraud and become a fraud myself. The Father would not like that, do you think?

So, to answer your question, my problem is juggling between fighting the government, making a living, spending time with my family, and learning internet marketing which will become my new means of making a living. I have been a contractor for 20+ years and a change is certainly needed.

On top of that, emails take up a lot of time--even those I do not respond to. Learning internet marketing has substantially increased the email flow with so many people promoting products and so many ideas flowing in.

In starting something I want to have a clear understanding of what I want to accomplish and have a good idea of what it will look like in the end. I am coming to realize that this is a never ending process. New ideas are always being discovered. One difficulty is to differentiate between the ideas that worked last year and those ideas that are working now and will work in the future. After 6 months studying the subject I am getting a better picture of the subject.

I am finding that what you say is good. Breaking between subjects is good. And you are correct in that after you take a break it takes time to get your mind back into whatever subject might be at hand.

Blessings in truth,
Dave

Knowing what to do next. I get lost in a sea of possibilities.

My biggest issue is choosing what to do. I have had a business that has gone no where because I can't decide which market to pursue. There are several thousand items that I could make and several places I could try to market them in. How do you narrow this down?
That's my biggest issue, I just can't decide, therefore I do nothing.

my big problem is self discipline when I have trouble with the technical stuff I go total monkey mind and I am all over the place getting nothing done

Having others try to make their priorities your priorities.

First of all: GREAT CONTENT!!!

Secondly: To answer your questions - My biggest frustration regarding time management / habit change / business, etc is CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY. I get bored or distracted and then move on to the "next big/little thing"

Hello My friend, I did enjoy your video last night,and I realize that I have to work in almost every essue that you mention: the challenge and frustration is with time
management and personal productivity.I do play to many rolls,I'm a Pastor, for small church, I believe that it is still small because my lock of goal and focus on where the church need go. I'm also and Real estate investor I start doing this five years ago. I start doing my rehabs my self to the point that other people star looking for me to theirs rehabs, know that everything is going slow, I dont get to much of anything and endup in front of my computer trying to learn someting knew and I feel that I not getting nowhere, I have in my desk a mix of paper from the church, homes, estimates, and some time I dont know where to start my day.your video did made me realize that I need to start focusing on how to untangle all this mess.

Thank.

My BIGGEST frustration is that i get distracted easily. And i easily make excuses to do something else instead of focusing on one thing and one thing only.

A.D.D. I Have so many ideas that I end up in a wheel spin. I guess thats one way to know I'm still alive.

I think it’s important to understand that with small companies, managing any time when your plate is already overflowing becomes only part of the problem. Being a good organizer and delegator with the right people and a solid effective plan is essential for success.

To answer your question, the following are our greatest challenges when it comes to managing our time which also must include our objective with a determined focus on the goal. Only managing time becomes useless if it doesn’t solve the problem.

As a new company with an unknown and un-established product, here is what I think we need to accomplish.

1. Finding an effective, experienced, knowledgeable out-of-the-box thinker and manager who can take us from marketing to sales in exchange for a percentage on those sales. This will free us up to better manage our time and efforts. Finding such a person has eluded us.

2. Making “Littluns” a household name. Most people don’t know that we even exist. We need to find a better way to accomplish this goal.

3. Creating a huge buzz resulting with people inspired and determined to read the novel “Littluns” because it’s something that everyone else is doing.

4. Generating significant sales.

I’m usually very good at managing my time, but when there is more to be done and less time to do it, the challenge becomes a most interesting road to success.

Your information was extremely timely. I think distractions is the main issue with me -- thanks so much for your specific ideas. Excellent!

Thanks for your video. I am horable at mult tasking and very much a single task at a time person. The video was very insightful. I am 100 percent disabled and can only spend a few hours a day working. Every minute of that time has to count because when my pain reaches its max point I am done working for the day. Its usualy about 2 hours. Thanks and keep up the work. Also, I got stomp the search engine 2 and look forward to your training in its bonuses.

Hi Eban,
Thanks for asking input so you can better guide us in the future. Here goes:
1. The flood of email msgs
2. Self-Help programs - too many and it takes time to evaluate one from other.
And, if not replied to, they come back over and over again.
3. Though I am disciplined (have worked from home for several years), I am torn between whether to work on my original business or the part-time network business that I have started, which should be very productive if I can get figure out all that I need to learn - I'm definitely not techie.
4. How to not allow pressure from my "upline" to be a team player when the time spent at their meetings is time consuming and not effective for me.

I look forward to learning more from you. I very much enjoyed your class.

Just staying focus even for 30 minutes is a biggy for me. I hate big projects and will procastranate up to the bitter end.

The video was great. My biggest problem is getting the day started off on the right foot. I find that if I do my whole day is much more productive. I just don't seem to be able to do it consistantly. Thanks.

My biggest problem with time management is being legally blind. It takes me much longer to do something until I memorize it. After I do something once, I can usually repeat the process and get faster. I need a process to follow. I sell Avon and want to drive traffic to my Avon website. I have my own personal website that I have put on line. It is
http://youravonfamilystore.com
I have written an article on The Power of Positive Thinking. It is about me and my blindness and I am trying to get traffic to it and it is linked to my Avon erep site for customers to buy.

I have a lot of information but have trouble putting it into a process to accomplish what I want to do. Once I get that figured out then I think my time management will be much better. If you have any advice you can give me, I would appreciate it. Being new at this, I need all the advice I can get.

Thanks and God Bless
Maggie Kress
wwjd1@tds.net

Boy i see you have a lot f different comments, Thomas here with one of my own, time managament what really is that? If you have a website that sells plus its being used as a bonus site for a business companys members, i think your time would be at least 3 hrs a day if not less than that, a wise man said one time to me is that theres power in leveraging! it benifits your lifestyle in anyway you want it. Thats my Challenge for you. God_bless you guys. P.s. distractions make things worse. Set goals for yourself on a daily bases.

Juggling my real estate business and personal growth business. Phone interruptions is my greatest distraction. I want to be available 24/7 to my clients, however you're correct when you say it takes 20 minutes or more to find where I left off on a project.

To be able for consistent effort on main task (20%) without disturbing

We all have a level of "adult ADD". You may want to address with your next presentation.

I viewed your video yesterday.. Applied it this morning feelgreat
Routine....would be biggest Muti tasker...Slowing down thought
Thanks
A Texas

I work from home. I have a Family Childcare business during the day. I have an office in the back of the house to work and I have staff to help me, but I am interrupted by the children's parents and my staff. Evenings after dinner are better, but my husband says he never sees me. I know I have always inturrepted myself with emails and phone calls. I seem to be easily distracted. Your video made me really take a good look at myself. I'm trying to figure out a block of time I can work with focus.

Prioritizing Tasks and working on the most important things 1st.

I liked your video. In fact today I have applied the time chunk principle and it has been very affective. I'd like to share this video with my team in Brazil. Would you consider letting me transfer it into Portuguese if I still got you the leads? Down the road I could even market a Portuguese version of your products.

As for my biggest challenge I don't know. Many times I spend a bunch of time making plans and then I am never able to carry them out and then I feel that I wasted all of that time managing my time. I'm not exactly sure why. I think I don't have a good balance of time management and flexibility. Another big problem often times is getting out of bed. Often times it is difficult to get out of bed early when I don't have an appointment requiring me to get up.

Thanks for your help.

I hope to hear back from you.

Curt

Spending too much time on attempting to put out perfect material...being fearful of failing to succeed with projects. This leads to a state of inertia which is the ultimate waste of time!

getting people my financial level and above to be as excited as I am.

Thanks so much for the morning tips, now I need to put it into practice I already started this morning,when I am consistent then I feel like the giant of problems I have faced because I have started my day rushing, unprepared and it affects everyone and everything, then I feel guilty for it all day.

My biggest challenge is staying focused on one project (your statement on not multi-tasking really applies to me).

Plus, everything to do with computers takes longer than I plan.

And, if I didn't love your videos so much, I wouldn't spend the time watching and learning so much from them!

My challenge is setting up anything from a phone call to a project and having other people’s lack of performance or integrity cause me to have to regroup, reschedule, redesign or scrap a productively planned day.

What are my biggest challenges?

I guess it's staying focussed on one job at a time, & secondly, keeping control of my finances especially as an international Affiliate, my Countries currency is lagging behind the US Dollar

My livelihood is divided between my marketing business and multiple other activities, such as teaching. Splitting the time between them is a real challenge -- and these circumstances aren't going to change any time soon.

Eban,
My problem has to do with procrastination. I get all the little things out of the way before I start making calls. Making calls is the most productive thing I can do. I want to fresh, sharp and in the right mood to "do my thing" with the customer on the other end of the line.

Sometimes it takes me hours to make my first call.
Any interruption may cost me hours of time to get back into the mood of calling again.

My biggest challenge is interruptions - I would love to have the 2 hours to focus on the important things that you suggest but I share an office and have many people coming in an out with their urgent requests, as well as a requirement to answer my own phone and the phones of others if they are not there (we have a pick up after 3 rings policy - calls are not allowed to go to voicemail).

What is my biggest challenge?

I would have to say, after I do my morning job, before I can go on to my other job I get side tracked to easy. And I only spend a very small amount of my time on it. I guess I do the morning job first because I see a turn on my work.

Hi Eban,
1. It is spending too much time on the internet, checking out the messages that come unsolicited. I seems like I'm always looking for something better. I have in the last 6 months joined as an affiliate or downloades links in the hope that I might need it. I realize now that I have bitten off more than I can chew, and with the disturbances/demands I get everyday it takes me ages to read the webpage, follow through with the instructions to activate. Sometimes, when I get back, I've forgotten what it is I was doing.
The URL you see above is of my latest affiliate url with Smart Money Sites. This is accompanied with tons of reading, which even now I still haven't finished, because of what I described above.
(I've been "on the web" since Feb 08)
2. Learning the ropes. Back in March I found a site from which I bought "Adword for Beginners" This helped & taught me how to place my ad on googleadwords.I found out about Clickbank as well.
3. But only recently when I was setting-up for the SmartMoneyMachineSite, that I learnt about the importance of SEO. I felt like I've been putting the horse before the cart here.
4. I have 2 sites that I have to complete with SmartMoneyMachineSite, and as I have to write my own sales letters etc, I have been lucky, because I received an email from John Carlton, so I have an 8 week course/17 modules to do.
I think what I am trying to say here is that I've spent too long trying to do something I do not know enough about
5. So emails are so long, that really, I just cancelled them.
6. The "quality"of the recording on the video, and this includes yours. There are so many stops and starts, that yesterday, all I could listen to were up to the 4 Strategies of Eccective people. I don't know what causes these stops and starts, my end or yours. But it is a frustrating experience.
6. Lastly, my homefront. This is where I found your 4 strategies really relevant for me, and I'm going to follow them.
I hope that this info will help you help us all.
Regards,
Eta.

Finding something worthwhile to do with my time.

I am in the process of starting an online business venture. I am just so overwhelmed by the many sites and all the information. I can't seem to find the time to read & assimilate it all w/o my two kids constantly screaming for my attention. There is only so much time in the day and it always feels like the day comes to an end quickly w/o accomplishing much, leaving me completely drained. I am a single parent & my reason for opting to make an income from home is so that I can spend as much time w/ them.

Hi Eben,
I really liked your video that was reccommended by Mike Dillard. I look forward to hearing more.
My biggest challange is sticking to the shedule that I make for myself, usually because when working from home the family is around and its easier to get distracted. I also look at what others are doing and sometimes think I need to do more to get the same results and do not give myself the proper breaks until I see the success that I need.

Trying to stay focused while always getting text messages, always checking the internet, family distractions, food, tv, all of it!!!

everywhere i turn theres a distraction :(

Not knowing the right questions to ask
No business experience
Poor communication skills
One point that really sticks out is "no people no business" and "multitasks". Trying to recruit without clear focus and balance is where I am now. If I can master this one video I believe I will start seeing traffic in my business. What you say is attainable and duplicable. Thanks

You might not call it frustration, but I probably use way too much time because I am too thorough.

I am not alone! (Thank goodness.)

Biggest problem? All of the above, but most especially prioritisation, which leads to switching between tasks and the inefficiency (i.e. it takes 20 minutes to get back to where you started) that you described so well in your video.

My biggest problem is focus.
When I can focus I can get things done.

Hi Eben

Wow!! you really do make it all sound terrific. But, my biggest time management issue is that being still very new to the tech side it takes up an enormous amount of my time.

If one is still not in the financial position to be able to outsource..then you 'got to do it yourself'.

So I find that I spend a fair bit of time sourcing tutorials and watching them only to find that in most cases they are outdated or being demonstrated on different programs to the ones I am using.

I can't count the number of hours I have stared at HTML, page templates, cPanel, FTP etc not having the faintest clue what to do next.

Before I know it, my day is over and I have achieved...'not much at all'.

However, all that being said, you do motivate me to improve my total picture.

Many Thanks
Viv Deighton

Dear Eben:
My biggest frustration comes with interruptions. I recently relocated from NY after over 20 years in my profession. I am temporarily at my parents' home while looking for work, but they rely on me heavily. I have been questioning why I am not more productive in the course of a normal day, and your video is so spot on and full of common sense.

I am retired now. Before I retired, I always worked in an office environment where I could shut the door when I needed to. Now I work at home. The rest of my family is retired also. I can shut the door here, but I can't lock it. When I am really trying to concentrate and work there seems to be constant interruptions. And you are right, it takes time to get back to where you were after the interruption.

The most challenging thing I face with the people I work with is, how do I influence their work habits, in a good way, so that they are more efficient.

While I am not perfect either, the response will be helpful to everyone.

Richard

The biggest challenge to me is kind of funny because I have to clear my e-mail inbox really fast at the end of my 3-hour business day.

If I don't do my e-mail absolutely last thing, I get caught up in what someone else has decided is essential for me to know about or do.

But if I do it dead-last, I don't have the patience to put up with distractions.

The problem comes when an e-mail's message does capture my attention. Invariably, that means that I've "starred" the message so that I can take a closer look at it the next day--but not during my usual mad-dash e-mail time. So, I end up using my "work" time on stuff I shouldn't be.