Since the last week was busy for me – getting ready for a show and then leaving on vacation a day after returning  –  it was important to pay attention to how efficient I was with my time. I can’t remember who said that you get more done in the day before your vacation than you do in the whole week before. I definitely think there’s some truth in that statement. For me, part of the reason I shift into overdrive before I leave is that I like to return to a clean slate. It would be great to work more efficiently more of the time. Here are a few tips that might help you do that:

1. Track how you spend your time. At the end of each day and at the end of each week compare the percentage of your time used toward fulfilling your mission and achieving your goals with that spent elsewhere.

2. Set your priorities for each day. Select your three top goals for the day and work to complete those. If you are clear about what you want to accomplish, it’s easier to say no to something that comes up that doesn’t fit into you time.

3. Keep a copy of your mission and goals where you can see them. If you keep the end in mind, it’s easier to keep distractions at bay.

4. Learn to say “no” more often. If you have problems with this one, you can read a great article on the topic in the Spring Issue of The Professional Quilter.

5. Use caller id and/or let your answering machine take a message. You can allot a certain amount of time at the end of the day to return the calls.

6. Limit time on social networking sites. Connecting through these sites is important for the growth of your business, but they can be big time vampires. Set aside 30 minutes each day for Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc., and then stay off the sites the rest of the day.