If you are really serious about wanting a successful home business, you should start right out being organized. This involves having lists that include tasks and clearly outlined target goals you need to accomplish.
A few tips about making ‘to do lists’: Do not try to put a whole year of tasks on one list. You should ideally have at least three lists – one for now (today or this week for example), one for near future (the month) and one for distant future (6-months to a year for instance).
One reason for this is so that you are not trying to be organized using a list that looks like a complete snarled (scribbled) mess. Every time you cross something out because it has been done* or been cancelled, it gets harder and harder to navigate. Remember you don’t want your lists to become another obstacle. Lists are to help you, not hinder you further by becoming tedious.
Another tip about lists is that you should be realistic. Don’t put something on the ‘now’ list unless you are absolutely sure you will do it today or this week. When you don’t get to it, cross it off and move it to the next list = whether it will be part of the newest ‘today’ list you will create or pushed out to ‘near future’.
A point about not doing what you projected or planned, is that it can get discouraging when you don’t accomplish what you intended. No just once or twice (stuff does happen), but as a rule. If you often do not meet your deadlines, it would be a good idea for you to analyze what is happening to keep you from your target goals.
If you are really sophisticated you might want to look into Gantt Charts. It is really fun if you like to plan in detail. It has charts that show the beginning of a project and what needs to be in place at that time. Then as you go along it lists the dependencies. For example, can’t use the swimming pool until it is filled with water. It outlines how much time and what resources are necessary to accomplish each step of your plan so you can be ready for the next step.
Remember the tighter your plan and the closer you stay to the target, the better the outcome for your business. If you are a born procrastinator, you may find that just having the plan will encourage you to accomplish your target goals pretty much on time.
