January Newsletter: 10 Tips to Turn Resolutions Into Results

It's that time of year when we all set our goals make those New Year resolutions - lose weight, get fit, find a new job, get a promotion, make more money. All great goals but how many of us actually stick with it.

I know I often cover this subject at around this time but I think we can all benefit from a reminder. Here are few tips to help you turn your resolutions into results....


Read the rest of the article in this month's free newsletter, just register on my website. Free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management for your business and personal life. There's also a very Special Offer on an Audit Feedback Session for January ONLY.

August Newsletter - Networking, The Fine Art

Social media is very much in the news thee days and there can't be many people who haven't heard of Twitter or Facebook. Everyone is Twittering these days (me included), whether just for fun or to keep in touch with friends and family.

So why do we do it? For a business - it's another form of networking ...


Read the rest of the article in this month's free newsletter, just sign up on my website. You'll also have the chance to get a free Audit Feedback Session plus free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management for your business and personal life.

June/July Newsletter - Planning For Profit

Most of us are currently tightening our belts and being careful about how and where we spend our money, in the current economic climate. How many of us are as careful about where we spend our time?

Time Management might not seem like a particularly exciting subject but when you think about where you spend your time and what it's actually costing you, it puts the importance of good time habits into perspective ...


Read the rest of the article in this month's free newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management for your business and personal life.

May Newsletter - So What So You Do?

You've no doubt heard that question many times before. It nearly always comes up whenever you meet someone new - whether at business networking or social events.

Networking is something every small business should include as part of their marketing mix - especially if you offer a service. Whether you prefer online or face to face it can be a great way ...


Read the rest of the article and get your free copy of this month's newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management and your business and personal life.

April Newsletter - Brighten Your Future ... Today

There are few of us who aren't feeling the effects of the credit crunch. Now is a good time to take stock and think about what's important and re-evaluate where you need to be focusing both your time and your finances.

One thing the credit crunch has taught us is that money isn't everything - especially when you haven't got it and there are some things that money can't buy ...


Read the rest of the article and get your free copy of this month's newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management and your business and personal life.

March Newsletter - What Makes Good Customer Service?

Whether you're on the receiving end or the one providing it, good customer service can make a difference to the relationship you have with your customer and clients.

Large companies can hide behind their large, global image and we don't necessarily expect 'great customer service'.

How often have you phoned up a customer help line only to be met with a voice response system, where you have to press a series of numbers before you finally get put through or end up on a help desk where they don't understand your problem or they're so busy reading from a script they're not actually listening to what you're saying.

Customer services help desks around the country must have to put up with disgruntled, dissatisfied and irate customers all the time but if they remain calm, polite, are helpful and do what they can to really listen and resolve the problem, they're likely to end up with a problem resolved and a happy customer.

For me, good customer service comes to the fore when something goes wrong ...


Read the rest of the article and get your free copy of this month's newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management and your business and personal life.

December Newsletter - I Can't Do That ...

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is "I can't do that ...".

"I can't do that". I’m sure you’ve heard those words before, you’ve either said them yourself when confronted with a challenge or you’ve heard other people say them either about themselves or about others.


First of all, who says you can’t. Is it you that’s saying it or someone else? How often have you shared your dreams and ideas with someone and they come out with “You can’t do that” – either because they don’t think you’re capable of it or because they can’t do it and don’t understand why anyone else would want to do it.

To read the rest of the newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll receive free tips, advice, information and news on how to improve your time management for your business and personal life.

November Newsletter - Don't Be A Lone Ranger

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about setting up your own support team.

As a nation we’re probably not good at asking for help when we need it. This becomes even more of a problem when you’re very busy or when you work for yourself. There’s a tendency to take on more and more. To a certain extent you don’t have a huge amount of budget to spend on extra staff when you first get started but this doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself.

Just because you work for yourself, doesn’t mean that you’re working on your own. Create your own support team. You’ll already have a few people that are an important part of your ‘team’.

If you want to read the rest of the newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll receive the latest issue and free Power Time Tips.

October Newsletter - Getting Published

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about getting your own book published.

Several people have asked me about the process of writing the Dummies book, presumably with a view to getting their own book published either for business or personal satisfaction. If you want to write a book, start writing. Anything will do, newsletters, articles and your blog. ...

If you want to read the rest of the newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll receive the latest issue and free Power Time Tips.

Holiday Inspiration And Focus - September Newsletter

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about maintaining the inspiration and motivation we often get on holiday, there's also a special offer on the new book - Time Management For Dummies.

I’ve often found that holidays can be a great opportunity to not only take a break from your business or job but to think about the things that are really important to you and get a new perspective on life and triggers some of those light bulb moments of clarity. As a result of my holiday breaks, I’ve changed career (twice)...

If you want to read the rest of the newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll receive the latest issue and free Power Time Tips.

How Much Is Your Time Worth? - August Newsletter

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about looking at how much your time is worth and why this is important. Also news on my book publication.

Whether you work for someone else or work for yourself the amount of time you spend working is worth something. Either your employer pays you for the hours you work or charges your time out at a particular rate or you charge your clients for the work you do. Would you be inclined to fritter it away on things that add no value if you knew what it was costing you? ...

If you want to find out about the importance of your hourly rate, then read the rest of the newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll receive the latest issue and free Power Time Tips.

Guilt Free Holidays

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about how to have a guilt-free holiday.

It’s coming up to that holiday time of year when in the next couple of months, most people will be looking forward to their annual two week holiday.

It’s also a time of year when things get busier and you’re more likely to be stressed (and in need of a break).

If you want to be able to leave for a guilt-free break having got everything done then read the rest of the newsletter, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive the latest issue and free Power Time Tips.

Following Up

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about how to arrive on time for your meetings.

It’s all very well going to meeting but you’re unlikely to be able to turn up, sit in, listen and then go home without needing some form of follow up.

Don’t go to a meeting and then forget all about it as soon as you leave the room or get back to the office. If the meeting was productive, will have come away with a number of actions.

After the meeting follow-up with everyone you’ve met by either sending them an email or phone them within a couple of days of the meeting.

- if you'd like to read more of the June issue, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free Power Time Tips.

Late or Early?

The topic of my latest newsletter was about arriving on time for meetings.

I'm sure most people endeavour to arrive on time - after all we're business professionals and it wouldn't do to turn up late and keep clients or prospective customers waiting but there's so much that can go wrong and things being what they are, it will. I've been ultra-conscious having just written about not being late - it wouldn't do for me to turn up late now would it! So much so that I've been arriving ridiculously early - I'd feel so bad if I did arrive late.

How often have you arrived just in the nick of time? You make it but just by the skin of your teeth, stressed and flustered having negotiated yet another traffic jam on the M25 or every traffic light being against you, slow traffic (especially caravans and tractors) on single lane roads, roadworks and detours.

Plan to arrive early - not just in the nick of time. Planning is good and essential to using your time effectively but when you plan things too closely you don't leave any slack time for when something unexpected comes up. Knowing a route well, gives you a better chance of estimating travel time but also makes it easier to leave things to the last minute, then when you discover they're digging up the road again and the traffic is backed up all along the coast road and you're going to be late. Fortunately, I can walk fast or know a short-cut or am lucky to find a parking space quickly but my 20 minute journey can easily become 40 minutes or longer with road works and traffic thrown into the mix.

- Aim to arrive at least 10 minutes early or 30 minutes if it's a longer journey.
- Get things ready before you leave - don't rush out of the door, grabbing things as you go.
- Leave extra time to allow for delays.
- Catch an earlier bus or train.
- Allow time for parking.
- Phone ahead if you know you're going to be delayed or late.

Better to arrive early rather than late and if you are early - it's not wasted time. Take a book, newspaper or your laptop with you so you can do some work while you wait. I managed to read a whole book on my recent journey up to London. I left plenty of time to get to the station - as I said, I've been so conscious about arriving early that I was there about 30 minutes before the train was due to leave. I had an hour to read on the train and while I sat waiting for my meeting and although it was a packed late train back home - I'd all but finished the book by the time I got back to Brighton.

If you expect other people to turn up on time for you - make sure you turn up on time for them. Have as much respect for someone else's time as you would expect them to have for yours.

Arriving On Time

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about how to arrive on time for your meetings.

One thing we should always strive to do is arrive on time for meetings. In fact aim to arrive early, as you can guarantee that something will delay you on the way – however organised you try to be. It shows respect to both the organiser and the other attendees if you turn up on time and I’m sure you prefer it when people arrive on time for your meetings. For business meetings it’s particularly important as it creates a good impression if you’re punctual. For personal meetings it might be slightly more informal, so turning up a few minutes late isn’t as much of an issue but being very late when people are expecting you at a particular time is just discourteous.

- if you'd like to read more of the May issue, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free Time-saving Tips.

Are you often late for meetings or in general do you get there on time?

Are You Easily Distracted?

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about dealing with distractions.

I doubt you could get through a day without being distracted in one way or another by something. Either externally – by the phone, email and other people or internally – by your thoughts or a change in focus, particularly if you’re working on something that is either difficult or doesn’t really hold your interest. We’re only human and we’re easily bored and it’s too easy to let these distractions interrupt the flow.

- if you'd like to read more of the April issue, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free Time-saving Tips.

Get More From Your Meetings

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about getting more out of your meetings.

Meetings can be a great excuse to waste time and yet another frustration in an already busy day. While meetings can be a good way of communicating and discussing new opportunities, they can also be an unproductive use of several people’s time.

Before you arrange or attend a meeting, decide whether it’s the most effective use of everybody’s time? Could the information be better communicated by email or with a phone call or report? The purpose and outcome of the meeting should balance the input of time and effort by all those involved.

- if you'd like to read more of the March issue, just sign up on my website and you'll also receive free Time Tips.

February Newsletter - Where Does The Time Go?

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about where your time goes each day.

Do you wonder where your time goes? It’s easy to get to the end of the day and wonder what you actually achieved and where the time went even though you feel as though you’ve been busy all day.

If you don’t know where you’re spending your time then you’ll find it harder to organise and prioritise what you need to get done each day, particularly the important things that are going to make a difference.

- if you'd like to read more of the February issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you or you can just sign up on my website and you'll also receive my free Time Tips.

January Newsletter - Preparing For Success

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about preparing for success in 2008.

How many of you set New Year Resolutions? How many of you actually manage to keep to them? I think that’s almost part of the tradition of the New Year Resolution is that along with the smoking, drinking, chocolate or whatever you’ve decided to ‘give up’, you’ve also given up the resolution itself by about February or March ...

- if you'd like a free copy of the January issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you or you can just sign up on my website and get free Time Tips.

December Newsletter - If Only I Had More Time

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is how to plan your time.

Now is the time of year to take a look back on what you’ve achieved this year and put together your plan for 2008. Set aside some time in the next couple of weeks to take a look back at the past year and make a note of your successes and challenges. I’m sure there have been a few of both.

- if you'd like a free copy of the December issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you or just sign up on my website.

November Newsletter - Plan Your Time

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is how to plan your time.

One of the most important things you can do to improve your productivity is to plan your time.

If you don’t currently plan your time then the chances are that you start the day and just deal with things as they come in, some things get done, some things get forgotten, some things get missed and other priorities take over. By getting into the habit of planning regularly, you will ensure that you’re focusing on the right things.


- if you'd like a free copy of the November issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you or just sign up on my website.

To-Do Lists vs Action Lists

I encourage people to work with Action Lists rather the never ending To-Do List. Each morning create an Action List of the things you need to get done that day. These should relate to your overall goals. Do the important things before they become urgent, don't waste your time on unimportant things that really won't make a difference to your business or your personal life.

Plan the time into your day when you're going to do these actions. Make sure you prioritise them and do the No.1/High priority tasks first before anything else. Once you've done all the important things you can then work your way onto the next set of important actions. You'll find that things that you have as low priority, trivial tasks tend to disappear off the list. Easy or low priority tasks can also be scheduled into the day as a break between harder, high priority tasks. Group similar tasks together - like making phone calls or writing emails. It increases your productivity.

Don't over stretch yourself. If you only have time for three things, don't create a list with 20 things on it. Keep your action list short, realistic and focused. If you get them all done, take the next thing and do that. Achieving everything on your list in one day can give you a great sense of achievement

Keep a master list so that you don't forget things but prune and prioritise this regularly. Write a list each month of what you want to do and refer to this when you're planning your weekly and daily actions.

October Newsletter - Slow Down, Go Green AND Save Money

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is how to slow down, go green and save yourself money.

Going green could, not only be a way of reducing your impact but it could also save you money, so it makes sense on two counts. Yes, recycling a tin can isn’t going to put a stop to global warning but it’s our responsibility not to be wasteful just because we’re more fortunate than others.

Here are some tips and ideas to live and work greener:

- if you'd like a free copy of the October issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Improve Your Reading Speed

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is how to improve your reading speed. Here's a snippet.

If you spend a lot of your time reading – emails, research, internet, business books, magazines, newspapers, novels etc. then you can certainly improve your reading efficiency by learning a few tips and techniques to speed things up. The average reading speed is around 200 words per minute (wpm) but speeds of nearer 1000 wpm are possible with a little practice.

- if you'd like a free copy of the September issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.

September Newsletter - Procrastination - The Art Of Putting It Off

My latest newsletter is just out - if you'd like a free copy of the August issue and you're not on the list - let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Featured in this month's issue:

• Article: Procrastination – The Art of Putting Things Off
• What On, What's New - Teleclasses & Workshops
• Recommended Reading
• Website of the Month
• This Month’s Quote

Adding A Little Colour To Your Life

My latest newsletter is just out. This month's main article is about Adding A Little Colour To Your Life.

Do you get to the end of the week and you know you’ve been busy but you don’t really seem to have achieved anything?

You’ve been rushing around from pillar to post, feeling as if you’re at the beck and call of everyone and everything else, whether it’s a ringing phone or a full inbox or people interrupting you while you’re working but somehow don’t find time for yourself.

Make sure that what you do each day is getting you closer to your goals and that you’re not wasting your time on secondary goals or getting side-tracked onto less important tasks.

- if you'd like a free copy of the July issue, let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.