Project deadlines are important to meet but sometimes project issues can cause delays that are unforeseen. What you have to do is ask yourself, “What can I do to plan for project delays”, then this just might help you manage your project deadlines better.

To help you manage your project deadlines, I thought I would share a few quotes to encourage you.

On the value of Project Management: Trying to manage a project without project management is like trying to play a football game without a game plan. K. Tate (Past Board Member, PMI) 
Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I …read more

Like many business owners, I have chosen to use Google Calendar to manage my events and meetings. I’ve spent some time looking for a software program that would allow me to manage my calendar offline and then sync up with Google Calendar, my outlook and my mobile phone easily.
Arriving to save the day is Calgoo which is a great tool because it is Windows and MAC compatible which is important to me. Having a PC/MAC business office, I need something that would work on both types of computers and would also allow me to share my calendar with those who …read more

Is your cell phone holding you captive is something that business owners need to ask themselves as a way to affectively manage their time. Although cell phones are an easy way to keep in contact with your clients and business associates when you are on the go; the question you have to ask yourself, “Is my cell phone holding me captive?”.
Below are ways to tell if your cell phone is holding you captive:

Do you grab your cell phone when you wake up first thing in the morning?
Before going to bed, do you have to check your cell phone for message?
Have …read more

There’s only so much time in the day, and sometimes despite your best efforts to plan ahead, life intervenes and scuttles your deadlines and best-laid plans.
I know more than a few freelancers who have found themselves trying to juggle deadlines with family illnesses and other lesser crises. And most freelancers I know have taken on too much work at one time or another and found themselves juggling and scrambling to meet all their deadlines.

So how do you avoid freelance overload? And if you find yourself in the precarious position of having to juggle deadlines with unexpected and unavoidable life events, …read more

Since I left the corporate world, I’ve been having a bit of a time dilemma. When I was working in an office, I had distractions, sure. But those were all within the realm of work. Trying to stay productive here at home is a little different.

So my planner and I had a come-to-Jesus meeting on Friday, during which I was reminded of everything that made me successful at managing my time when I was immersed in the whirlwind of producing magazines. Being a good employee, I responded with an outline of how I plan to use it now in my …read more

Call me strange, but I love crossing items off my to-do lists. In fact, I’ve been a list person for as long as I can remember.
I suppose I might have picked this up from my mother, who has always carried one of those small notebooks in her purse wherever she goes. For jotting down lists, thoughts, and things she doesn’t want to forget. Later, my training as a newspaper reporter reinforced what I’d already observed my mother doing when I was growing up. As a reporter, I always carried a stash of pens and at least two notebooks in my …read more

I don’t know any writer or editor who, at least once and awhile, doesn’t wish for more hours in the day or days in the week. Sharon Cherry writes a blog at b5media called Startup Spark. It’s really aimed at starting a business, but I keep finding things that work for writers.
For example, she’s got a 2-part series on managing your time. My favorite in part 1 is “Find out how you spend your time.” In < strong>part 2, she’s telling my story with Say the magic word: No.
Take a look at her other suggestions; you’ll be glad you …read more

There was a time when I had a full time job, raised three kids and got an occasional bit of writing done… I don’t know how I did it. Seriously.
The major item on my to do list today was to work on the book or ebook that will go with the teleclass about getting your book written. I can’t move forward with the class until that ebook is, if not done, at least close to done. So I opened the file.
Then I remembered a letter from the IRS I’d put aside until today. So I read that and although it …read more

You know me… I’m the one who tells folks if they have trouble starting writing to just start. I make it sound so easy, and often it is. But not always.
Here it is Sunday and most Sundays I blog at least once. Most Sundays I have something to say about writing… but not this Sunday. I’ve been staring at the write box for hours. Oh, that’s not true exactly, but it’s been one of the windows I’ve had open. I’ve done some other things, both trivial and important… but the truth is I need some more down time.
So I’m going …read more

Angela Booth has started a series on time management for writers. Her first entry was unexpected. It is: See yourself as a competent writer. She briefly describes a way to stop the negative self-talk and to begin to change your view of yourself.
She’s absolutely right. I remember clearly how I began to call myself a writer even before I’d been published. I even opened a checking account for my then non-existing writing business. I think I even got business cards printed stating I was a writer. And it worked.
It seems mysterious and I don’t pretend to understand it, but how …read more