Focus - Is the New "It" Word

I have serious projects and real productive work, and completing these task gives me the highest of satisfaction. With Facebook, Twitter, phone conferences, email and searching for the latest technologies, its a wonder that these daily task are accomplished. It tends to take a huge amount of my time through out the day; but if I was not a productive producer, then I would never be able to manage my own business. Sure, there is more on the list than I can complete in one da,y and yes there is always interruption, but I try to stay "focused".

I realize that with the economy in "recession", it has been very hard to say "No" -- but we all struggle with that word. So, my work load is bigger. I realize that this still can be done. All I need to do now, is "refocus" and re-organize my daily task. Sometimes it can be overwhelming when none of the daily task are accomplished and I feel like I am working in circles.

Multitasking is such an easy term to identify with ourselves that we seem to short change the task that we accept. So, I decided to "focus" the first 90 minutes of day to the major projects on my list for the day. That means; no email, phone, or social media blogging and eliminate any outside distractions. Now, I am not perfect but it seems to get the job done, and at the end of day I write down the next day's tasks so it keeps me "focused".

Being productive means I handle more projects and improve self-discipline because it's quality, not quantity that creates the bond with your client.

Are you LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a fast-growing social media website intended for today's working professionals. It is a phenomenal opportunity to connect to professionals both local or global. From independent contractors to business executives LinkedIn is the site for prime connections in your industry.

It's simple to create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You will develop networks of your connections and the people they know, linking you to other qualified experts or professionals. This is one of the first social media sites that I used to connect to others in my profession.

What I particularly liked about LinkedIn is the ability to see other connections in my industry and to collaborate on projects. Since launching the LinkedIn profile, they continue to add other applications that can be added my profile and my recent blog submissions are updated. Also, I can include a link to my profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that the link enables my contacts to see all my credentials, instead as an attachment.

The bonus is to review statistics about your network, including how many users you can reach through your connections. It's like the professional Facebook application.