In order to succeed, you need to learn how to effectively manage your time. Even with the best intentions, we often get derailed for one reason or another. But if you plan your day ahead of time, you’ll be better off in the long run.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have a TON on my plate.. An e-commerce site, 40+ blogs, a subscription service, affiliate sites, etc. On top of that, I’m constantly networking through my various social profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc). How do I juggle all of these responsibilities?

Up until now, I used a series of to-do lists, in a simple Wordpad file. Unfortunately, this has gotten way out of control, and I currently have 7 Wordpad files open with HUNDREDS of tasks listed. I needed a better system.

As simple as it sounds, a yellow legal pad does the trick for me! I break down each day into 30-60 minute segments, and write down what task I intend to accomplish in that window of time. If it doesn’t get done, it gets pushed onto tomorrow’s schedule, and I move on to my next scheduled task. It keeps me on point, much like Microsoft Project used to when I worked in the corporate world, managing $20Mil projects for Fortune 100 companies.

Try it for a week, and let me know how you make out..