I talk with small business people on the phone all the time, and most of them seem absurdly busy, but also very much on top of their time management. Occasionally I hear the tension of near-burnout coming through, and I’m left wondering what the first group is doing differently.

I suspected that I may have found the key while reading yet another article on time management (there are a million of them out there!). Business coach Tom Hopkins encourages small business owners to distinguish between “opportunity time” and “replenishment time,” and to treat them as equally valuable to their success.

To begin with, you must understand there are two entirely different kinds of time. The first is opportunity time, during which you achieve your business goals such as selecting new products to market, doing some test marketing, and providing follow-up service to existing clients. The second is replenishment time, during which you rebuild your strength through exercise, recreation, relaxation and sleep.

Here’s the rest of the article: How to Manage Your Time