One of the keys to successful time management is prioritizing tasks and distinguishing optional activities from the essential. Those judgment calls are an integral part of virtually every time management system. Whether you are writing different "to-do's" in different colors of ink or are giving each list item a priority ranking, your decisions about the importance of activities will have a huge impact on how you spend your day.

Most of those who run their own business tend to develop a deep and strong commitment to work and to the overall success of their endeavors. Long hours are a norm, sleep appears to be optional and almost every effort is poured into growing the business.

However, those who overemphasize work-related activities at the expense of truly essential projects may actually see their time management collapse.

That's because neglect of essential projects will make life, overall, less meaningful and enjoyable. At some point, the mere process of chasing after money will no longer subconsciously justify the disregard of some very important things.

What are these essential tasks? They have nothing to do with record keeping, taxes, improving advertising copy or handling customer relations. Instead, they involve being a good father, a good wife and a good person. These chores are the one's that give us a legitimate reason to have our financial goals. We work in the first place for these things.

Your essential projects will be determined your own personal preferences and lifestyle. Those with strong religious beliefs will consider worship and essential. Those who feel the need to exercise in order to relax will label physical activity as an essential activity.

It's too easy to let these important things slide to the backburner when one is under pressure to produce or to grow their business. One invests a great deal of himself or herself in creating a successful venture and it can feel as though spending every waking hour at work is more important than virtually anything else.

This perspective, however intuitive it may seem to one looking for ways to improve his or her time management skills, is actually a dead end. Over time, one will notice their motivation for work-related efforts slipping away. That inevitability stems from a subconscious recognition of life's declining value, possible feelings of guilt, and a recognition that one is simply not meeting his or her most important responsibilities and commitments.

As you triage your activities as a part of your time management strategies, resist the temptation to elevate those tasks directly related to working above other truly essential responsibilities. By maintaining a proper balance you can invigorate your efforts and live a fuller, more meaningful life.

Work isn't incompatible with being a fulfilled person. On the contrary, a great work ethic and a successful business can lead to a great deal of fulfillment. However, when important non-work tasks are relegated to the bottom of a "to-do" list, it is invariably counterproductive.