Entrepreneurs, you have a lot on your plate. You are launching, growing, and scaling your business. You are scheduling meetings, analyzing marketing strategies, budgeting, reading sales reports, and unless you are working solo, managing a staff of employees. Without time management skills, you will experience burn out, and since we only get 24 hours in a day, it’s important to make the best of every moment. However, this doesn’t mean you should work at all hours of the day either. Learning time management skills will help you stay calm amid chaos. Here are some time management tips for busy entrepreneurs:
Start your day with the right mind frame.
How did you begin your day? Was it a frazzled wake up with a quick shower and coffee in a to-go mug? Was it reading and responding to emails before you even said good morning to loved ones? If this sounds familiar, time to change your mindset. Set your clock for 15 minutes earlier, and when you wake up, don’t look at your email. Don’t check voicemail. Don’t even touch your cell phone. Instead, get your coffee and journal down everything on your mind for the day, work-related or otherwise. Starting your day right can change how you feel all day long.
Prioritize your day.
Now, as for the end of your day, consider using this popular productivity hack called The Ivy Lee Method. You end your day writing down the six most important things to do tomorrow. Prioritize this list. When you get in the next day, start with the most important and work one task at a time. If you are working on a project, break it down into small tasks. Set those specific tasks into milestones that you conquer each day until your deadline. It helps you stay on task without feeling overwhelmed.
Delegate tasks.
Take a look at your task list and schedule for the days and weeks ahead. Seriously ask yourself one question: is there anything you can delegate to somebody else? More than likely, the answer is yes. Utilize the staff and employees you have on hand and delegate tasks you spend too much time on. If you don’t have a large team, hire an assistant – even a part-time virtual assistant – that can take things off your plate. Delegation is an important trait to a leader, and it will leave you time to do the things that are far more valuable to your business.
Schedule downtime.
Each day, it’s important that you block out a time where you don’t have anything scheduled at all. Yes, this means leaving room for having nothing on your plate at a particular moment. If you pack your schedule full without any breaks, you are wearing yourself out and risk of burning out. Giving yourself free time to downwind, think, takes notes about the day, and even going for a walk. It will free your brain and give you a much needed boost of energy.
No matter how effective you think, you are at managing your day, leave room for improvement. Managing your time better will reduce your stress levels and build a stronger business. Pay attention to ways you can improve, and don’t forget to allow for rest.
