It's a Fine Time to Better Manage Your Time

Most of the stresses and challenges of entrepreneurship are well-documented. Entrepreneurs go into the game knowing that it’s difficult to raise funding, it’s hard to find good employees, decision fatigue will catch up to them eventually and so on. But one of the most common problems in entrepreneurship is also one of the least outwardly discussed -- time management.
Time management is critical to your long-term success for two main reasons. First, it’s a determining factor for your overall productivity -- essentially, the better you can manage your time, the more tasks you’ll be able to get done in a day. Second, it bears a massive impact on your psychological disposition -- the worse you are at time management, the more stress you’ll experience, and the more easily exhausted you’ll be in your position.

Mastering time management is a crucial component of entrepreneurship, and these eight secrets will help you pursue that path.

1. Segment your time.

How you schedule your time at the beginning of the day has a major impact on how your work pans out. Block out different “segments” of time to work out different tasks, and try to work within those confines. This will help you in two ways. First, you’ll minimize wasting time between tasks deciding what to do next. Second, you’ll give yourself natural time limits, inherently forcing yourself to work harder to get tasks done within a certain period. Just be sure to leave some room for adjustment.

2. Prioritize.

Before you can manage your time effectively, you have to know where your time is most valuable. Create a prioritization system, one that categorizes tasks based on urgency and importance, and don’t focus on lower priorities until you’ve addressed the higher ones. This will keep you using your time in the most effective ways.

3. Focus on one thing at a time.

Even if your plate is full of different, small tasks, don’t attempt to multitask, and don’t let yourself get distracted by items that have newly arisen. Instead, focus on one item at a time, and don’t stray from it until it’s complete.

4. Learn to delegate.

New entrepreneurs are often driven to do everything themselves. They see their business as their baby, and they’re intimidated to let anyone else take control. As a result, they take on a lot of tasks they otherwise wouldn’t and end up overloaded. Instead, strive to be an effective delegator. You hired these employees because you trust them, so let them handle some of the lower-level tasks.

5. Choose efficient modes of communication.

You don’t need to call an hour-long meeting every time you have an update. Instead, opt for more efficient modes of communication. Email is instant, written (and therefore permanent), and can be executed much faster than a phone call, IM conversation or in-person meeting. Strive to communicate as succinctly as possible, and you could save yourself hours a day.

6. Shut down communication for 'blackout' periods.

Let’s face it -- even when efficient, communication is distracting. You’re always getting new emails, new texts and new IM notifications to the point you can’t focus on anything without being pulled aside. There’s one easy solution: Host “blackout” periods, where you turn off all devices and forms of communication, to help you focus on the tasks at hand.

7. Take breaks.

It seems ridiculous, but the fact is, taking breaks will actually help you stay more productive. A recent study suggests that working for 52 minutes and breaking for 17 is the optimal pattern for productivity, but you don’t have to be this regimented. The goal is to set a finite time period for work, and decompress with a break afterward to keep you motivated for the next round.

8. Draw a line.

As an entrepreneur, you’re passionate about your work, so it’s tempting to take on as much work as possible. However, if you do this at the expense of your personal life, it could have dire consequences for your mental, social and even physical health. Part of being an effective time manager is knowing when it’s time to cool down. Every day, you should have a firm “go home” time, and a standing order that you won’t work from home unless necessary. This line will keep you refreshed, mitigating the risk of burnout, and will help you focus on work when you’re at work.  

These eight tactics aren’t the only ones you can use to better cope with the demands of entrepreneurship, but they are some of the easiest to adopt and some of the most effective strategies you’ll find. Adopt them in your own business, and you should notice a difference in a matter of days. The only problem left to solve is what you’ll do with the extra hours.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5-Step Plan to Reverse Diabetes

Image
Step 1: Remove These Foods to Reverse Diabetes Naturally Certain foods negatively affect your blood sugar levels, cause inflammation and trigger immune responses. To reverse diabetes naturally, the first step is to remove these foods from your diet: Refined sugar: Refined sugar rapidly spikes blood glucose, and soda, fruit juice and other sugary beverages are the worst culprits. These forms of sugar enter the bloodstream rapidly and can cause extreme elevations in blood glucose. (7) Even though natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup are better options, they can still affect blood sugar levels, so only use these foods on occasion. Your best option is to switch to stevia, a natural sweetener that won’t have as much of an impact. Grains: Grains, especially gluten-containing grains like wheat, contain large amounts of carbohydrates that are broken down into sugar within only a few minutes of consumption. Gluten can cause intestinal inflammation, which affects hormones like...
Read more

Does apple cider vinegar help people with diabetes?

Image
Apple cider vinegar may have various health benefits, such as supporting weight loss and managing blood sugar. These benefits could help people with or at risk of diabetes. However, scientific research has not yet confirmed them. Scientists have yet to back up the majority of the health claims around apple cider vinegar with significant clinical research. However, some evidence has emerged to suggest that apple cider vinegar may have particular benefits for the management of diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic condition that leads to an inability to manage blood sugar levels properly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1980, around 108 million people had diabetes. Its prevalence has significantly increased over the past few decades to an estimated 422 million in 2014. This article looks at the research that links apple cider vinegar and diabetes, as well as ways to take apple cider vinegar effectively. According to scientists, apple cider vinegar has the potential to ...
Read more

The Dangers of Ego-Driven Spending: A Call for Reality Check

Image
In a world where status and outward appearances reign supreme, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of ego-driven spending. We live in a society where success is often measured by the size of our possessions and the prestige of our lifestyle. As a result, many of us find ourselves chasing after the latest trends and splurging on luxury items in a bid to keep up with the Joneses. But what if I told you that some of the wealthiest individuals in the world eschew ostentatious displays of wealth in favor of a more modest lifestyle? Take, for example, Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. Despite his immense wealth, Buffett is known for his frugal habits, driving the same modest car and living in the same unassuming house for decades. Similarly, tech titan Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, is often seen wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans, despite being worth billions of dollars. And then there's Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, who fam...
Read more