4 Productivity Tips Savvy Entrepreneur Swear By For Making the Most of Your Time

One of the biggest things I struggle within my business is productivity. We all know that we have so much to do that can improve our business, but there are times when you put things off. It never helps in the long run. Whether it is sorting out all your documents to help get better internet in the office, these are tasks that should be done to improve productivity in the workplace, regardless of whether you work at home or in an office environment.

I wake up, get breakfast, and sit down at my desk with the best of intentions for the day. Then, I get sucked into the social media rabbit hole, or a plethora of emails and clients’ requests, and by the end of the day am left wondering where the day went. Sound familiar?

Productivity Gets Destroyed When We Go Off Course From The To-Do List

The truth is, it’s not enough to dream of success. It’s not even enough to set goals.

The only way to truly achieve your dreams and build the business you’re meant to build is to sit down and just do it.

And that’s where many of us struggle. It’s the doing that trips us up more times than not.

We overbook our calendars until today’s to-dos become next week’s past dues. We procrastinate on the things that are important while attending to things that are merely “nice to do.” And sometimes we simply take on too much—even when we know better.

The answer? Embrace these four productivity hacks that savvy entrepreneurs use to get more done in less time.

1. Rituals and Habits: Simply put, a ritual or habit is a consistent way of doing something. You have a morning ritual (wake up, brush your teeth, work out, shower, and head to your office), evening ritual (check homework, tuck the kids in, watch the evening news, and hit the sack), weekend ritual (sleep late, mow the lawn, catch a movie, visit your mom), and many others.The trouble is, if you’re not careful with your rituals, they can turn into productivity killers. Is checking Facebook or email a part of your morning ritual? Is turning on Skype a part of your at work ritual? Distractions such as these can turn even your best intentions into hours of wasted time.

   Take a good look at your rituals. What are you doing that you should not be—or that should be moved to another part of your day? Make your rituals more efficient and you’ll automatically get more done.

2. Calendar Management: Want to know how much time you really have available for that new project? Try blocking off time in your calendar for all your existing projects. Fill in all your client calls, your business administrative tasks, time for meals and breaks, outside appointments, and everything else you’re committed to. What’s left might just shock you. Maybe something like a task management app is one option that you could also look into when it comes to managing tasks a lot better than before.Make it a habit to block time in your calendar for every commitment, and you’ll never again over-promise or over-commit.
3. Learn to Let Go: Here’s a news flash. You do not have to do everything in your business. You can (and should) hand off those low-level tasks to someone else. Hire a VA to create your documents and manage your calendar, you might also want to look into document management software. Let your tech support person manage your blog and email. Turn over your bookkeeping to an accountant. The time you free up will allow you to work on what’s truly important—and that only you can do.
4. Work Hard, But Play Harder: You are not a machine. You cannot work all day every day and hope to be at your best all the time. You need time for those creative juices to replenish.Take a day off. Get some rest, or relax on a long, slow hike. Take a friend out to lunch. Go shopping with your kids. See a movie or a play. Do something—anything—other than work.

   Not only will you return to the office feeling much more refreshed, but you’ll find yourself more creative and productive than before as well.

   Bonus tip!!! Focus on ONE thing at a time: Multi-tasking is impossible. You cannot efficiently create a new coaching program while you’re simultaneously surfing Facebook, keeping an eye on the kids, and answering the phone every time it rings.

   Instead, use your calendar to block time off for important tasks, then turn everything else off so you can focus on that one thing at a time. No phone, no Facebook, no kids or husbands or neighbors or pets demanding “just a minute” of your time. Tune everything out, and you’ll find your work getting done much faster.

Managing your time and turning up your productivity is not something that comes naturally to most people but when you learn to master this skill, you’ll find your business grows right along with you.

Also check out my recent post “How You Can Turn a Dream Into a Workable Plan.”