Time management tips for business owners

Do you ever wish you had more time?

While I can’t grant you a secret wish to give you more than 24 hours in a day (but I wish I could!), I can share some tips to better manage the time you do have.

I often see clients overwhelmed by never-ending to-do lists to the point where they aren’t achieving their full productivity potential. The most important thing in unlocking this potential is managing yourself first, and you’ll see the results follow.

Daily Prioritization

Before you start your day, identify your top three priorities. Write them down and tackle these tasks first. 

While you may be tempted to begin your day with more mundane and simple tasks to allow for a slow start, you should avoid this trap that can leave your top priorities looming, susceptible to being pushed back due to busyness. 

Most people are most productive in the morning, even if it requires some extra discipline to push past the initial lack of motivation. If you take advantage of this period of productivity to tackle your most important items first, you’ll begin every day on a high note and set yourself up for success, ensuring you’re making steady progress on your goals.

Batch Processing

Group similar tasks together and complete them in one dedicated time block, which reduces context switching and improves efficiency. 

Imagine having set periods of time where you’re focusing first on answering all your emails, then taking all your meetings, and then working on projects, instead of constantly jumping back and forth between these various tasks all day. 

While there are certain tasks that may need to be dispersed throughout the day and other factors out of your control, batch processing items as much as you can will allow for improved organization and focus.

Time Tracking

Use a time tracking app to monitor how you spend your day. 

You might be surprised to see where your time goes! Review the data weekly to identify time sinks and adjust your schedule to maximize productivity.

Time tracking will also provide data that helps in setting realistic deadlines and goals. It’s easier to estimate how long similar tasks will take in the future based on past performance.

And yet another perk: knowing that your time is being monitored can also encourage you to stay focused and avoid procrastination.

Weekly Review

At the end of each week, spend 15 minutes reviewing what you’ve accomplished and what didn’t get done. 

Adjust your plans for the following week based on this reflection to stay on track and improve your time management. You can outline what needs to be done, allocate time for each task, and establish a clear action plan.

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Want more time management and productivity ideas? Contact me today and I’ll send you our free e-book!