Time. It’s a hot commodity. Isn’t it difficult to find stillness in today’s busy world? With seemingly million of things to do and only 24 hours in a day, it can be hard to find the time for you. As a multi-tasking entrepreneur, it’s even more critical to use your time wisely. Not only are you responsible for your businesses success, you’re a manager, a designer, a marketer, a veritable never ending idea machine. There’s a lot on your plate!
Use your time wisely and try these time hacks that have worked for me.
I believe that our health and wellness has a lot to do with effective time management to create balance.
Successful people know how to use time to their advantage. Here are a few key scheduling principles and time hacks that you can implement right away to save you time and money. After all, in business, time is money.
The Ultimate Time Hacks for Busy Business Owners
Try getting up early and have a routine.
Whether you’re a morning person or not doesn’t really matter here. Getting up early even if its just to meditate, exercise and have a nice breakfast is a great way to set the tone for a highly productive day. Turn off your phone and social media and just dial in on how you can create the most positive morning scene. No need to stress over what the day ahead will bring, this actually steals vital brainpower that you’ll need later on.
I recommend planning your next day at night in advance so that you don’t even have to think about it in the morning. Having a good breakfast, high in protein and healthy fats is best. Avoid those sugary, carbohydrate dense foods. These are responsible for that common mid morning and afternoon slumps where you just want to fall asleep at your desk.
Do the important stuff first.
Stop procrastinating, just stop. You know that the longer something sits on your to-do list, the less likely you are to ever actually do it. Begin your day with the most important tasks. Start now by knocking off anything that you’ve been putting off. I promise you will feel SO much better after this. Once you get into the habit of dealing with the rough stuff first, your days will flow more smoothly. Your brain will have less to worry about. It all boils down to living in the present and doing what needs to be done. There’s not many feelings worse than dread. Don’t let dread poison your life. Slay those dragons of dread and get on with it.
Strengthen your communication skills.
Without clear communication how do you get your message across? Whether its with team members, friends, loved ones– clear communication saves time, it saves frustration and having to re-explain what exactly you meant. Take the time to explain things clearly the first time. If your team has questions, answer them until everything is well understood. This saves a lot of headaches down the line. Working towards clear communication also means strengthening your voice, having confidence in your ideas and your vision. If you have trouble with this, make it a goal to work on. There are plenty of opportunities to improve your communication in the form of courses, books and get togethers like toast masters.
Consistency is key and don’t forget the details.
Try to keep a relatively consistent schedule. This helps your brain to create strong associations and expectations for creating your best work. Routine isn’t such a bad thing. Keep going and don’t be discouraged if the results aren’t immediate. Most good things take time. Remain steadfast, keep your schedule on track and begin with the end in sight.
Prepare for the upcoming week ahead by scheduling the tasks that you know always need to be done. Try and keep them at the same time each day. Planning for the week ahead creates clarity and reduces the stress of not knowing what comes next. Factoring in little things like chores around the house into your schedule ensures that you don’t get carried away. Once your allotted time runs out, save it for next week. It’s easy to meander hours cleaning out the fridge, but usually these things can wait.
Remember to take time to rebalance and relax.
Studies show that any work exceeding 50 hours per week shows a stark decrease in productivity and quality. People who work 70 hours per week get about as much done as those who work 55. So what’s the point in pushing yourself to total exhaustion? Taking the time to centre and ground may seem like a waste of time, but it’s actually the opposite. Unless we feel enriched and inspired we’re not going to have much fuel to push forth in our endeavours.
Spending time with family and friends should always come first. Why else are you working towards massive success if not to help them and others? Designate weekends or evenings to enjoying the company of others. A great idea is to schedule little micro adventures. Find things to do within your city that you’ve never done before. The other day my friend got a great groupon deal for a float tank session. Or you could go see some live music, stay the night in a new hotel, check out a fab restaurant and try something you’ve never had before. Keep life exciting and you will continue to have plenty to live for. It takes effort but its worth it and in the end will make your actual work time all the more productive.
Put your work on the back burner and truly try to just be present. It’s a gift. Give yourself a break, you deserve it.
What are your favourite time hacks?
Let us know in the comments below!
Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get free awesome tips straight to your inbox.