Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional in the business world, as an entrepreneur, you’re likely not a stranger to multitasking. Entrepreneurs and business owners alike are usually used to wearing different hats and performing various tasks and duties within their business. And while its important to be involved in your business, taking on too much responsibility can often become overwhelming. If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed with work, consider a few of these time management tips to utilize your time more efficiently:
Prioritize
When you’re running a business, the responsibilities can almost seem endless. It’s important to remember, however, that not all tasks hold the same level of importance. Here is where you should break down your day-to-day and filter out your tasks by how important they are. Take high priority tasks, and make sure those are the ones that you focus on first. “Learning to prioritize both long-term activities that gain momentum later in time, and short-term goals necessary for incremental results is critical, and requires careful planning by entrepreneurs.”
Delegate
Even when you filter your tasks by priority level, your steps to better managing your time aren’t over yet. Delegation is a crucial component of running a successful business and avoiding total burnout. Don’t think of it as pushing your tasks on someone else; look at it as an efficient way to have the tasks that aren’t on your high-priority list taken care of by another responsible party. Whether you’re outsourcing work or having specific members of your staff take care of it, delegation can really help you improve how you manage your time.
Schedules and To-Do-Lists
Once you’ve worked out tasks by priority level and delegated or outsourced what you can, you’re ready to put together a schedule, or if you prefer, a to-do-list. Scheduling and lists are essential to keep track of what you’re doing, and further break things down to fit into your day efficiently. Too often, entrepreneurs are focusing on several projects or high-priority tasks at once. You want to schedule your priorities, not prioritize your schedule. To make things even easier, there are tons of user-friendly scheduling apps and tools you can download to help maximize your productivity.
Avoid Distractions
You may not realize how many distractions you’re facing every day. While you probably keep everything on your smartphone, and it’s a great tool to have, remember to limit your phone use during the day. During times when you have tasks to complete, put your phone and any other major distractions aside (out of sight, out of mind) and dive into what you need to do.