Time management can be a real puzzle for entrepreneurs.
With a million things to juggle and never enough hours in the day, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
But fear not! In this article, we’ll unveil some tried-and-true tips to help you master the art of time management like a pro.
-
Use The Ivy Lee Method
I can’t believe I never heard of this until last week. It really helps you plan your day. At the end of the day, you’re going to jot down 6 things you need to accomplish tomorrow.
We all have more than six things to do in a day but for this exercise, we’re only going to list the 6 most important.
Once you have them down, prioritize them in order of their importance.
On the next day, focus only on the first task and finish it before moving down to the second one.
If you do this every day, you’re going to be much more productive.
-
Delegate
I’m a new business owner, with no employees, so I am watching costs and want to save money and do everything myself.
I did that for about four months before I finally got burned out. I had to hire help.
Some things can’t be delegated but a lot of my business could be handed off to others.
If there is a task that you can hand over to your fellow coworker, do it. Master the art of delegation and you will achieve maximum productivity.
-
Use The 2 Minute Rule.
I first heard about this in the amazing book, Getting Things Done by David Allen. He made this rule for managing your email inbox but I apply it to my life as well.
His suggestion is that when you’re going through your emails, if you can respond in less than 2 minutes then do it immediately. The things that will take longer, put aside for later.
You can apply this to your life too. I do this all the time. When I make lunch and don’t feel like doing the dishes, I’ll put the pan in the sink for later.
But then the “2 Minute Rule” pops in my head.
It will take less than 2 minutes to wash the pan, so I’ll just do it now. Plus, my wife will be happy there isn’t a dirty dish in the sink.
We put a lot of things off that could just be done now, in a couple of minutes.
-
Adopt The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule, also called Pareto’s Principal, has been a game changer for me. It means that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results.
So, guess what? We need to focus on those activities!
So, look at all of your activities and determine which ones are actually producing results. Then double down on those.
-
Track Your Time:
You ever get to the end of the day and wonder where the day went? We’ve all been there.
There is plenty of time in the day to get the important things done. But there’s not enough time to do every task on your “To Do” list.
Until you know where you’re spending your time, you’re never going to be able to manage it.
You can use a piece of paper, a spreadsheet or an app to track your activities.
-
Take A Break:
If you’re reading this, it’s because you have too much to do and aren’t managing it well. So, how the hell are you going to take a break?
Well, you need to or your body will make you at some point. You can’t be on 1000% grind mode 24 hours a day. You need to rest and recharge.
For me, that means a quick nap or 20 minutes of meditation in the middle of the day.
Make sure that you schedule some time for rest. It’s not a waste of time. It’s important.
-
Say “No” To Things
All of us wants to say “Yes” to everything. We don’t want to be a jerk. We want people to like us, so we say “Yes” to things that we hate doing.
Well, if you hope to accomplish your dreams, you’re going to have to say, “No” to a lot of things. It’s OK. It doesn’t make you a bad person.