Taking Control of Your Time: 5 Tips for Productive Business Owners

Have you ever looked down at your phone and realized it's 3 pm, and you don't have a clue what you've accomplished in your day?

Time management and productivity can be a constant challenge for any business owner. With a wide range of responsibilities to handle, it is not easy to prioritize tasks, stay focused, and make the most of your time. But you can take control of your time and be on your way to a more productive, stress-free life with a few supports in place.

Set clear goals and priorities.

You’ve heard a thousand times that setting clear, measurable goals is vital for your business. The real way you make that work is to break them down into parts over a smaller period. So, it’s not that you will make $1 million this year. It’s what you are working on each quarter/month/week in service of that goal. Write them down and put them in your line of sight. This will help you to focus on the most critical tasks and avoid getting bogged down in unimportant details.

Create a schedule to take control of your time.

Create a schedule that includes time for work, rest, self-care, and leisure activities. If you want to achieve peak performance, don’t worry about work norms when putting together your schedule. Instead, work in service of your energy. Do your important work at the time of the day when you are focused and clear.

Meetings are distracting. Assign a couple of days of the week for meetings. I used to hold certain days for my writing. Instead, I have now assigned it on my calendar at a specified time each day. Structure and specificity create peace which translates into productivity gains.

Learn to say no. We can often feel pressure to take on every opportunity that comes our way. Learn to say no to tasks or projects that do not align with your goals or do not bring value to your business. Use your true north statement as a guide for clients and projects.

Prioritize self-care, so you feel energized.

Self-care is not just spa days and meditation (though it can be). Sometimes we can be dismissive about the need for self-care. However, taking care of yourself physically and emotionally is important for maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout.

Your goals mean nothing if you don’t have the energy to get after them. I just wrote about it over on medium. Here is the friend link.

Eliminate time-sucking distractions.

Eliminate distractions by closing unnecessary tabs, turning off notifications, and working in a quiet environment. Batch emails and use time-tracking tools if you suspect a time leak.

I also leave my phone in the kitchen rather than bring it into the office. This way, I can batch phone calls and texts when I refill my coffee, plus I’m not tempted to check Instagram and get sucked into a doom scroll.

Hire smart people and tools.

Your time is an asset! Outsourcing tasks to people or intelligent tools frees up valuable time. This can also help you stay organized, reduce stress, and increase productivity. Additionally, by hiring a freelancer or virtual assistant, you can access a pool of experts who can bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to your business.

Time management and productivity can be a challenge for any business owner. With the right tools and techniques, you can overcome time management challenges and achieve the success you desire for your business and personal life.

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You don’t have to go at it alone. And you don’t have to be dependent on an agency. I can show you how to optimize your time and achieve your goals by getting the core message right first. Two ways I can help:

1. Message me about my invite-only book club/peer support forum: Elevate Your Enterprise!

2. I support badass 1-person businesses and professionals ready to optimize time, make more money, or produce a greater impact. Details on my Message and Mindset 1:1 here.