Effective time management is the pot of gold at the end of the business rainbow. Any entrepreneur that gets to that point is guaranteed, not just greater productivity, but probably a happier and more satisfying day-to-day existence too. If you’re looking to improve the way you manage your time then these tips are essential reading.

 

Recognise if you have a problem

 

Procrastination, micromanaging, daydreaming – whatever it is that is stopping you from effectively managing your time, the first step is to admit that it’s creating an obstacle.

 

Look at where you’re getting distracted

 

Do you regularly end up in meetings that don’t achieve much? Or disappearing down a vortex on Instagram? Identify the parts of the day where precious time is being wasted so that you can work towards minimising these distractions.

 

Schedule breaks into your day

 

Pushing yourself to just keep going throughout the day without breaks is tempting when you’re busy but it’s not actually a very good way to manage your time. The fewer breaks you take the more inefficient you’re likely to be when it comes to tasks. So, take more breaks so that you can get more done.

 

Commit yourself to planning

 

The statistics say that you can save 10 minutes in the execution of a task for every minute that you spend planning it – those are figures that really add up.

 

Start your day the night before

 

Either before you finish work for the day or later that evening, sit down and look at the day to follow. Work out what the best use of your time will be and where you can add the most significant value to the business.

 

Learn to prioritise

 

Simply making a list of tasks and then working your way through it isn’t likely to deliver when it comes to ensuring that what is most important is getting done. Instead, start ranking your tasks in order of importance so that you’re never finishing the day with something crucial overlooked.

 

Schedule the biggest tasks for the morning

 

Most of us just tend to be better at getting things done earlier in the day.

 

Break your day down in 15-30 minute blocks of time

 

This is the most efficient way to organise your time – just take each block and then fill it with the tasks from your To Do list. Make sure that this planning ends up in your calendar and not scribbled on scrap paper or in your head.

 

Be absolutely single-minded

 

Once you’ve got your plan, stick to it. Start with those most significant jobs first thing in the morning and don’t shy away – get stuck in and be single-minded until the job is done.

 

Schedule face-to-face time too

 

It’s important to ensure you have some face-to-face interaction with managers and employees. Scheduling this in will ensure it doesn’t get overlooked.

 

Better time management can have a positive impact on everything, from your experience of running a business to the culture you create.

 

Get in touch with Brian Doubleday today for more business tips and advice.