Juggling different tasks in business, roles in your personal life, positions in your various associations and commitments in other interests can be tiresome. “Time is gold” rings true to every entrepreneur, which is why there is a need to manage it well. Otherwise, you’ll end up doing too many mundane things that may take up a lot of your time and energy.
The best way to approach the rigorous demands of running a business is to put a system in place that will allow you to organise your schedule and thoughts while reaping positive results. You may hear a lot of suggestions and advice on how to deal with effective time management, but we narrowed down five important tips that can help you structure your work with your other responsibilities.
Break down your goals into small tasks
Huge goals can be overwhelming at times. If you have several projects to finish, it is better to break them down into small tasks that you can check every day. Make these tasks very specific and time-bound so you can easily monitor their progress. Designate a few minutes to go over your checklist at the beginning and the end of the day.
Categorise tasks according to their urgency
Not everything is urgent. Organise your tasks according to priority so you can easily spot the things that you need to focus on and set aside other things at the bottom of your to-do list. Review your tasks and distinguish which ones that need your immediate attention and those that may be delegated to others or at another time. Use applications or software that can make your task and schedule easier to manage. Allow a few hours each day for emergency cases, but learn to sift through your appointments or undertakings to avoid getting your day swamped with too much work.
Set aside time for each role
In your business, you can allocate time for your different responsibilities, roles and departments. When you are home, centre your attention to your family and loved ones. Make a timetable for your other commitments as well. If you are involved in business groups like EO, have a day specially dedicated for this interest. What you’re trying to avoid here is overlooking obligations outside of work that you end up neglecting your other accountabilities.
Delegate to your team
You don’t have to do all the things by yourself. Learn to entrust tasks to your team members. Invest in skills training and professional development of your staff so that they can also exercise leadership capabilities. Schedule a regular meeting with them for them to know your directions and business style, which they can imbibe in their work.
Give yourself a break
As an entrepreneur, what sets you apart from office workers is your culpability over the many lives that depend on you. You cannot take care of your people if you do not take good care of yourself. Don’t overwork yourself. Instead, allow yourself some short breaks to relieve your mind and body from stress. Stretch your muscles, do small exercises, have a nap, walk to the pantry or nearest café for a cup of coffee, watch the scene outside your window or breathe in some fresh air. These breaks will give you an opportunity to recharge and re-organise yourself, especially when there are too many fires to put out or decisions to make.
Most of all, listen to your mind and body. When you’re tired, take a rest. Remember that there are only 24 hours in a day and seven days a week. Know your limitations. Go after quality over quantity of things done. If you need to let out stress, find like-minded individuals or mentors who can listen to you and help you sort things out. Once you’ve mastered your day and the tasks you need to do, you can get through the challenges with more confidence and determination.