Optimal time management is a must for every professional that wants to work smarter and accomplish more in less time (more on how loan officers can work smarter, here). If you want to grow your business, you need to be able to manage an increasing workload and more responsibilities without pushing yourself to the point of burnout. Entrepreneurs are particularly susceptible to overloaded schedules and blurred work/life boundaries. When their time-management skills can’t support the level of productivity they need to function at, their work (and their health) can end up suffering. So, how do successful entrepreneurs take control of their time? Here are some important strategies to consider implementing:
They Do a Daily Overview
We need to be prepared, and if we don’t know exactly what to expect, we won’t get there in the way we should. A daily overview doesn’t take much time — just minutes really — but it can allow you to move through the day with much greater ease, begin addressing problems before they arise, and enforce the boundaries that keep you in balance. This can be done first thing in the morning or the night before, whichever works best for you. It simply consists of taking a look at your schedule for the day, and reviewing your to-do list and other commitments or tasks for the day. Be sure you’ve left some flexibility for meetings that run late and give yourself some space to transition from one task to the next. If you have a personal commitment in the evening, ensure you’ve given yourself time to accomplish everything you need to before heading out. This small step will better prepare you for a streamlined and successful day.
They Minimize Distractions
Top entrepreneurs don’t allow anything in that might drain their productivity. They’re aware of the limitations of time and commit to utilizing it as efficiently as possible. When they need to focus on a specific task, they don’t let distractions hijack their concentration. Disable notifications for email and social media and put your phone on silent. Obviously, there are time-sensitive things that we need to look out for, so disabling notifications for the entire day is never going to be possible. But, when you really need to focus, you can block out some windows for no distractions whatsoever. Begin paying attention to the things that regularly take your attention — a chatty colleague or social media, for instance. When you’re aware of what commonly distracts you, it’s much easier to put a plan in place to limit those distractions, or preferably, avoid them entirely.
They Don’t Procrastinate
Procrastination usually starts small — maybe we push an item or two off until tomorrow. The problem is, for busy professionals, ‘tomorrow’ won’t always accommodate those additional tasks, resulting in other things being bumped into the future, and so on. This is not only inefficient, but it also creates unnecessary stress. When we feel things slipping out of our control, we can feel unsettled about our to-do lists and schedule, and it affects our performance. If we want to eradicate procrastination, we need to prioritize. Organize your tasks in order of importance, and address those first.
They’re Realistic
Accomplished entrepreneurs are driven and ambitious, but they’re also well aware of their limitations. They know what they can reasonably expect to accomplish in a single day, and they know when they’re asking too much of themselves. This will look different for each of us, and it will probably change for you over time. It’s not about where you’d like to be, it matters that you understand where you are currently and plan accordingly. From there, you can begin working to improve your productivity so you can accommodate more.
Time management is a foundational skill that can support your work and your vision. Who better to learn from than successful entrepreneurs? When we get a handle for how we manage our time, we can reach new heights and maximize our capacity for success.
If you’d like to have a conversation about managing time, or if there’s something else I can be of assistance with, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to set aside some time to connect.
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