It is interesting to hear people say they wish they had more hours in the day. I used to say that as well. Now I just answer: it is all about how you use your time.
You don’t need more time to get more done, you just need to work more efficiently. This is a vital part of how you achieve the success you have set out for yourself.
It took me some time to get this. To see clearly that what I was prioritizing wasn’t what I needed to do. And at the end of the day I thought I didn’t have enough time to get it all done.
Of course as business owners there will always be days we wish we had more time, but it all comes down to prioritizing.
Feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day and you want more? Here are a 8 quick time management tips for online entrepreneurs:
- Make a list of everything you need to do. You can have a large list with various things and a more detailed list.
- Decide upon 3-7 things that are priority and that you can do in one day. Set up an action list for how to do it as well if you need to.
- Cut down on things you don’t need to do. If what you do have no real purpose or relation with your business you could probably cut down on it.
- Learn to delegate and outsource. Great time saver and head ache reliever.
- Time yourself to see what you really do spend your time on. You could be well surprised with the answers. Use a time tracker such as Easy Time Tracker. Perfect if you have many projects going on.
- Ask yourself: Is this task bringing me closer to the ultimate goal I want to achieve with my business?
- Be organized. Know where your things are. Take a day to re organize your folders and documents on your computer. It will be much easier for you to find the right info when you need it.
- Find out when you are most productive during the day and schedule your work then. As you are more productive you will save time.
If you follow these time management tips you will definitely save yourself some time. Decide what is an urgency and do it! The longer you wait the more stressed you will be and your business will suffer. To quote Dave TheLaunch Coach.com: Imagine you only had two hours in a day to do your work. What would you do then? Now go do it!
That will definitely help you get going. Always check in on yourself to make sure you aren’t wasting time where you shouldn’t.
Do you use your time efficiently or do you often wish you had more time? What do you consider being a waste of time? Share your best time management tips below!
Great tips! I share info on all of these things (that’s what my business is all about). One of the key things you mentioned is to consider whether or not your task is moving you toward your goal. Vision/goal setting is foundational. That framework then serves as a guide for what you do in your day . . . and a whole bunch of other factors come into play :).
Yes! Thumbs up for that Leanne! If we have the bigger picture or at least a bit of it it will be so much easer to move forward!
Thanks so much. Stephen Covey calls it big rocks…this is my biggest downfall on time management. Often I choose the things that I enjoy most…more than the priority items. If I were to start each day getting the priority items out of the way first, I would probably have shorter work days. (PS…your blog is pretty too). ~Cathy
Thanks for your comment Cathy, so glad you like the blog! There is nothing wrong in doing things we enjoy, but we need to know how much time we can spend on it so we don’t miss out opportunities and later stress about what we should have done earlier. But we learns as we go 🙂
Great post, Linda. It reminds me of how much I neglect to use the tools I have at my fingertips. I am going to read this post every day for a week until your words are ringing in my ears each time I reach for the task that takes me further from my ultimate goal. Thank you. . .
Great choice Sue Ann! Dailoy reminders of what we should be doing is great. And you mentioned something really important; using the tools we have at our fingertips. We have and know more than we use, if we just make a small effort we can do so much more and accomplish so much more of our goals. Keep at it! 🙂
Ohhh #6 really hit a nerve with me. I often find that I spend time doing things out of “panic” rather than thinking through if it will really benefit my business. I let that fear get in and it makes me run around like a chicken all day. I have a hard time getting organized but I know that I am calmer and more productive when I am. Thanks for the reminder today!
Amber, I meet so many business owners who do this on a daily basis. But planning and being in control will make it all so much easier! If you need help staying organized The WAH Organizer may be something for you.
I love this! I recently realized that if I am REALLY focusing on what I need to do, I only need about 3 hours a day to do what I really need to do. Another trick I find useful is to write a list of the things I want to accomplish that day and do ONLY what is on that list. Helps a LOT.
*yay* Thanks for replying Shenee! Yes and if you decide on three things that are important and that will make you feel good about accomplishing then you are more than done! Sometimes we treat time as it is something that is never ending… which it is but then again not…
I like #6 too! And Dave’s quote…
I know, I try to ask myself this several times a day to make sure I don’t get sidetracked! 🙂