No matter what area of business you prefer, time management is a skill that’s necessary for success. Whether you’re a busy mom or a young entrepreneur, you’re likely going to encounter some time in your life where you feel like you just can’t get everything done. Your lists are overflowing and no matter what you do, you never feel accomplished.
Here are some easy ways to fight those feelings, manage your time, and avoid procrastination.
Analyze Your Current Process
The first step in figuring out how to improve your time management skills is to evaluate your current practices. You’ll have to take some time initially to think about how you get things done right now.
Do you have a process in place for things, or are you more random in choosing the order in which you accomplish your daily tasks?
List out all the things that you typically do in one workday, one work week, and maybe even each month. By getting a handle on the volume of your tasks, you can evaluate better ways to distribute them throughout your day.
Are you the type of person that works better with a routine?
Do you feel like your daily life needs to be more structured?
Are there times that you wish you had more control?
Think about things that you would like to improve about your daily, weekly, and even monthly processes. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Choose Your Top Priorities
So now that you’ve taken time to understand the way that you’re currently getting things done, it’s time to eliminate some of the pressure so that you can put your best foot forward.
Moving in the direction of growth and success takes time and concentration. In order to put in the work necessary, you need to spread yourself thin sometimes. Make it a habit to choose three or five to-do’s each day. Setting limits for yourself is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you’re meeting your top priorities first.
What things lead to the most success in your business?
Put those things first. They may be the same thing every day, or they may constantly change. Make sure you take time each day to recognize the most important things you need to accomplish and make sure you get them done!
Create a Schedule
Sometimes the hardest part of managing your time is knowing when things need to be done. You have so much to remember between your personal and professional life, so it’s natural to feel like you’re scrambling to accomplish anything. One simple thing that you can do, starting today, is to create a schedule for yourself. This will ensure that you have allotted enough time to get things done and it will also serve as a reminder for all of your to-do's. You can use a reminder or calendar app on your phone, or you can go old-school with a pen and paper!
One Thing at a Time
Sometimes looking at all of your tasks laid out can be intimidating and can make you feel defeated. It’s so important to remember that you will be able to get things done even if it seems impossible right now. Taking one step at a time is the easiest way for you to be able to accomplish things to the best of your ability. If you’re rushing around just to check things off your list, you won’t be able to produce the best results. We all know that burnt out feeling, and we’ve all seen how our quality of work declines once we start to neglect our mental health. Focus on one thing at a time and see it all the way through. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done this way.
Allow Some Wiggle Room
It's true that you have to be comfortable with yourself before you can be successful in other aspects of your life. Forgiving yourself is a big step towards allowing more success to come. By being less strict with your due dates and allowing yourself some wiggle room when scheduling out your days, you’ll be able to account for things that come up in everyday life. We can’t control traffic or a bad Wifi signal, so try not to sweat the small stuff and be flexible whenever possible.
At She Reigns Creative, we work to give you the quickest tips for the highest success rate. We know from personal experience that these elements are essential to creating an evening routine that can lead you towards a successful life as an entrepreneur. We want to help you learn more strategies to grow your business. Sign up for a FREE consultation, today!