Time Management Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs

Whether you're a full-time entrepreneur or you're just getting started building your business, the fact that there's a limited amount time will become crystal clear, if not already.  It's one of the biggest challenges - just getting it all done.  Here are a few ideas you might want to try out.  These are things that I've implemented recently to take back more of my time that you might want to try too.

Batch Similar Tasks

The biggest thing I've started doing is batching my tasks.  This is an idea I got from the 4 Hour Work Week and if you haven't read that book, you should definitely check it out.  There are quite a few more great ideas for time management, outsourcing and other issues.  But in terms of batching, all that means is doing similar tasks all at once. 

For instance, if you know you want to have one blog post per day during the week, instead of taking time EACH DAY to write a blog post, why not do all of them on Monday (or whatever day you choose)?  That way, you can get them all done while you're "in the zone" rather than trying to get in the mood to write every single day.  The same goes for paying bills, running errands, or other periodic tasks (typically weekly stuff).

Force Tasks to a Specific Amount of Time

Speaking of things like writing (or any other task for that matter), another idea is to use an egg timer.  No, not to time how long it takes you to do something, but to FORCE yourself to get it done within a set amount of time.  I'm giving myself 15 minutes to write, proof, and post this article to my site.  There's nothing like the ticking of that clock to focus your mind on the task at hand…in this case, writing a blog post.  How else can you get your time back if you don't limit the amount of time devoted to a task?  Otherwise, the time required will just continue to expand since more time will be available.  Gotta' limit things to a reasonable amount of time and then move on.

Only Work on Tasks Related to Your Goals

I hate to bring up the topic of goals, but it's important to mention when it comes to managing your time.  If you don't have clearly defined goals, you're likely to just end up spinning your wheels.  You'll be more likely to take on tasks that aren't in line with your goals or not finish things that would help you reach them faster. 

By having clearly defined goals, you can focus only on those things that will move you closer to those goals…tasks that actually produce RESULTS.  In addition, you can figure out what needs to be done, which tasks suit your particular skills, and which need to be outsourced (the ultimate in time management).

Figure Out Tomorrow's Tasks the Night Before

One last tip is at the end of the day, take 5 - 10 minutes and look back at what you accomplished today and what needs to be taken care of tomorrow.  Make tomorrow's to-do list the night before.  That way, when you wake up and are ready to get to work, there's no time wasted figuring out what you need to do. 

It's even better if you can prioritize your list, identifying the 2 or 3 things that would make the day a success if that's all you got done.  Do those FIRST!  Or do the hardest, most time consuming first.  It's sort of a personal choice, but it helps to have some rhyme or reason to your list.

Bonus Tip: Have a Plan for Your Extra Free Time

Another idea pulled from the 4 Hour Work Week is the fact that once you've freed up some of your time, it helps to have an idea of what you'll do with that extra time.  The goal is freedom, not more time to work on the business, search forums, or for goodness sakes…finding MORE ideas!  So have a plan for something worthwhile to do with the extra fee time you create.

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