Proactive Time Management for Busy Entrepreneurs

One finite resource an entrepreneur has is their time - so it makes sense to manage it efficiently so as to be as productive as possible. Ineffective time management can result in overwork, burnout and an overwhelming sense of running around in circles - none of which are helpful in operating and growing a business. The most difficult part for a busy entrepreneur to admit is that they are only human and while their aspirations may be grand, there is, truly, only so much a mere mortal can accomplish in 24 hours. Time management for an entrepreneur is the art of ensuring that you are maximizing your efforts on the appropriate tasks.

Know - and keep in mind - your business’ goals

Whenever you’re considering how to allocate your time, refer to your company’s goals. Keeping them in mind will help you recognize the tasks and projects that will propel it toward them and steer clear of wasting time on those which do not align with those goals. Your business doesn’t have to take on everything; keep your mind open to the possibility that some projects aren’t going to pan out (at least right now) and let them go lest they pointlessly overburden your workload.

Adopt a helicopter view of your business

It’s the nature of the entrepreneurial beast to take on more than they need to - which is understandable considering their business is their brainchild. Carefully consider all the things that need to be done to run your business and you’ll quickly realize they can’t - and shouldn’t - all be performed by you. When you’re in the trenches, wearing all (or most) of the hats, it’s difficult to have the clearest view of who needs to be attending to which tasks. Taking the time to "rise above" the activity, however, gives you the opportunity to observe things in a more objective way that enables you to imagine a scenario in which you aren’t doing it all.

Delegate

Once you’ve given yourself the gift of a new perspective, it’s time to determine what tasks and responsibilities are worth your time and energy; the ones that require your talents, skills and vision. That’s where delegating comes into play. Determine that which you absolutely want to and can do proficiently and with passion: That’s your job as an entrepreneur. The rest should be delegated as soon as is reasonable to someone who is as adept at doing it as you are doing your job. This frees up your time for the most high-level functions where you - and you alone - are necessary.

Prioritization

Even once you’ve narrowed your list of tasks to only that which you as the business owner should be doing, there’s probably more on it than you can reasonably check off in a day. Prioritizing can help you attend to the most urgent, important items first so that, no matter what, your business continues to move forward. Recognizing what is actually important and what qualifies as a "shiny object" distraction is an important distinction to learn to make.

Avoid overwhelm

When projects seem too complicated or unwieldy, break them down into smaller, more manageable components upon which you can more easily take action. Even then, it’s easy to fall victim to overwhelm which can ultimately paralyze (which is the opposite of productivity). To avoid paralysis, it’s helpful to adopt a "Now, Then Next" strategy. Choose only two actions upon which to focus at a time: your very next action, then the one that logically follows. This approach to getting things done helps you accomplish even large endeavors in an ever-moving yet completely digestible manner. You’ll avoid the time-wasting demon of overwhelmed paralysis with steady momentum and focus.

Schedule your time

Literally schedule blocks of time on a calendar to work on particular tasks so that you’ll always know that you’re spending your time appropriately. These blocks should be dedicated and distraction-free (even from other work-related duties). This practice also provides the benefit of assuring you that important projects won’t fall through the cracks because they are accounted for on your calendar. Another benefit of sticking to a calendar is that dedicating your time to a particular task will help prevent you from trying to multitask (which, by virtue of its propensity to bounce you out of a flow state, is no ally of productivity).

If you find that a large block of time on a single project is overwhelming (or if your mind tends to wander after a few minutes) you may find that scheduling shorter bursts of work of 20 or 25 minutes at a time with a five minute break to stretch, breathe or hydrate helps you be more productive.

Organization is key

Disorganization is a major time-waster; relocating and retrieving frequently-used documents, passwords, URL’s, phone numbers and the like robs valuable productive minutes every day. Put systems in place so that this kind of information can be readily available at your fingertips. Make a habit of building worksheets, workflow charts and templates for other repeated tasks so you’re not reinventing the wheel each time the project comes up. Even common phrasing for agreements, correspondence or marketing can be organized so it can be pasted into documents instead of writing fresh (but virtually identical) text each time it’s needed.

Effective time management has a lot to do with stepping into "executive mode" which stems from a proactive stance when you’re stepping into a leadership role, as opposed to a reactive stance when you’re simply reacting and responding to whatever is happening around you. Entrepreneurs who manage their time proactively can get more done with greater command of their workload.

How is your entrepreneurial time management style working?