It’s not an easy job to be an entrepreneur. There are deadlines to meet, products to develop, and clients to please. There is never enough time in a day to do everything you want to do.
So productivity is key if you want your company to survive in today’s cutthroat business world. Here are four surefire strategies that will help keep you productive, both personally and professionally, while keeping your sanity intact.
Start Each Day with a Review
No matter what you’re trying to achieve in life, if you want your efforts to last, you need to be self-critical and reflective. That doesn’t mean being hard on yourself all day long! Just schedule time each morning to assess where things stand.
Set goals for each day by making a list of concrete tasks that move you toward your larger objectives. Otherwise, you might spend too much time moving down tangential paths, rather than staying focused on what matters most.
Focus on One Thing at a Time
Multitasking can be tempting for entrepreneurs, but it’s not a very effective way to get things done. It’s better if you focus on one thing at a time and then move on once you’re finished. This way, your work will be well-planned and organized.
It also gives you more clarity about what task is most important for reaching your goals. Staying focused allows you to do everything at a high level rather than trying to juggle multiple projects. As with many things in life, balance is key.
Put Away Your Phone
Of course, none of these will work if you don’t put your phone away when it’s time to work. It may seem like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people struggle with this.
If you really can’t help yourself and need to get notifications on your desktop, consider installing a plug-in like StayFocusd for Chrome or LeechBlock for Firefox that will block certain sites for hours or at regular intervals.
You can then control which sites are unblocked depending on what kind of mood you’re in or whether you have important deadlines coming up. Another option is just putting your phone far enough away so that you physically can’t reach it while working.
Although phones come in handy when you need to look something up quickly, the only solution is tough love! Knowing yourself well enough to realize how distracting mobile devices tend to be and having the discipline to keep them out of sight until you absolutely need them.
Take Frequent Breaks
The world of business moves quickly and it’s easy to feel like you’re always on. To make sure you’re focused on key tasks, try taking frequent breaks from your work.
These breaks can be mini-breaks in which you force yourself to step away from your desk for 15 minutes at a time. By doing so, you’ll give your mind some much-needed rest that will allow you to tackle tasks more efficiently when it comes time for business hours again.
Bottom Line
The biggest reason why entrepreneurs don’t work at their full potential is that they don’t prioritize their productivity. When you’re your own boss and every minute of every day counts, things can be difficult. It’s also very easy to let tasks fall by the wayside.
Without a solid routine in place, you can struggle to get everything done on time. And when you have one-on-one meetings with clients or investors, or host events for employees or customers, being unproductive just won’t cut it. In short: Productivity trumps everything else in the business.
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