The life of an entrepreneur isn’t an easy one. These brave people work relentlessly to make their vision a reality, and it takes incredible amounts of dedication and effort.
After their initial business idea strikes them, they soon realize it’s time to get the ball rolling. As Walt Disney said, “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day and while entrepreneurs will give it everything they’ve got, they will inevitably struggle.
This is when it become essential to think deeply about productivity and time management. With the right strategies and advice, those entrepreneurs can maximize their time and get the results they need without burning themselves out.
To help you change the way you look at productivity, here are our five productivity trips for entrepreneurs.
Know when to enlist help
Elon Musk is an entrepreneurial force. He has been at the forefront of countless successful companies and grown them to become some of the most exhilarating businesses in existence. Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company… The list goes on.
But despite his insistence that entrepreneurs have to work incredibly hard – putting in 100 hour work weeks – he hasn’t grown those companies alone. While Elon is undoubtedly very driven and energetic, it would have been impossible for him to grow those companies singlehandedly.
This is an important lesson to keep in mind. Some entrepreneurs are so attached to their project that they feel it would be a betrayal to allow others to join and help. There’s a certain level of anxiety that the original vision will be morphed or changed. But remember, nobody can do it alone.
It’s important that you keep an open mind when it comes to enlisting the help and abilities of others.
Work in chunks of one hour
Finding the time to focus properly is one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face. They have so many messages and urgent notifications coming in thick and fast, that it can be difficult to work on a project for a sustained length of time.
This is why, according to Michelle Aran, CEO of Velvet Caviar, it’s a great idea to divide up your time into distinct chunks. When you have a target set, you’ll find that it’s easier to focus and set aside any distractions for a little while.
Michelle recommends chunks of one hour, but this will vary from person to person. Some people might find that dedicating 30 minutes to a problem or project is most effective.
Manage your time spent online
We would all be lost without the internet. With that said, we run the risk of becoming distracted if we spend far too much time on it. We live in a society that is still coming to grips with online life. We haven’t quite figured out the rules – how long is it appropriate to leave before replying to a person’s email? When are we expected to be online?
If you’re an entrepreneur, you should think critically about your relationship with the internet. Are you always online and receiving messages from your staff? Do you find that you regularly check emails and other feeds?
Your time as the founder is best spent pushing your business forwards, so you should think about the ways you can reduce the amount of time that you spend online.
Determine your focus each day
As an entrepreneur you’ll have an incredible amount of your plate. Meetings, calls, projects, surprise events throughout the day… It’s a lot to handle, particularly while trying to live a normal life and serve your family and friends too.
If you allow it all to pile on top of you, it can become overwhelming and you won’t be able to find a way out. This is why you should define a couple of key goals each day to work on. There’s always going to be something on the back-burner but don’t let it distract you: focus on one problem at a time.
Remember your why
In the early days of your business, your enthusiasm and energy propel you forwards and keep your business growing. Pushed on by a desire to recognize your dream, you’ll be able to work hard each day to make it happen.
Over time, you may find that while the flame is still there, it burns just a little bit dimmer and its heat is reduced. It’s important that you find the time to think about your “why” regularly. Returning back to this is like going back to a well to get water that nourishes and energizes you.
If you can keep the “why” in mind, you’ll be able to dig deep and find the energy that you need to grow your business.
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