Written by: Dr. Wendy Norfleet, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Being a productive entrepreneur is not easy. With so many tasks required to run your business, achieving your organization’s goals might be challenging. This article will provide you with ten productivity hacks and suggestions for entrepreneurs to help you get things done. Implementing at least some of these hacks will help your tasks become more manageable.
Being an entrepreneur is a fantastic experience. You are your own boss, and no one else gets to determine where your company goes. There are no hard and fast rules, and you get to select and experiment with what works best for you. If you have the ability to work remotely, you may do it from home, a coffee shop, a coworking space, or anywhere in the globe if you want to be a digital nomad. In principle, all of this is true. However, in practice, things might be quite different. While entrepreneurship provides you a lot of freedom, it also carries more responsibility since you have to make daily choices. You are often not just your only employee but also the accountant, janitor, and person in charge of night duty.
Tip 1: Take Care of Yourself
Entrepreneurship is a state of expecting the unexpected. It may necessitate sprints and sleepless nights. Regardless of these schedule fluctuations, you must schedule time to take care of yourself. Make sure you include movement in this “me” time as it promotes good health, both physically and mentally.
Maintaining fitness will boost your productivity significantly. Not only will it relieve tension, but it will also increase your energy levels, enabling you to concentrate better on the responsibilities ahead.
Tip 2: Establish Milestones
Every business and entrepreneur has objectives, but most are on a grand scale. Setting milestones can help you obtain goals step by step, and you'll always know what to do next.
Having milestones will keep you from being overwhelmed by the broader picture. Sometimes it seems like you're not doing anything, and you're only satisfied after you attain your goal, not while you're working toward it. Milestones will break down the process and allow you to take it one step at a time, which will keep you motivated.
Tip 3: Monitor Time
Tracking time might be inconvenient, but it can reveal a lot about your productivity. You don't have to do this all the time, but it's a good idea to monitor your time now and again to see how you spend your days.
A smart technique is to monitor time for one whole week once a month or four times a year if unable to complete monthly tracking. A full week of monitoring is suggested as you want to pick a time that is not too long to bore you nor too short to allow you to cheat. Monitoring your time will show you how much time you spend on each activity. Monitoring results will allow you to determine which areas need modification and decide when you need to boost your costs.
Tip 4: Create To-Do Lists
Spend some time each morning making a to-do list for the day (you can also do it in the evening, preparing it for the next day). This will not only help you keep focused on your objectives, but you will also commit yourself.
While checking activities off a to-do list feels good and motivates you, it also reveals much about your daily productivity. At the end of each day, you'll know what you completed and what you need to do the next day.
Remember to go over the list after you've finished your day to check whether you accomplished what you set out to do. If not, ask yourself why, and consider whether the work is worth deferring until tomorrow.
Tip 5: Keep them Brief
It's simple to add 30 activities to your to-do list when you get up in the morning since you're pumped and motivated. However, try not to do so since, as the day progresses, it might make you feel overwhelmed.
The fact is that not all tasks are equally important. As a result, limit yourself to three-to-seven things (rather than 30) to finish throughout the day. This will cause you to think again and ensure that the jobs you choose are relevant and will indeed influence your organization.
Tip 6: Set Strict Limits
Having no set work hours often result in a lack of work-life balance. You must establish firm restrictions if you do not wish to work around the clock. One of the best productivity hacks and recommendations for businesses is to make it a rule never to work after a specified time. That time will depend on you and the type of business. Identifying and ending time will require you to complete all of the duties you had scheduled for that day on time, or they will be pushed to the following day. Following this hack may seem to confine at first, but it will provide you with free time that you might otherwise waste due to poor time management.
Tip 7: Take Care of the Big One
As previously stated, all activities are not the same. Let’s face it; some are more vital than others. At the start of each day, ask yourself, “What is the most critical thing you need to do to move the needle and drive your company in the right direction?” Your daily goal should be to complete this task.
If you disregard the essential activity, it will consume your whole day and may necessitate working extra. However, if you accomplish it first, you will experience immense relief, and subsequent lighter activities will be a breeze.
Tip 8: Discover Your Flow
While reading recommendations like rising at 5 am and heading directly to the gym is simple, doing so blindly is not a smart idea. It may work for you, but listening to your body and establishing your rhythm is always essential.
Some individuals are more productive later in the day, while others are more prolific first thing in the morning. Some people prefer to work from home, while others need an office, or at the very least a library or a coworking place.
Experiment with all of the options to determine what works best for you. You will only be able to decide after putting those strategies to the test. And who knows, maybe getting up at 5 am is your best choice.
Tip 9: Take Breaks
Running a company is a long-term endeavor. Yes, you will need to dash from time to time, but you will understand that unusual circumstances arise regardless of how hard you try to avoid them. As a result, no matter how hectic your schedule seems, make time for pauses.
You might attempt the Pomodoro approach, which works in 25-minute increments separated by 5-minute pauses. However, if you like to work for extended periods, that’s fine. Just make sure you take a proper lunch break and don't eat at your computer. Also, leave your phone on the office desk while you eat and take some time for yourself; your active brain will thank you later.
Tip 10: Delegate
Finally, if at all feasible, delegate. Entrepreneurship entails being the boss, the accountant, and the employee simultaneously, but if you hire an accountant, you won't have to handle your financial reports yourself.
Of course, delegating some work to others necessitates a budget. However, delegating will free up a significant amount of your time. You will be able to focus on your strengths while outsourcing other responsibilities to specialists. This can significantly increase your productivity and is one of the most effective strategies to expand any company.
Wrap-up
These productivity hacks and tips for entrepreneurs will make it easier to achieve your business objectives. Nothing, of course, can substitute for hard work. However, small changes, such as delegating, creating to-do lists, or taking breaks, maybe the missing action that will help you catapult your efficiency and free up more time for yourself.
Reach out to us on LinkedIn or Facebook and share any productivity suggestions. Go forth and continue to be productive!
Dr. Wendy Norfleet, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Wendy Norfleet is an engineer turned CEO, author, certified coach, and community advocate. Leveraging her business knowledge, leadership skills, community engagement, and desire to help others, she works with individuals and organizations to identify challenges, execute solutions, and achieve results. In recognition of her service, Wendy has been honored with numerous leadership awards, recognized as a Women of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal, selected as a 2021 Small Business Leader of the Year, and helped her company achieve the 2021 Corporate Vision Award for Best Business Consulting and Coaching Company ‒ North Florida.
