Business Owners are consistently working more than they think they should.
According to new research from The Alternative Board (TAB), the average entrepreneur spends 68.1% of the time working “in” their business—tackling day-to-day tasks, putting out fires, etc.—and only 31.9% of the time working “on” their business—i.e. long-term goals, strategic planning.
Most adults feel like they don’t have enough time in the day. And for business owners, that can be a real challenge.
You have to juggle work and personal obligations, not to mention trying to find time for yourself. But it’s not impossible.
There are things you can do to make more time in your day. Here are five ways to get started.
1- Have a Plan
Do you ever feel like you’re always running behind and can’t seem to get ahead?
It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day distractions and let time slip away.
But if you want to make more time for yourself, there is a solution: make a daily business plan.
By creating a plan for each day, you can focus on what’s important and avoid wasting time on things that don’t matter.
Here’s what a daily business plan looks like:
Plan 1: Write Down Your Priorities
Plan 2: Check Emails Once (but only if you can answer them and move on)
Plan 3: Use Time Blocks
Plan 4: Find an Accountability Partner
Creating a daily business plan can be a great way to take control.
2- Get a Dream Team
Picture this: It’s the end of another long day. You’re exhausted, but there’s still more work to be done.
You think about all the other things you could be doing—spending time with your family, playing golf, relaxing.
But instead, you sit down at your desk and start slogging through the remaining tasks.
Sound familiar? If it does, don’t worry—you’re not alone.
We all wish we had more time in our days, but somehow it always seems to disappear.
But what if I told you that you could have more time?
That there was a way to get more out of every day?
It might sound too good to be true, but it’s not. All you need is a dream team.
Why?
By strategically outsourcing some of your responsibilities and tasks, you can make MORE time for the things that really matter in life.
The bottom line is that a dream team can help take some of the burden off of you and free up more time for what’s important.
3- Find a Business Partner
No one said being an entrepreneur would be easy.
In today’s world, it’s even harder to find the time to do everything yourself.
That’s why so many entrepreneurs and business owners are turning to business partners to help them get ahead.
A business partner can help you manage your time and resources more efficiently, which can lead to a more successful business.
4- Get a Mentor
Mentors. Do you have one? If not, should you be looking for one?
According to a study released by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2010, “individuals with mentors earn 18% more money on average and are promoted at rates that are six times higher than those without mentors”.
It’s not always easy to find time to do everything we want to do.
Between work, family, and personal obligations, there never seems to be enough hours in the day.
Thankfully, there’s a solution: get a mentor.
Mentors can help us make the most of our time by teaching us how to prioritize and focusing on what’s important.
With a mentor’s help, we can finally achieve that elusive work-life balance we’ve been striving for.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you don’t have enough time, it might be time to seek out a mentor.
Are you ready to get more time and unlock the immeasurable power of leaning on others?
5- Value Your Time
“A man who dares waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” —Charles Darwin
Know and respect the value of your own time. At the end of the day, it’s the most precious thing you have.
Your time is not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
I hope you can learn this sooner than I did.
There’s one little word with a magical power to protect and stretch your time:
“NO.”
It’s hard to say no.
But if you’re ever going to reach your own vision for your success, in business or in life, you have to learn it well and practice it often.
Say “NO” to the small things so you can focus on the things that will get you where you really want to be.
Remember, the biggest enemies of the BEST thing are things that are just GOOD.
In fact, when you learn how to say “no”, you create more time in the day for a break and a reset.
According to Tony Robbins, one of the world’s leading personal development experts, if you want to be successful, you need to take regular breaks throughout the day.
That means getting up from your desk every hour or so and stepping away from your work for a few minutes.
During that time, focus on something unrelated to your job. Maybe do some deep breathing exercises or go golfing (which is something I like to do and it helps me get outside).
At the end of the day, we all want to find ways to make more time in our businesses.
These five tips are a great place to start.
But if you’re feeling overwhelmed or like these changes seem impossible for you, don’t worry. I’ve got your back.
Break it down into smaller steps and take it one step at a time. You can do this!
Which tip are you going to focus on first?
