6 Effective Time Management Principles to Know

As Paul J. Meyer once said, productivity is never an accident.

It is the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort.

But you cannot reach peak productivity without effectively managing your time. When you’re running a small business, it can seem like there are not enough hours in the day to do everything you need to do.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top 6 effective time management principles you need to know.

These tips will aim to boost your productivity and help you find that extra time during the day.

Here’s What We’ll Cover:

1. Ruthlessly Prioritize

2. Break Down Your Projects

3. Delegate!

4. Don’t Multitask

5. Eliminate Distractions

6. Make Use of Software

Key Takeaways

1. Ruthlessly Prioritize

When you’ve got a desk full of work, it can sometimes seem overwhelming. You can work all day but then suddenly realize almost nothing has been done.

There is one simple answer when it comes to solving this: be utterly ruthless.

Rank your tasks in order of importance and stick to it. Is there something you’d like to get done but it isn’t urgent? Put it at the bottom of the list. There isn’t time to consider anything other than if something is a critical task or not.

2. Break Down Your Projects

When you’re looking at large projects, they can seem insurmountable. But a lot of how we are able to complete tasks relies on our outlook and mental approach.

If you look at a project as one huge task, it can be difficult to tackle. But if you break the project down into a series of smaller, more manageable tasks then that’s when it becomes a lot easier.

Assigning these tasks into blocks of time will help to ensure you hit your deadlines without forgetting the little things.

3. Delegate!

Unless you’re working on a solo venture, delegating is key to the success of any business.

If you have a team – use them. If you’ve put your trust in them enough to hire and pay them a salary, make sure you trust them enough to actually do their jobs.

To effectively delegate, you need to understand who you are delegating to and whether they’ll be able to handle the extra workload. By giving them the right tools they need under the right circumstances, your schedule can be cleared up a lot.

4. Don’t Multitask

We are always led to believe that multitasking is a good thing. In reality, rarely does anyone manage to do more than one thing at a time – and it’s even rarer to do both of those things well.

Giving each task our full, undivided attention will in fact bring about much better results. This way, you’ll be able to be fully productive in the hours that you have.

5. Eliminate Distractions

A recent study by the University of California looked at how distractions affect our work. They found that every distraction takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task at hand.

We have a wide range of distractions at our fingertips. Whether it’s surfing the web, playing with your mobile phone or chatting with friends. If you want to fully focus, make sure you set out a period of time where you are free from any form of distraction.

6. Make Use of Software

There is a wide variety of time tracking software available to help you manage your time.

A service such as FreshBooks can help you maximize your productivity throughout your day. It helps you to tackle every project head-on with the confidence that your time isn’t being misplaced.

FreshBooks services are perfectly tailored for small business owners. It is smart, manageable software that is easy to use.

Key Takeaways

Time management is key to any business.

Time is such a finite resource. It has to be properly managed so that you can make the most of your day and not feel overwhelmed or stressed.

So the next time you’re looking at your to-do list, make sure you take these time management strategies into consideration. A good daily plan that highlights your urgent tasks can make a huge difference.

Are you looking for more business advice on everything from starting a new business to new business practices?

Then check out the FreshBooks Resource Hub.

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