Time management for solopreneurs: manage your day more productively – Fiona Robertson Graphics

Managing a small business comes with a lot of challenges, from deciding between an office or an all-in-one coworking space to building up your client roster. Furthermore, if you decided to do it all on your own, you know that your workload is going to be heavy. As a solopreneur, you probably feel like there is never enough time in the day and that you are constantly having to race from one task to the next. You may even feel like you are steadily falling behind schedule with each passing day.

This is why time management is one of the most important skills for people who run a business on their own. With all of the responsibilities on your shoulders, the ability to manage your time can be the difference between success and failure. The following are a few tips that can help solopreneurs as you manage the time you spend running a small business.

Make a Daily Checklist

You will never get control over your time if you do not set an agenda for the day. At the beginning of each workday, you should list all of the things you need to accomplish before the day is done. With a list of every task in front of you, you can then plan your day for success. You could even use an app like Todoist to help you create and organise your daily checklist.

Creating a daily checklist is a good start, but you need to prioritise the tasks that will do the most to help you reach your goals. When you are making your daily checklist, break the tasks down from high priority to low priority. You might want to plan to do the high-priority tasks first thing when you start your day. If you feel like you work better in the afternoon, schedule the high-priority tasks for after lunch. Ideally, you would complete all of your tasks, but this at least ensures that you get the most important jobs done before the end of the day.

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Allow for Some Breaks

The constant grind of work can wear you down over time. You might look at all of your responsibilities and think that breaks are out of the question, but this will only lead to you feeling burned out. Getting away from your work for just a few minutes can do a lot to refresh your mind and when you get back to work, you will be more productive. When you are making your daily schedule, be sure to add one or two short breaks in addition to your lunch break.

Be Mindful of Time-Wasters

It can be easy to let yourself stray from your work when you are your own boss. The problem is that small time-wasters can add up to a lot of wasted time throughout the day. It is important to try to separate your personal life from your work life. You should also try to cut off conversations that are not helping you to move toward a goal. If the internet is your time-waster, an app like RescueTime can provide you with insights into your online habits and provide you with tools to be more productive.

Know When to Multitask

Multitasking can work well for small, simple tasks that do not require a lot of brainpower, but there are some jobs that require your full attention. The problem with trying to multitask on complex tasks is that you are not really doing more than one thing at the same time. Instead, you are constantly switching from task to task and all of the stopping and starting is inefficient. There is even research that shows that multitasking is a less efficient way to manage your time.

Schedule Some Exercise

Exercise might seem like one more thing to add to your already tight schedule, but it can actually make you a more efficient worker. People who exercise more tend to be more productive. Along with that, research suggests that people who exercise more tend to have more energy and they are less likely to experience fatigue. It might be one more thing on your schedule, but regular exercise can prepare your mind and body for the busy workday.

Being a solopreneur requires a significant commitment of your time, but that does not mean that you need to be overwhelmed. With a little bit of planning, and some tips to manage your time better, you can get more out of your days without having to run yourself ragged.

About the author:

Rae Steinbach is a graduate of Tufts University with a combined International Relations and Chinese degree. After spending time living and working abroad in China, she returned to NYC to pursue her career and continue curating quality content. Rae is passionate about travel, food, and writing, of course. Fueled Collective

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