Become an ultra productive time manager
27% of small business owners think poor time management is why they spend so much time on tasks which don’t help them build their business and 19% think they need to prioritise their profit making tasks*…
So just imagine if you had one extra hour a week… One magic hour! What would you do with it? Dedicate more time to growing your business? Spend more time with your family? Meet with a major supplier? Develop your marketing strategy?
This is a useful technique in making us think about how we use our 168 hours a week and what would we do if the time management fairy granted us a magic one.
What gets in the way of incorporating that magic hour into every week? In other words, how can we do the things that we really need to do.
Top 5 things that get in the way:
- Lack of focus – losing sight of your long-term goal whilst being lost in the day to day. ‘Being busy’ syndrome.
- Doing too much doing – forgetting what you are paid to do and not delegating enough. Not spending enough time on leading the business.
- The unexpected and unnecessary – a lack of forward planning means the day is full of the unexpected. Days come to an end and you’re left wondering what you have achieved.
- Technology – IT systems, CCing the world into emails, alerts on 100%, replying during meetings, inboxes with hundreds of un-opened emails…
- Other people – Being too available or rescuing the situation. If you’re guilty of this, stop. Spend some time reading The One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey instead (it’s honestly worth a read).
Our top 6 practical tips for effective time management:
- Keep your main goal in mind – don’t get side tracked into things that are not important.
- Set one key objective for the day – and don’t leave until it’s done.
- Procrastinate less – stop leaving important things to the last minute.
- Do nothing you can delegate – it can be painful at the beginning but worth it in the end.
- Make room for quiet time to think – even if it is in the car, switch off the radio and contemplate.
- Use technology wisely – it’s there to help not to hinder.
*Instantprint Big Small Business Survey
To find out more for you or your team, contact us on 01245 258 689 to attend a dedicated masterclass in personal effectiveness.
I’ll give you that extra hour – use it wisely.