Being your own boss comes with a lot of responsibility — and a pretty good size to-do list. So how do we make the most out of the hours we have to get everything accomplished?
Learn to say no.
We all fall into the trap of stretching ourselves too thin at times. We do our best to balance our time and not overbook, but sometimes it seems inevitable with everything that needs to get done. You will always be pulled in different directions or have people asking you for things, but deciding how you spend your time and when to say no are two crucial factors to maximizing efficiency.
Plan your schedule the night prior.
Organizing your daily agenda the night before is a vital piece to not only successful planning, but alleviating stress. Having a loose idea of how your day will be structured will keep you on your game, and give you an idea of exactly where your time is spent.
Establish your priorities.
Going a step farther with planning your daily agenda would be organizing those things into a priority list. What needs to get done today? What can wait until tomorrow? Knowing where your priorities lie, and planning accordingly will help you achieve the things you need to get accomplished on a daily basis.
Disconnect from technology.
We live in a digital world — making it tough to remove ourselves from our phones, laptops and other technology. Find time during your day to completely remove yourself from your gadgets. Doing so will help you tap into your creative potential without distractions, and remove the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Set goals for yourself.
Without goals, why work? It is vitally important that we set goals for ourselves daily, weekly, and even annually. Knowing what you want to accomplish on a short-term and long-term scale will help keep you on the right path, and give you a sense of accomplishment as you check those goals off your list.
Quit multitasking.
Trying to do too many things at once will only set you up for failure. It’s extremely hard to focus on multiple tasks at the same time and be able to achieve at the level we want to. Focus on one thing at a time, and watch how your productivity increases.
Give yourself more time than you need.
When planning out your days, allot yourself more time than you think you’ll need. This will help remove the stress of running behind, and give you more time as you transition between tasks.
Take weekend trips.
Get away for a weekend. Leave the computer at home, grab some friends, and enjoy being disconnected for a few days. This can be one of the most refreshing feelings after a stressful work week, and set you up for success moving into the coming weeks.
Exercise.
Even if you can only squeeze 20 minutes in per day, exercising is essential to staying healthy physically, and mentally. Getting our bodies moving can be one of the best ways to release some steam and regroup from a daunting day at the office.
Take frequent breaks.
Taking breaks throughout your work day breaks up the monotony, and keeps your energy levels high as you move from task to task.
Find something to be excited about.
Giving yourself something to look forward to on a daily basis (no matter what that may be), will give you a totally different outlook every day. Having something to be excited about will keep you motivated, and gives you something to work towards when you’re putting in those long hours.
Get plenty of sleep.
Sleep. Sleep. And more sleep. This is such an overlooked rule of thumb in terms of productivity. It can be very easy to stay up working until 1 A.M., just to wake up at 7 A.M. to do it all again. Doing this will not only burn you out quickly, but can have a lot of negative effects on your health as well. Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of rest per night and the results could be astronomical.
Are you ready to break free of the 9 to 5 corporate career that provides zero flexibility and no real room for growth?
Let’s chat.
FranNet has a great track record of assisting individuals on their path to entrepreneurship, and one of our franchise experts would love to provide you with guidance free of charge. Sound like something you might be interested in? Get started here.