There’s a good reason people say the road to success is always under construction. It takes constant work, relentless commitment, and the power to face the bumps and challenges you come across if you want to achieve your goals. No one knows this better than entrepreneurs. For them, this road implies juggling multiple responsibilities, solving problems, overcoming obstacles along the way, while continuously trying to improve their productivity.
There are no shortcuts as an entrepreneur, so one must be ready to walk the walk.
But even if success doesn’t come easy, there are always ways to bring it one step closer to you. Improve your productivity and the rest will follow. But how exactly do you do that when you already feel like you’re doing all you can to make your business thrive? The key is to work smarter, not harder, in order to make a visible difference and start performing better. It might sound complicated, but it’s really not.
These simple expert tips will set you on the right track and help you boost your productivity in no time.
Organize yourself better by using time blocks
You can’t be productive 24/7 and that’s a given. There are times when you can’t even seem to focus on minor tasks, let alone work on being more productive.
The key is to identify the moments of the day when your energy level is high and you’re able to get more things done. Then make the most of these time blocks by getting your priorities in order and organizing your day around them. It’s a simple concept. If you’re more productive in the morning, schedule the most important activities during the early hours to make sure you’ve crossed the essential tasks off your list.
Forget about multitasking
When you’ve got so much on your plate, the first thought is to do 10 things at a time and get them out of the way. And just like that you fall into the multitasking trap.
Here’s the harsh truth: it won’t work.
If you try to do more things at once, you’ll do them badly and be less productive than you expect. It’s impossible to jump from task to task and get them all done properly. You’ll be left with half-completed jobs and errors will creep in easier. Multitasking is a myth, an urban legend to tell around the campfire, but surely not an approach you want to embrace in real life. The wiser choice is to do one task at a time and stay focused on it from beginning to end. That will guarantee higher performance and give you the satisfaction of a job well done.
Delegate
You will wear many hats as an entrepreneur and you might be able to do everything by yourself in the beginning, but as your business grows it’s going to become ever more obvious that it can’t stay a one man show forever. This attitude can get you on the brink of burnout.
You’re not a superhero and you shouldn’t strive to be one, even though modern culture loves to attach this otherworldly warrior aura to entrepreneurs. What you should do instead is start to delegate tasks that can be done by other people in your team and focus on those activities that are absolutely essential and require your full involvement.
Prioritize self-care
Long hours spent at the office can take a toll on your mental and physical health. If you already suffer from a medical condition, working from dusk till dawn at your desk will only make matters worse. For example, prolonged sitting and arthritis can be a terrible combination. That’s why you should carve out time to take care of yourself, no matter how busy you are.
Make sure you exercise regularly, get enough sleep and try to eat healthier. Apart from that, learn to press pause every now and then and take a break from all the stress and the pressure you experience on a daily basis.
Avoid distractions
Procrastination is a treacherous companion and you must avoid it like the plague. If you want to be productive, you’ve got to get your head in the game, not browse on social media every 10 minutes or watch cute cat videos.
There are a lot of cute cats out there and it can become addictive. It’s not going to be easy to get away from the madding crowd, but there are things that can help such as: setting clear goals, having a strict schedule and respecting deadlines, turning off social media notifications, keeping your personal and professional life separate or setting up a quiet and distraction-free working environment.
Trust the to-do list
Sometimes, old ways are the best ways. Yes, technology is a life savior and it takes a lot of burden off your shoulders, so you should definitely make the most of it. But it doesn’t mean old tactics are not effective anymore. In fact, the two can work very well together.
The power of the to-do list never faded, and you can even enhance it by throwing technology in the mix and using to-do list apps. With every single task you cross off your to-do list, you’ll feel more satisfied with your work and more motivated to keep going. Also, you’ll be less likely to overlook important tasks.
Don’t lose sight of your goal
Always get back to the why – remind yourself why you started the business in the first place and why you’re doing it still. Your ‘why’ will become an inexhaustible source of motivation and inspiration.
When you’re caught up in everyday tasks, you can miss the forest for the trees and lose your way. But getting back to the reasons you chose to become an entrepreneur will help you find the strength you need in difficult times and guide your steps in the right direction, whenever you stray away from it.