Susan Ward says that ‘time management skills are especially important for small business people, who often find themselves performing many different jobs during the course of a single day’.

She says time management is a myth.  Everyone gets 24 hours a day. That’s it. What we manage is ourselves. We manage ourselves to maximize the time.

The first step is to identify your current time usage. Does your usage match your priorities?  Are you opening emails as the come in? Are you taking phone calls while working on a project?   Do you interrupt your work to check Facebook? These activities are an interruption and time wasters when you should be focusing on your project.

You need to make a plan that designates the time for working on your project and includes time to check emails and Facebook.  Then stick to it!

If you have trouble setting up times, look into time management software or use an electronic calendar. A simple solution is to set a timer for the length of time you have allocated for project work and then do not let yourself be interrupted or distracted during that time. Set a timer for emails and other activities and stop doing that activity when the timer rings. You need to be ruthless about sticking to the times you have allocated.

Generally, people are more productive when they have an established routine to follow each day.

Each morning set the priorities for the day. Then start with the highest priority. When setting priorities, think about which activities will move you the fastest towards your goal. Focus on the goal.

Small business owners do everything. However, as more activities are added, it becomes impossible to fit everything in. You need to delegate some tasks to someone else. This is often difficult for a small business owner. However, it is necessary if you want to grow your business and be successful.

Make sure your office and files are organized so you do not waste time looking for stuff.

Take along some business reading when you go to appointments, like dentist appointments. Sometimes you can get a lot done while you wait.

The key to managing yourself to maximize the 24 hours each of us has. Establish a routine, prioritize you work, stick with the plan.

For the original article see: https://www.thebalance.com/time-management-tips-2947336?utm_content=7439989&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_campaign=smbinfo&utm_term=