Managing Time Is the Biggest Struggle Facing Entrepreneurs. Here's What to Do About It. You have 24 hours. It's worth investing some time figuring out how to get the most out of it.
By Shawn Doyle Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Are you an entrepreneur? Do you have your own company that you have owned company for many years? Many entrepreneurs personally find that the biggest struggle they face is time. These entrepreneurs work seven days a week, endless hours a day and even work when they are on vacation.
Related: Why You Really Need to Unplug While on Vacation
It is the price that is paid for success, for being their own bosses and for independence. Time is still the challenge faced by all entrepreneurs.
How do we solve this shortage? Here are some suggestions that can make a big difference.
1. Decide on what's important each day.
How do you decide on what is essential? The big question is "What is the one thing that brings me the closest to generating the most revenue or profit?" Yes, posting on social media may be important for your business, but a business proposal should be more important today.
Related: 5 Tips for Getting the Most Important Things Done
In today's crazy times you may have to decide on your priority each hour and be willing to be flexible and be willing to change. As John Maxwell once said "Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have."
2. Control interruptions.
By far the biggest challenge is getting interrupted constantly, but to be very frank we allow it! Someone comes into your workspace and says "Do you have a minute? Because you are a nice person you say "Sure come on in." Bad move. Now you have given away your time. What you can say is "I am in the middle of something -- can you come back in an hour?" Now you are doing something brilliant -- negotiating for time.
Related: Managing Interruptions So You Get More Done
3. Block time off.
Take out your calendar (paper or electronic). Pick dates in the calendar and block out your time off. You know that if you don't make a plan and block off your time, you will never have time off. Ever. You will work every day all day because it is in your blood.
You owe it to your health, to your family, your spouse and your brain to take time off. Yes, your brain is begging for help and rest. If you do what your brain has been asking -- yes, begging for -- you will be much more effective after you have rested.
Related: Time Blocking: a Productivity Power Tool
The other advantage is you can take time off anytime because you are the boss. Taking a half day off in the middle of the week and taking your spouse to a movie or shopping is wonderful because you have the freedom to do so. Isn't this why you do this type of entrepreneurship work in the first place -- to have that kind of freedom?
4. Study time management techniques.
There are many great time management and organizational books out there. Study and read about new approaches and techniques. There are over seventy-five thousand books about time management on Amazon alone. Books like The 4 Hour Workweek, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Doing it Now, and Organize Your Business Organize Your Life (full disclosure, I wrote this book with my wife. Racheal Doyle).
Related: 15 Time Management Tips for Achieving Your Goals
These are books that can change the way you think about time and organization. As Tory Burch once said, "I've learned time management, organization and I have priorities."
5. Hire out expertise.
My wife Rachael (who is also my COO) taught me this lesson. You can try to do SEO or you can do internet marketing. But the better choice is to save a ton of time for yourself and your company by hiring someone who can do these extra tasks better and faster than than you can.
By taking this type of advice and putting it into practice, you will free-up yourself and your time to do what you actually do best. Many entrepreneurs are stubborn and don't want to let anything out of their control. Ask yourself -- what activities can you hire out in order to buy yourself some hours each week?
Related: If You Want To Grow Your Company, You Need To Hire
Take some time and look at each of these thoughts and suggestions. Make the commitment to actually do something to face your own time-struggle.
