Get All Access for $5/mo

3 Strategies to Maximize Your Time The secret to managing your time effectively is knowing what you want to do and when you will do it.

By Jeff Boss Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Pixabay

Time management is something many people struggle with. The secret to managing your time effectively is knowing what you want to do and when you will do it. This way, you stay proactive and in "execute" mode rather than reactive in "catch up" mode.

But managing your time is easier said than done. When the alarm clock starts beeping for you to wake up and exercise because it seemed like such a great idea the night before, it's easy to turn that early morning siren into a digital projectile. You hurl it as far across the room as possible because the thought of sweating at that particular moment in time makes you want to cry.

Related: Time Management Is Really Life Management

However, if you don't get up, you'll be reiterating the same habit loop of unfulfillment later in the day. It's when you don't realize your purpose that you start feeling emotional tension, and subsequently become a "grumpy pants."

In fact, what you focus on is a direct reflection of you. Values drive behavior and behavior determines results. Here are three strategies to maximize your time:

1. Have a purpose.

Purpose offers clarity and direction. It generates the energy you need to be productive because it's something you believe in. It's much easier to work towards something when we know what that "something" is. Additionally, a purpose offers feedback as it summons you back towards true north when your behavior begins to fall off course.

To identify what drives you, ask yourself where you enjoy spending time compared to where you must spend your time. Are they the same? If not, it may be time to realign.

Related: The Secret to Becoming 10 Times More Productive? Block Out Time.

2. Make two lists.

I know, not exactly intuitive to the whole time management concept but hear me out. Take a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the center. On one side, write the day's tasks that are important for you to accomplish, such as exercising, spending time with the kids, or reading for just 20 minutes on your own.

Realizing important items reduces the pressure of having to tend to the second column, which are the urgent items. There are urgencies that are habitual, such as hallway conversations, and urgencies that arise out of nowhere, such as that annoying inbox chime that seems to demand immediate attention. Push the urgent items until the next day until your important items are fulfilled.

3. Be predictable.

When urgencies arise, they throw your daily routine out of whack because the tasks you planned on finishing get pushed to the back burner. Remedy this by creating a set schedule for when you will check email, workout or socialize. The more predictability you can introduce into your schedule, the more opportunities you'll be aware of where you can interject urgencies when they arise.

Related: 3 Signs You're Addicted to Interruptions

Jeff Boss

Entrepreneur, Executive Coach, Team Coach, Author, Speaker

Jeff Boss is a leadership coach with a focus on adaptability who leverages his previous careers as a Navy SEAL and business consultant to help clients accelerate success. Read more at www.adaptabilitycoach.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

She Had Less Than $800 When She Started a Side Hustle — Then This Personal Advice From Tony Robbins Helped Her Make $45 Million

Cathryn Lavery built planner and conversation card deck company BestSelf Co. without any formal business education.

Business News

How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Transformed a Graphics Card Company Into an AI Giant: 'One of the Most Remarkable Business Pivots in History'

Here's how Nvidia pivoted its business to explore an emerging technology a decade in advance.

Business News

Want to Start a Business? Skip the MBA, Says Bestselling Author

Entrepreneur Josh Kaufman says that the average person with an idea can go from working a job to earning $10,000 a month running their own business — no MBA required.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.