Be More Like That One Entrepreneur You Like: Make the Most of Your Time, Too.

There’s no stopping time, no matter how ambitious or industrious you are. We’ve only got so many hours in the day and so many days in our lives. While productivity isn’t the end-all-be-all of a fulfilling life, it does make a big difference – particularly in the lives of entrepreneurs.

If you can get a quality job done with fast efficiency, you’re looking at more time to do as you please.

And here’s how to get it done:

Time-Saving Strategies for Highly Productive Entrepreneurs

✅ Put Really Good Systems in Place

Disorganization is productivity’s number one killer. Having systems set, stress-tested, and refined allows you to work through efficient procedures that not only guide your daily tasks but catch anything that could fall through the cracks. Systems cover a variety of bases, from document organization and task scheduling to goal prioritization and quality control.

If you’re a solopreneur, you’re in charge of it all – so cover all your bases. Sometimes you’ll have an idea of the system you need before you start, and sometimes it comes together after trial and error. Just be intentional!

✅ Utilize Your Mornings

We might not all feel like morning people, but humans are by design! It’s the natural flow of the circadian rhythm. The morning isn’t especially magical otherwise, but using that time carries big advantages:

• The discipline of getting up early sets the stage for discipline in other areas of life.
• It’s quieter and less prone to interruptions.
• You can start the day feeling accomplished and motivated.
• You’re more likely to experience consistent sleep quality.

✅ Automate What You Can

Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon. We can be confronted with so many decisions – even seemingly inconsequential ones – that we find ourselves unable to make decisions with clarity and concision. So save your decision-making brainpower for when it counts! Cut down on your day-to-day choices such as:

• What to eat (do meal prep!)
• What the wear (figure it out the night before)
• When to do things (keep a schedule and routine)

It’s okay to break from your routine from time to time, but the less you must think about what to do and when to do it, the more you can devote your decision-making power to things that really make a difference.

✅ Do It Right the First Time

We all know the adage: measure twice, cut once. There’s something to be said for spending more time and energy on the first attempt. The better you can execute your task, the less you’ll waste time on corrections and troubleshooting. It’s not just about getting through your daily tasks, either. It’s also about how you handle inconveniences.

Prone to throw paperwork on your desk and leave it for tomorrow? Stick it in the right places in the filing cabinet. Putting off sending that email? Scheduling that meeting? Just get it out of the way so it’s not taking up precious space in your brain. Take the time to do things right – no shortcuts, no skipping proper procedures, and no task left half-done.

✅ Take Real Brain Breaks

Multitasking is a myth. You may be able to quickly jump from task to task in a way that seems as though you’re doing multiple things at once, but you’re not. And that switch? It wastes mental energy. Devote yourself to one task at a time. That doesn’t mean you have to finish it all in one sitting, but it does mean that the time you spend on it is focused and intentional.

When you’re ready to move on, take a break first. You need the time to mentally refresh and prepare to engage with something new. Get up and stretch. Grab a fresh cup of coffee. Then get back to it!

✅ Set Time Limits (Even Arbitrary Ones!)

As an entrepreneur, you’re in charge of your schedule. You’re setting the timelines for just about everything. Because you’re the boss, you technically have leeway on those timelines (unless it’s for a client). Don’t give yourself that flexibility. Set time limits and deadlines even if you don’t need them. We work better when we have a due date.

Even if missing your deadline is consequence-free, the act of setting it motivates you to make the most of your allotted time.