Today, I want to dive into a topic that plagues a lot of us: time management. As business owners, time is our most valuable asset, but so many of us fall into the trap of time-wasting “stuff” that affects our productivity.

Let’s look at some common time wasters and how we can work to overcome them.

Common Time Traps

Email

Email is a given in business communication, but it can be a major productivity killer. The constant ding of messages arriving in our inbox can be a huge distraction and lead to us jumping from task to task. So how do we keep our email distractions under control?

  • Set specific times in your day to check and respond to emails
  • Use rules and filters to organise your inbox and keep it under control
  • Unsubscribe from newsletters etc that don’t interest you anymore
  • If need be, close down your inbox to get work done

Endless meetings

Meetings are a necessary part of running a business, but what can you do when you find yourself in endless meetings with no time to do actual work? To keep your meetings under control, try this:

  • Set a clear agenda for each meeting
  • Limit the length of meetings – keep them as short as possible
  • Limit the number of meetings per week
  • Only invite the people who really need to be in the room [or Zoom] – this goes both ways; do you really need to be there?

Multitasking

Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is not an effective way to get more done. In fact, trying to juggle lots of tasks at once can seriously affect the amount of work you get done. Instead of multitasking, try the following:

  • Focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention
  • Break larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks
  • Prioritise tasks based on importance and urgency, and tackle them one at a time

Procrastination

Procrastination is a real problem for lots of people, but it can be managed with a bit of planning. Understanding why you procrastinate is the first step toward overcoming it. Consider the following tips:

  • Break tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to reduce the overwhelm
  • Set deadlines and hold yourself accountable for meeting them
  • Try to work out why you’re procrastinating over a specific task [usually once finished, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to get started on it!]
  • Take a break, clear your mind and come back ready to get stuck into it

Unnecessary “busywork’

I’m sure we’ve all got caught up in “busywork” at one time or another – they’re the tasks that might feel productive but don’t actually do anything to build your business. It might help to:

  • Prioritise tasks based on their impact on your business goals
  • Delegate or outsource tasks that can be handled by someone else
  • Regularly look at your workflow and eliminate any tasks that aren’t contributing to your business goals

Time management is a critical skill for small business owners, and avoiding these common time traps will help you maximise your productivity.

By kicking your biggest time wasters, hopefully, you can claw back some time and focus on what truly matters for your business.