Trying to be a successful entrepreneur?
Looking for the best productivity hacks to help you succeed?
The greatest entrepreneurs often have more than a few things in common. They have all learned some special ways to remain productive and meet their lofty ambitions. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, you may just want to take notice and adopt a few of these productivity hacks and work hacks for yourself.
Below we’ll look at the most important productivity tips that every aspiring entrepreneur needs to know about to succeed.
1. Plan Your Day the Night Before
You probably already understand the importance of goal setting and to-do lists already. However, one of the best tricks you can use to more productive is to get into the habit of always planning your to-do list the night before your coming work day.
If you create your list during the morning of the workday you’ll feel rushed and it won’t feel as set in stone. You may be tempted to change it throughout the day. By setting your intentions the night before you’ll prepare yourself for action as soon as you wake up the next morning.
Creating your to-do list the night before your work day will also give you a lot of flexibility for planning. You can create it based on what happened during the previous day. Planning out your schedule a whole week ahead of time or multiple days in advance, on the other hand, can be a bit too inflexible.
2. Have a Plan for Tackling Your To-Do List
While creating your to-do list is important, it’s just as important to know how to approach crossing items off of it. There are different to-do list methods for approaching your tasks and some are better than others.
While many people just cross items off in a random way, it’s a great idea to have a solid process for getting it done consistently.
One method is to always tackle the item that you consider to be the most difficult first, and then continue by order of difficulty until finally, you get to the easiest tasks.
Another good option is to bundle several tasks together. If certain tasks are similar to one another, then you may choose to do that group of items all at once. Then, move onto a different group on your list.
Whatever way you decide to approach your list, make sure it works for you and allows you to knock your to-do list out day after day.
3. Focus on the Process
While we’ve already discussed some ideas for systematically tackling a to-do list, the bottom line is that it’s important that you focus on the process with all of your entrepreneurial and business tasks.
It’s great to have big ambitions and goals, but your everyday goals should consist more of carrying out processes, meeting your routine, and sticking to the positive habits that you’ve set for yourself.
You should be setting routines that allow you to consistently get things done and move your business forward. Learn to stick to these positive habits. Then work each day to make sure you’re following your routine closely and putting in your time.
If you pay attention to and prioritize the process of the work you do, the results should come automatically.
4. Don’t Try to Do Everything
The best entrepreneurs also know that they can’t do everything on their own. Because of this, they are experts at delegating tasks and know when to seek outside help on a project. Aside from using your employees, it’s also possible to seek outsourcing help either when it comes to nearly anything that you need to be done.
Don’t make the mistake that some entrepreneurs do and work yourself too hard by refusing to delegate tasks or outsource. Believe it or not, you can train someone else to do the tasks that you think only you can do.
Sometimes it’s worth paying the money to another person in order to free up your time for more important things.
5. Change Your Location
Sometimes it’s important to mix things up in order to get a new perspective on your work and to feel refreshed. Consider working from home on certain days of the week or just when you’re in need of a change.
Changing your work location temporarily can help you get some time to yourself to think about the big picture and to avoid some of the daily stress of the office.
Working from home or at least heading to a coffee shop for a couple of hours may be just what you need to get your head on straight when you’re particularly stressed or overwhelmed.
6. Avoid Common “Time Sucks”
Increasing productivity doesn’t just mean performing tasks more quickly or efficiently. It also should include eliminating certain distractions or tasks that you shouldn’t be wasting your time and energy on.
Of course, you should avoid the big distractions such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube while working. However, other distractions aren’t so obvious.
Checking emails is one big culprit that makes you feel like you’re being productive but often just wastes time. Make sure you’re answering emails wisely.
Filter your emails and only focus on the most critical ones. Set a time for checking your emails so you’re not refreshing your inbox too often.
Also, keep in mind that meetings are overrated. Consider having fewer meetings or inviting fewer people. Overly long meetings that go nowhere can slow a business down so make sure you’re using the time wisely.
7. Keep Your Body Healthy
You also need to remember to stay healthy if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. The condition of the body and mind can have a big effect on your efforts in the business world as well. It’s important to consistently stay healthy and to ensure you’re getting enough energy.
Make sure you’re doing the simple but important things to keep your health up such as drinking enough water, exercising, and getting the right amount of sleep. You may even want to try some yoga or meditation to handle stress and make sure your mental health is doing great as well.
8. Learn to Understand Yourself
It’s also important that entrepreneurs learn to listen to the natural rhythms of their body. Learn to understand yourself and get to the bottom of what makes you tick.
For example, some people tend to do their best work at night while some do are at their most creative early in the morning. Listen to your body and your mind and determine what’s right for you.
As an entrepreneur, the path is not set in stone. Figure out what works best for you for staying productive and don’t be afraid to accommodate yourself and organize your schedule accordingly.
Using These Productivity Hacks Effectively
If you’re trying to be a successful entrepreneur consider implementing some of the productivity hacks above into your work week. You may be surprised at how making some small changes and adopting a few simple habits can influence your productivity in big ways.
Looking for help with your entrepreneurial goals? Contact me today to learn more about what I can do for you.
