With just 24 hours in a day and myriad tasks at hand, entrepreneurs often find themselves juggling with meetings, calls, events, deadlines and so on. Managing time therefore becomes crucial. William Penn rightly said, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”. Good time management is not merely about working harder, but rather, working smarter.

Here are a few tips to help you win over time and make the most of it.

1. Begin your day early

Wonder what the likes of Indra Nooyi (CEO of PepsoCo) and Tim Cook (CEO of Apple) have in common? They all start their day at the crack of dawn! Getting up early gives you ample time to energise and prepare yourself for a busy day ahead. You can start by doing a mild workout or meditation, eat a healthy breakfast and then get down to planning your day. After all, a healthy mind thrives only in a healthy body.

2. Make note of things to do

We tend to make hundred mental notes each day and forget most of them. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just put down everything on paper? Creating a to-do-list helps you prioritise tasks. There are also several online calendars and e-notes that help you keep track of all your tasks and meetings.

Setting up futuristic goals can be easier to write but quite daunting when you are trying to achieve them. Instead of a big target like, “Generate 10X revenue for this quarter”, break down your list to simpler tasks like, “generate 100 leads this week”. This will simplify your goals and make them actionable. This will also enable you to guide your employees better.

3. Beat procrastination

Procrastination or postponing your work can become your greatest enemy. When you put off work till the last minute, it becomes overwhelming. Your productivity is hampered and even though you had come to office with great zeal to accomplish a task, you end up doing maybe 50% or less.

Beat procrastination by practicing attention management. With so many distractions around us it is easy to deviate and waste time. Keep your phone away so that you don’t have the urge to look at it every 5 minutes and set goals like, “I will get up for a cup of coffee after I finish uploading the documents”. You can also try allotting specific time for each task.

4. Be organised

A lot of time is saved by just being a little more organised. As a busy entrepreneur it is quite normal to have multiple files on your desk. Try keeping them all in one place. Avoid a digital mess as well. Keep all your folders neatly organised on your desktop so that you don’t waste time looking for a specific file.

5. Automate your work

Try using technology to your advantage. You don’t have to spend manual energy trying to get a task done. Find applications and online tools to automate and streamline your work.

6. Practise the art of delegation

Delegation or handing over work to your team can ease your work load. You can also use a virtual assistant who can help manage your work and keep a track of all your important meetings and deadlines.

7. Make time for yourself

Time management can only be effective if you devote time to yourself to relax and think. Efficiency is the key to productivity. And efficiency comes from a clear mind and thought process. Take time to de-stress your mind.

Share your thoughts on time management in the comments section below.