I do it, perhaps you do it, I know many others do it.

You get up in the morning and before you know it, you’re in bed without having achieved very much during the day. I have called it “working on the infrastructure”, perhaps you have called it something different, like “wasted time”.

The only thing we are all equal in is we have a set amount of time each and every day to accomplish the tasks we need to do most.

Far too often, we get distracted and before you know it, another SO-SO day has passed

So, as an entrepreneur, what tips can you specifically apply to get things done?

1. All the P’s - Preparation &amp Planning Prevent Piss Poor Performance. Plan your activities during the working day, you may want to take a look at the Block Method for more info. Be ruthless with your time! Leave that email alone!!! Time-box your activities and make sure they are prioritised.

2. Curb Distractions! - As with email, the phone can be a big distractor, you need to avoid “chatting” like the plague. Personal phone calls and activities need to be kept to a minimum. You can’t just stop and drop everything just because a friend or family member calls - again be ruthless and tell them you’ll phone them back in the evening. Make sure they know you have fixed working hours during which you would rather not be disturbed.

3. Where’s you business plan? If you haven’t already got a copy of Michael Gerber’s EMyth (Entrepreneurial Myth), then get yourself one - it will save you untold heartache if you follow it’s advice (I’m learning . Before you know it, you’ll have operations manuals for all your tasks.
4. Get your head straight - You’re not an employee anymore. You’re a business owner and you have to do lots of other things a business owner has to do. You need to motivate yourself now, no one will stand over you watching anymore.

5. Get Rid Of It - Outsource as much as possible as soon as possible. Every conceivable task associated with your business must be outsourced (which truthfully does not need your input). This is the only way you will gain control of your life and scale your business.
6. Take A Break - All work and no play makes Tom a dull boy (I should know). It is far too easy to slip into the “I’ve just got to get this finished” mode and let your health and family life suffer in an effort to build your business empire. Guess what - keep up with that approach and you can guarantee one thing: failure.

So, in summary - you have to be ruthless and disciplined with your time. If you’re not, time will be ruthless in it’s second by second disciplined way with you! The time it took you to read this article can never be reclaimed - but the time you invest in your future moving forward can yield dividends through proper time management.
Make sure you check out this free time management software to help you during your day and definitely follow these other time management tips to help you get through the day efficiently.

All the best,

Tom

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 14th, 2006 at 1:46 pm and is filed under Time Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.