Entrepreneurs and the self-employed, it has surely happened to you that you wished the day had more than 24 hours. The constant demands on our time such as looming deadlines and large workloads can leave one feeling overwhelmed. But first things first; busy is good! Having a lot of work means you have more income streams coming in, and when you’re self employed that is always a positive. But have you ever wondered if you could fit in more into your day? The answer is it is possible to change your working methods or your organization of the day and become more effective. Discover our 9 tips and tricks to save time, allowing you to do more, enjoy your work and have less stress!
1-Make lists!
One of the best ways to save time is by making lists. By writing down everything you need to do you will see the workload that awaits you more clearly. It is that clarity that will help prioritise your tasks and allocate time for them accordingly. For lists, everyone has their own method: on a sheet, post-its, on a computer, with a simple and free tool such as Evernote … find what suits you best. Kiwili also offers to help you manage your various tasks. However, if you’re like this author you may be guilty of sometimes having lists of lists. The key takeaway here being that motivation to do the job is also a crucial factor.
2-Identify Priorities and Emergencies
As mentioned above, making a list helps to simplify what requires your attention for that day. Once your list is established, you’re better equipped to know in what order you will proceed. You can then determine priority tasks by distinguishing their urgency (set deadlines) and importance. Allocating a set time for each task will also help organise your day better too. For instance, tackling urgent deadlines first will relieve you of their pressure and allow you to enjoy your work and your day more.
There are no hard and fast rules to this but it all helps to provide structure to your day. That in turn will make you more effective and efficient in your work.
3-Group similar tasks
Another way of saving time and improving efficiency is by grouping or tackling similar tasks together. You will be more efficient if you group tasks to be performed from the same category at the same time. Schedule yourself a certain number of hours to make your calls for example, another block of hours for processing your emails, another for sorting papers, etc. This helps you to focus on the task at hand by reducing distractions or crossed wires.
4-Delegate !
As we have explained in previous articles, it can be very useful to delegate certain tasks. You will save time, efficiency and improve the quality of work. For this, for example, there are virtual assistants.
5-Use the right tools
There are more and more free tools and applications to help you work more efficiently on a daily basis and thus have a better management of your business. Discover these tools in our checklist.
6-Stay focused !
As we know, it is very easy to get distracted, even more so if you work from home : whether it is too many hours spent on the Internet, social networks or on the phone, too long discussions with colleagues, television or even household chores to perform… in short, there are many sources of distraction. To deal with it and stay focused, create a ritual: focus on one task at a time and do just that, you can turn off your phone if you need to, turn off alerts announcing the arrival of a message, do not look at your inbox too often. In addition, set yourself a limit and a few breaks in the day when you can surf the Internet !
7 – Take breaks
Yes, cuts are important to be more effective ! To maintain a high level of productivity, do not hesitate to give yourself a few moments when you do something other than work : whether it is a micro-nap, a few steps to stretch your legs, stretching, a few minutes on the Internet and social networks. It’s up to you to see what suits you best !
8 – Do not procrastinate !
Everything is said in the title, stick to the deadlines you set yourself and do not postpone what you planned to do next day or later.
9-Say no !
Perhaps you will be tempted to say yes to all contracts offered by customers. But learn to say no if you feel that it is too much for you and the workload becomes too heavy. You risk saturating and doing your job badly. It is better to take fewer mandates, but do them correctly so that your client appeals to you again.
Don’t forget to use Kiwili time management software to properly organize your schedule and save precious time ! Discover our article which will give you some tips to better manage your time at work with Kiwili ! Find out why Kiwili is the best management software.