Every business owner I know struggles with time management.  There are too many things to do, too few hours in the day, and way too many interruptions. The emails, the phone calls, the last minute changes all add up to a jammed packed day where you feel like you are running in circles, and not nearly enough gets accomplished. Sound familiar?

Well, I am here to tell you, it doesn't have to be that way.  You can be an entrepreneur, be in charge of your life, AND get things done. Yes, you heard me. It is possible, I promise!

Time Management Tips for Entrepreneurs That Actually Work

1. Lists Are Key To Time Management

This sounds pretty basic, right? Lists are HUGE! Depending on what works for you and your business, you may need to make weekly and daily lists of things to accomplish. Here are some things you need to consider when making your lists:

• What are your daily priorities?
• What are your weekly goals?
• What do you need to do this week or day to grow your business?

Here are some examples:

• Close Deal With Client
• Post to Social Media
• Set Up Meeting With Potential Client
• Write Blog Post
• Eat Dinner With Family

You need to review these lists at the beginning or end of each day (or the end of the week) and see what you have and haven't completed.

Personally, I make a to do list every morning and then I prioritize that list based on what has to be done first. Anything that doesn't get accomplished that day, gets moved to the next day and I start all over with the prioritization. I also love to check boxes! This gives me a huge sense of accomplishment when I get to check things off the list!

{Learn How Setting Goals Can Help Your Business: Is Your Business Stuck In Neutral? 3 Tips To Get it Moving Again! }

2. Schedule, Schedule, Schedule: The Cornerstone Of Time Management

As the saying goes, time is money. Your time is an investment in your business. You wouldn't open up the window and start throwing dollar bills out, right? Then you shouldn't throw away your time, either. Time is your most valuable business asset!

Scheduling is where you can break down your weekly and daily goals into actionable items and assign a time period to them during your day. For example:

• Phone Calls
• Meetings
• Emails
• Brainstorming
• 5 to 10 minutes Before & After Each Call Or Meeting
• Time For Yourself

Here is an example:

7 AM: Exercise/Meditation/Breakfast

8 AM: Make Your Daily List & Assign Time Blocks to Tasks

8:30 AM: Emails

9:30 AM: Conference Calls/Meetings

11:30 AM: Return AM Phones Messages/Emails

12:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM: Creative Work, Blog Writing, Create Presentation For Client

3:30 PM: Phone Calls/Emails/Extra Time To Make Up For Interruptions

5:30 PM: Administrative Work, Business Development

6:30 PM: Dinner With Friends Or Family

Obviously, everyone is different. Some people are night owls, some people are morning birds (like myself), so this list is just for example purposes. What I want you to notice is how everything is in time blocks. You have a particular time for emails, phone calls, creative work, business development, etc. Most importantly you have time blocked off for yourself.

{Check out my blog on 6 Quick & Easy Ways To Simplify Your Daily Social Media Tasks}

Now, we have two great tips on helping entrepreneurs manage their time more efficiently. Are you ready for my third tip?

3. Effective Time Management Means Knowing You Won't Always Get Everything Done

As Oprah once said, “You can have it all. Just not at the same time.”  You can get things done.   You can land that big client. You can increase your net profit. What you need to realize is things happen. That meeting ran late, traffic was horrible, or that business prospect isn't returning your calls. As entrepreneurs, there is ALWAYS something. We finish one task, and another one pops up. Being self-employed is not for the faint of heart.

The unpredictable life of an entrepreneur is part of the reason every business owner I know struggles with time management. It is the nature of the beast, but by making lists, following a schedule, and realizing there will be times where not everything gets done, you can a bring some order to your daily life.

The key, in my opinion, is in making that morning list and time blocking for specific tasks. Then, if things go sideways, as they always do, you can bump things forward into the next day or week.

See it isn't that hard, right?  You can do it. Now let's get to making that schedule. Hopefully, these time management tips for entrepreneurs that actually work will really help YOU! Do you have a system that works for you? Drop me a comment below as I am always looking for better ways to management time!

About Author

Kim Garst

Kim Garst is one of the world's most retweeted people among digital marketers. She is a renowed business strategist, keynote speaker and an international best-selling author of Will The Real You Please Stand Up, Show Up, Be Authentic and Prosper in Social Media. Kim helps business owners grow their business using social and digital media.

She is the founder of KG Enterprises, LLC, a business strategy consulting company that helps business owners create more sales using the power of digital and social media.

Kim is also internationally recognized as a thought leader in the social media space. Forbes named her as one of the Top 10 Social Media Power Influencers. Her blog is one of the top social media resources in the world.

You can find more great content from her at www.kimgarst.com/blog.

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