5 Essential Productivity Tips for Entrepreneurs
Being a successful entrepreneur isn’t an easy task. If it were, you’d see more people quitting their jobs and chasing their true dreams. One of the many hurdles faced by entrepreneurs is trying to produce quality work in efficient time. Without a boss looking over your shoulder, you’ll have to handle all of it yourself.
What time do you normally wake up in the morning? If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you’ll probably have to set your alarm for a little earlier. Apple CEO Tim Cook, for instance, wakes up at 3:45 AM EVERY MORNING! You don’t have to necessarily wake up quite this early, but the earlier the better. Many entrepreneurs produce their best work during the morning simply because it’s quiet and peaceful.
Just like getting up early, getting dressed right away as you would if working for someone else helps establish a routine. While it may seem tempting to lounge around in your pajamas while you work, getting dressed sends a mental message that it’s time to work.
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get sidetracked and diverted away from your goal. Whether you’re trying to become an author, or if you’re looking to start your own business (or both), you need to keep your eyes on the goal. It’s not a bad idea to create a poster or some other visual diagram of your goal, placing it in your bedroom or office where you can see it every day.
Staying focused is critical to maintaining a high productivity level as an entrepreneur. If you allow things like social media, text messaging, etc. to distract you, you won’t be able to produce quality work. This is why it’s a good idea to create a routine for your typical workday, setting aside X amount of hours to work on a particular task or project. The idea is to mimic your workday like a normal day job, which should keep you focused on the task at hand.
Your health will directly affect your productivity levels. Allowing yourself to fall into a routine where you pick up fast food every night may seem beneficial since you are saving time, but in reality it can hurt your efforts by slowing down both your body and mind.
“You have to build in time to workout and manage your health. A typical day for me involves a set number of working hours, time to actually make or grab something healthy to eat, and I schedule in (yes, actually schedule in) my workout hours,” said Selena Narayanasamy, founder of Orthis. “Even though I’m working less, I have a higher output and I’m more responsive and helpful to my clients.”
Try not to let the stress and worries of being an entrepreneur affect your ability to produce work. I know this is easier said than done, but far too many entrepreneurs experience stress and anxiety, which subsequently dampens their efforts. If you feel stressed, take a day off to something that isn’t related to your work.
Have any other productivity tips or advice that you would like to share with our readers? Let us know in the comments section below!
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