Seven time management tips for self-employed people
How many times have you got to the end of a day and felt like you haven’t achieved half of what you set out to? And yet, you haven’t stopped for a moment. I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one who can struggle with time management as a self-employed person.
While there are many advantages to being your own boss, the tasks can also seem endless, and impossible to ever feel on top of. Couple this with raising a family and it can sometimes feel pretty overwhelming. Here are seven tips to help you work more effectively and efficiently.
Don't let your inbox control you
Here’s a ground-breaking thought: you don’t have to respond to every email, and you don’t have to respond instantly. We all rely heavily on this communication tool, but it can be a huge distraction. Allocate two or three slots per day to check email and deal with anything urgent, and otherwise keep away. People don’t need an instant reply, and if it’s really important – they can pick up the phone!
Set boundaries
My office is also my home, which I truly love. It is, however, really important for me to have my own workspace away from the noise, the washing and basically anything that isn’t to do with my business. Ensure other people in your home know when it is and isn’t ok to disturb you, and try to keep your area safe from those who are likely to wreak havoc on it and cost you time reorganising (yes that would be you, kids!).
Track your time
You may think you don’t have time for this, but just for a day or two, try logging what you spend your time on. Don’t miss anything! It can be eye-opening to see how much time you lose each working day by becoming caught up in non-related or unimportant tasks. They may all seem small on their own, but added together could be costing you hours every week.
Tighten up your processes
Sadly, there’s no magic wand for making more time. But there are tools available that can save you some of this precious gold dust. Voice memos, task timers and shared calendars can all be helpful, you just need to see what works for you. Here is a list of apps you may find useful.
Respond to your own rhythm
The beauty of being self-employed means you’re often not tied to someone else’s schedule – so use this to your advantage. For example, many of us find our concentration levels are higher in the morning. I use this time to complete the most important tasks that require the most focus. And if I hit a slump after lunch, going for a 15-minute walk can really clear my head and help regain focus. Taking a short break is much more productive than procrastinating in front of a screen!
Use lists to keep you focused
To-do lists are great, but can have a tendency to spiral out of control if we make them too long! They need to be realistic in order to be effective, or the only purpose they wind up serving is making you feel inadequate for not ticking everything off. There is no harm in having a master list with everything on, but why not try writing a shorter list of what you absolutely need to get done each day in the morning to focus your mind. Building in a contingency slot to complete urgent or last-minute tasks that crop up will also help you keep in control of key tasks while remaining responsive.
Recognise the wins
It’s all too easy to focus on the things we haven’t achieved, but the truth is there are only a finite number of hours in each day, even with excellent time management. Take a moment to acknowledge all of the things you did today: big or small. And you may just find celebrating the things you have achieved, serves as a great motivator to go back out and smash it tomorrow, too.
Using these tips helps save both my time and my sanity! Hopefully, they’ll work for you too. Let me know how you find them, or if you’ve got any more to add, over on my Facebook page.
