The New Year’s season brings about a lot of reflection on how we want to enter our new year, the intentions or resolutions we want to set, and the goals we want to achieve. With that, the underlying foundational thing we all want to optimize is our time. If we aren’t productive with our time, we aren’t going to be able to effectively reach our goals the way we want to. 

Over the last few years, I have realized that time is our most valuable resource  – it’s the one thing we don’t get back! When we’re more productive with our time, we can spend more time with our loved ones and doing things we love, and creating a life aligned with our business, but also a life outside of our business. One thing that’s especially important to remember as entrepreneurs is that we are more than our businesses. 

Know Your Priorities

I share this first so we can set the stage for the entire year. It can be so easy to fall into “shiny object syndrome” with so many different people coming at us from every angle with exciting opportunities. But, if we don’t know our priorities, then we can get so easily distracted by opportunities that may not be the best for us and our long-term goals. 

At least once a year, think about your big picture for the next 6-12 months, write it on paper, put it on your wall, and then focus on it and don’t let anything take you away from those goals. That is ultimately how you’re going to stop wasting time and be more successful. 

Eat Healthy

What does this have to do with wasting time!? Well, what we put in our bodies affects our energy, mental clarity, ability to focus, etc. And when we eat foods that don’t fuel our mind and body, we aren’t able to use our time in the ways we want to. 

Work on Top Priorities During Most Productive Times of Day

We all have different times of day when we function the best, think the most clearly, and are able to do our best work. So, we should use those times to work on our top priorities in order to complete them quickly, efficiently, and as best as possible. 

 ⬇ PIN IT ⬇ 

Meditate

When we aren’t meditating, we tend to be more stressed out, worried, disconnected from reality, and unclear/unfocused, taking our attention away from what matters most. When we sit down and spend time with our mind, even for just a few minutes, it can make a huge difference in being more productive. 

Stop Answering Emails in the Morning

You have probably noticed that when you start your day with checking emails, your time is quickly sucked away trying to put out little fires or keep up with other people’s requests and projects. You HAVE to make yourself the priority. Reserve the mornings for priority projects for your own business instead of giving all your time away to others. 

Take Breaks to Recharge

Taking a lunch or walk break is such a great way to break up the day, have a more productive second half of the day, and keep your energy up. Ultimately, if you don’t take a break during your work day and just try to push through, you end up mentally foggy, exhausted, and quickly lose your momentum. Taking a break is actually one of the best ways to be more productive, even if it may sound counterintuitive. 

Plan Your Week on Sunday

When you plan your week ahead of time, you can properly space projects so you’re working on your most important tasks at the best time, and not overloading yourself with meetings or calls. Another great tactic is to reserve an entire day to work ON your business, rather than always just working IN your business. This gives you the foundation you need to grow bigger, achieve your bigger picture goals, and ultimately increase your impact. 

Get Enough Sleep

If we aren’t sleeping, we aren’t functioning! Especially with the technology-charged world we live in today, it can be so easy to lose important sleep that we need to be able to function at our highest level. One of my favorite tricks to help me get more sleep is a jade stone heating pad that I’ve started sleeping on every night that helps me sleep so well! It’s also a good idea to turn off computers and TVs ahead of bedtime, and make your room as dark as possible. Getting enough sleep is how you’re going to get work done the next day. 

Turn off Notifications

All the notifications we get from all the various social media, communication, and other apps on our phones so easily snap our attention away from the more important projects we’re working on. Turning off notifications allows us to stay focused while we want to work on projects and priorities, and not waste our time switching modes in our brain or endlessly scrolling social media. 

Block Distractions

Did you know you can use various apps on your desktop and phone to block yourself from any website during certain hours of the day?! If you find yourself getting sucked into unrelated websites, only to look up and wonder where the last couple hours went, then this tip is perfect for you. Especially for those of us with lower self control, blocking websites or apps is a great way to ensure you stay focused when you want to be. 

Exercise

The more I exercise and move, the more energy I have! This of course goes along with the other health tips I gave, but I’ve found that this one is one way to actually boost my energy and productivity almost immediately. 

The way you move forward in your business is to make progress on your goals with focus, clarity, and energy, and make good use of your time. If you have your own time-saving tips to share, come on over to our Daring Fempreneur Facebook Group and share them with us! Request access today at the link below.