Eliminate These Time Wasters of Entrepreneurs

The most common objection my life coaching clients use when we talk about taking action towards newly set goals is that they already don’t have enough hours in the day. So where are they going to find the time to do more? I get it, I really do. Our lives have become all about the hustle and rushing from one thing to the next, with time management going out the window. Most of us are stressed coping with common time wasters of entrepreneurs, just trying to get the day to day tasks ticked off our to-do lists, let alone time to improve ourselves and our lives. 

So what is the answer?  Well first we start with asking the question – where could I find more time in my day? To answer this it helps to map out how you currently spend your time. Whilst you may think you already know the answer; it really helps to be able to go through the process and to see the time-wasters of entrepreneurs in black and white. If you include things like time on social media on there, I guarantee you will clearly see where you could eliminate time wasters and create some free time. 

How To Identify The Time Wasters Of Entrepreneurs Holding You Back

Having done the snapshot of current time usage, what we’re really looking at next is determining priorities. It’s important to work out what is really important to you; and how badly you want your current situation to change. Are you willing to sacrifice a current activity and replace it with a new one? Get really honest with yourself and ask if you’re serious about creating change in your life…how badly do you want your life to be different? 

Stop Procrastinating With Maintenance Tasks

When people are just cruising along and staying in their comfort zone, they will generally be filling their day with what we call “Maintenance Tasks”. These are those everyday activities that we do on auto-pilot, and that when completed leave you in the same position you were before you did it (eg. Cleaning the bathroom).  I for one know that the only time my house gets a good clean is when there’s something important that I am avoiding doing! 

Dedicate Time To Progress Tasks

So to effect real change in your life, you must set aside time for “Progress Tasks”, or those that leave us feeling more uncomfortable. They may be tasks you avoid because you don’t know how to do them, but they are important because it’s the progress tasks that will help you reach a position that is better than where you are now. An example of a progress task is studying for a new qualification or implementing a new procedure at work. 

If you can identify which of these your own tasks are, then you can start to replace some of the maintenance tasks with the progress tasks. But you will need to have the discipline to schedule the time to do them, particularly at the start. 

Some other questions you can ask yourself are:

• What part of your day is most productive? And the least productive?
• What stops you from being organised?
• What or who causes the most interruptions to your day?
• What do you need to spend more time doing?
• What do you do that could be delegated or shared? 

There’s no question that change can be hard. 

Particularly meaningful change, where your current life is okay as it is, but it’s just that nagging feeling that it could be better. More enjoyable. So really it’s over to you to decide if you want to create a new normal badly enough. If you need support in creating more time for the things that matter to you, that’s what we are all about! The best way to find out if we can support you is by booking a Clarity Call.