Published 15 April 2015. Updated 10 June 2026.
Though there are 24 hours in a day, it never seems to be enough. We all feel (and frequently say) “where does the time go?” Even if there are 8 hours for sleeping, the remaining 16 hours must be enough, but actually, it seems they never are. Is there any problem with the way we manage our time? Well, you be the judge; I’m going to run through a few ideas. If you think you can improve or implement something which will save you time, then please do. Remember, in most service-based industries, time = money … so if you save time, guess what, you’re saving money. Or better yet, using that time to grow your business or have a bit of time off on a well-deserved break.
One main reason for not having enough time is because we waste a lot of time doing unproductive things. Let’s identify some of the activities that are the biggest time killers, or ‘time vampires’ as I call them. We often spend a lot of time:
- Talking on the phone or other distractions
- Going through our emails
- On social media
- On our phones, playing games, buying online, viewing reels
- Watching TV
- Gossiping, both at home and in the office
- Double-ups, inefficiencies or simply being lost on how to do something.
These are a few examples that are common to all, but the list can be endless. If you really want to do all important things on time, you must learn to stop wasting time and start using it wisely. And yes, I know this is easier said than done. How to manage time wisely? If you’re a business coaching client of mine, then Time Mastery is definitely one of the areas we tackle; I haven’t come across a person yet who cannot improve in some way.
Tips on Time Management
1. Write down your goals and set your priorities.
Planning and goal setting might occur annually, but time planning might be something you do once a day; either end of the day; planning tomorrow, or beginning of the day (before you even look at emails) having a clear list of things you’ll action.
2. Develop the habit of making a to-do list.
Arrange them in order of urgency and don’t have the list too long (that can be overwhelming and destructive). Besides daily to-do list, also make weekly or monthly to-do list. Identify and target the priority jobs first – often those which will make you money. Hopefully, by being proactive, rather than reactive, those priorities are not ‘putting out fires’.
3. Set a time schedule for all main activities.
I call this a ‘Default Diary’ where you set times of the week for certain activities. Marketing may be on Monday morning, Thursday afternoon might be bookkeeping, for example.
4. Batch things up.
By this, I mean, do things in batches. If you are paying bills, do that all at once, once a week, not as they come in. This is being time-effective because you’re focussed on the one task. The same goes for appointments, especially if you’re visiting others. Do regions in batches. Even posting on social media, by using schedulers, you can also batch up your daily posts once a week (or once a month).
5. Do not try to do everything yourself, even if you can.
Delegating to the right person means you are able to focus on what is most important for you to action. Even if you’re a solo entrepreneur, you can outsource certain activities, such as bookkeeping, website updates, SEO etc. Plus, outsource the tasks which are not the best use of your time, such as cleaning or computer maintenance. You might be more than capable to do, but again, best use of your time?
6. Implement and use technology – and well.
Often being paperless is more efficient (and saving on paper, filing and ink) but digitally file things in the right place so you can easily find them. If you’re struggling with an app or software you are using, then engage someone to teach you and learn it well. When you know how to do things, then you are more time-effective.
7. Break big projects into smaller components and targets and then assign time limits to each, or even delegate components to others.
Without micromanaging, always monitor progress and ensure things are on track.
8. Templates and checklists can be your friend.
Firstly, they stop that pause “what next”, plus they ensure important steps are not forgotten, plus with templates, you do it great once and simply rinse and repeat. So many things can be templated; to bring almost perfection whilst saving time; sounds like a wonderful scenario!
9. Say No – in multiple ways.
Identify the pros and cons of doing and not doing certain things in your to-do list. This will help you to identify and complete the most important tasks first. What items are income-producing or will assist your business in a positive way? Also, say no to others. It might be the telemarketer who is trying to flog you a website/insurance/steak knives – hell no! It might be a client requesting you to do something for which you are not skilled. Sometimes saying no in that regard means you don’t spend time learning something which you don’t plan to offer ongoing, or perhaps it’s a customer asking for a timeslot on the opposite side of town that day. This is where you actually negotiate, “I’m sorry, Jack, I’m actually booked out Wednesday morning, but I can come to you Thursday afternoon or Friday morning – would one of those options work for you?”
10. Do not spend too much time planning and doing nothing.
Just identify and do things. In other words, avoid procrastination. If you’re pausing, not starting, overplanning, then ask yourself why? Often this is a mindset, and you might need a mindset reset. 😊
11. Learn to handle interruptions – or better yet, try to reduce them.
As simple as turning off your phone for an hour or two to get things done, or closing your door (first saying to the team “I’m going to be unavailable for 2 hours, does anyone have anything urgent now? Great, I’ll open the door when I’m done.” Time-outs can be exceedingly effective in getting important or difficult tasks done.
12. Reward yourself and remember to switch off.
Life (and work) isn’t all about being on the go all the time, or hyper-focused. After you do focus for a period of time, take a break, get a coffee, go for a walk, or if the focus has been months, then take a long weekend off and reward yourself for your hard work. As much as we need to focus and be vigilant with our time, we also need to switch off, relax and recharge. As I say to coaching clients, business is a marathon, not a sprint – so be sure to pace yourself.
The above are 12 simple tips to manage time effectively. By embracing these tips, you’ll see a difference in both your satisfaction and the results attained in your business. Start forming great habits. There are a few rules out there about habit forming; some say you do something 40 times and it becomes a habit, others say it’s a 21-day rule, and yet others again say 66 days. The message here (regardless of times or days) is that you need to do things repeatedly several times for a habit to form. It’s like getting up early; the first day it’s hard, but after a couple of months, it feels good and doesn’t bother you at all; in fact, you might even find yourself enjoying it – and getting more done.
If you are wanting any assistance with Time Mastery, Business Coaching (whether you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or in between) or perhaps assistance with Life Coaching – give me a call, or reach out via my CONTACT PAGE – only too happy to discuss your needs.
