How to Get More Done in Less Time as a Business Owner

by Cathrin Manning

Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day? Like you’re being pulled in every direction and you can’t seem to check off tasks on your never-ending to-do list?

What if I told you that you could be more productive with your days. That you could, in fact, get more done in less time than ever before. So that you can transition your 60 hour work week into a 40 hour or less work week.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

As a business owner, you don’t have to let your business control your life. It’s time to take back control and work in the most efficient way possible.

Keep reading.

Stop context switching

As a business owner, you’re required to wear many hats.

One minute you’re answering emails and the next you’re brainstorming for your next big product launch. It may seem like you’re being productive by doing as much as you can throughout the day, but it’s actually harming your business.

Say what?!

Did you know that it actually wastes more time when you try to switch from one project to the next?

When you jump between tasks, you brain lags behind trying to understand what to focus on next. So jumping from project A to project B may take 10 minutes for your brain to transition. And the more you keep switching, the more time you actually waste!

Think about how many projects you work on a day. Then multiply that by 10 minutes. I’m going to guess that you’re wasting a couple hours a day just because of context switching!

So even though it may seem impossible, it’s much more efficient to work on only 1 project until it’s complete. Then, and only then, can you jump to the next task.

Turn off notifications

Do you know how many times a day you get distracted by a little notification? It may seem like nothing… but how many email dings do you get in a day? And what about text messages or phone calls? And then the worst one… social media notifications?

YUCK!

It can be exhausting trying to keep up with everything. And every time you get a notification, you’re pulled away from your work wasting more time trying to juggle everything that’s in front of you.

So if you want to get more done in less time, turn off those notifications. Then at the end of each day, mark a time in your calendar where you’ll check and respond to everything that popped up during the day.

This way nothing get’s left behind and you’ll have fewer distractions pulling you away from the important work that you need to complete.

Understand the value of your time

This is a big one. Yet so many entrepreneurs struggle with this concept.

Time is money. And how you spend your time each day is important to your success. So why not set a monetary value for your time?

How much time do you spend completing low-level tasks? This could mean responding to emails, scheduling social media posts, and simple administration work. These tasks can be completed by anyone! And if you get stuck completing these tasks on a daily basis, your business will never grow.

Instead, try to spend more time focused on the higher-level tasks. The tasks that can only be completed by you as the business owner! These include brainstorming new products, working on the bigger picture of your business, and even delegating tasks so that you can work on your next level growth.

The more you understand the value of your time, the better you can prioritize your days to spend more time focused on the important tasks. Resulting in getting more done in even less time!

Cathrin (Cath) Manning is the owner and creator at TheContentBug.com. She creates content that encourages bloggers & online entrepreneurs to be themselves, chase their passion, and create their success online. 1 year after started her blog (TheContentBug.com), Cath left her full-time position working in the digital marketing industry to pursue her dreams of being her own boss. Through weekly blog posts, sporadic YouTube videos, and constant talking on Instagram stories, Cath hopes to spread her story and be an inspiration to others who desperately want to change their lives.