Get More Hours In The Day With These Highly Effective Scheduling Tips

Everyone wants more hours in the day. Particularly business owners. While it isn’t yet possible to hop in a time machine or slow down the clock, there are ways we can create the illusion of more hours.

Through some careful planning and smart use of technology, you can streamline processes and make more time for the tasks that drive your business forward. This will allow you to focus on the activities that make you the most money.

Learn to identify time traps

Do you know how you are spending your time? It’s common for business owners to assume they are highly productive throughout the day, but scratch the surface and you’ll soon see an array of bad habits. 

Checking social media throughout the day can quickly add up. And time spent trying to get back on task after responding to an unexpected email can derail your whole day.

A tool like Rescue Time will help you to understand how you are spending your day so you know if you’re really being as productive as you think. You might not need more hours in the day, you might just need fewer distractions.

Schedule meetings the smart way

Meetings that could have been an email are bad enough. But when scheduling a meeting takes longer than the actual meeting, you know you have a problem.

With Outlook Scheduling Assistant, you can take the pain out of picking a time when everyone is free. It works if you’re in the same building or a completely different time zone. It can also help to find a free space for your meeting. Learn how to use this helpful tool here. 

Reclaim idle time

It’s hard to switch off and not think about your business. If you find yourself with idle time on your hands, there are simple ways you can make sure you’re using this time to keep yourself organised.

The “Read My Emails” function on the Outlook mobile app will allow you to stay in the loop, whether you’re waiting for the train or running on a treadmill. And when you arrive in the office, the first task has already been ticked off your to-do list.

Batch schedule your work

Multitasking is a productivity nightmare. Science has proven that no one is any good at it. Jumping from one task to the next and back again is a great way to kill your focus and ensure tasks take much longer than they need to.

So, what is the solution? 

Batch working is the antithesis of multitasking. Instead of jumping between tasks, you stay focused on one area. Instead of scheduling your social media for the day with your morning coffee, you would take a half-day to schedule your social media for a whole month. 

This would mean that instead of spending half an hour scheduling it every day (that’s about 10 hours over a 4-week month) you spend 4 hours and get it all done at once. With this out of the way, you free up valuable brain space to focus on your next big project!

Learn to delegate

Your business will only be able to grow when you feel confident enough to delegate. Every business owner hits a productivity ceiling. At this stage, you can either raise your prices or start outsourcing work.

Outsourcing doesn’t have to be scary. I offer half-day packages that are cost-effective and perfect for those new to delegating work. Get in touch with me today to find out how I can lighten the load and give you the space you need to grow your business.