What do you do if your daily schedule as an entrepreneur is hindering your productivity?

Conducting a regular time audit can be a powerful tool to optimize your daily schedule and enhance productivity. By tracking how you spend each hour of your workday, you can identify inefficiencies and time-consuming tasks that may be hindering your progress. This audit can reveal patterns and habits that can be adjusted to free up more time for high-priority activities. With a clear understanding of where your time is being spent, you can make informed decisions about how to better allocate your resources and streamline your workflow.

To address productivity challenges stemming from your daily schedule as an entrepreneur, start by reassessing your priorities and time management strategies. Identify tasks that are essential for your business's success and allocate dedicated time slots for them. Consider implementing time-blocking techniques to structure your day effectively and minimize distractions. Delegate tasks that can be handled by others to free up your time for high-priority activities. Additionally, practice self-discipline and set boundaries to avoid overcommitting yourself. Regularly review and adjust your schedule as needed to optimize productivity and achieve your business goals.

If your daily schedule as an entrepreneur is hindering your productivity, consider hiring an executive assistant to help manage your time and tasks more efficiently. An experienced admin can handle scheduling, email management, travel arrangements, and other administrative duties, freeing up your time to focus on high-value activities that drive your business forward. They can also help you prioritize tasks, streamline processes, and ensure important deadlines are met. Delegating these responsibilities can significantly improve your productivity and work-life balance. Lastly, in the most ideal of cases a really great executive admin, should end up becoming your Chief of Staff.

One of the big differences between corporates and smaller businesses is use of technology. In corporations, one can generally assumes tools are effective, work together and security is well managed. There’s no reason for startups to give up on that, it’s a false economy. 1- digitise repeat tasks, from keeping in touch with prospects and contacts to managing calendars, notes and invoices. It’s probably doable <200 USD per month. Make strategic choices. Tools should work together, and have opportunities to scale. There are excellent free products but make sure they’ll be able to grow with you. Never compromise on security. Your IP and customer base are your biggest assets.

You can't improve what you don't track. Decide what metrics to apply and follow regularly is crucial. If you tend to be disorganized, make sure you have got another team member to follow you through this process and hold you accountable.

Regular Breaks for Renewal: Incorporate short, rejuvenating breaks into your schedule to recharge your energy and mental focus. This could include meditation, physical exercise, or simply stepping away from work to relax and clear your mind.

I’m currently listening to a podcast where Xavier Chauvin mentioned how he manages his calendar. He is a well known French entrepreneur and investor and he prides himself in staying away from meetings (which he calls “constraints”). For us mortals, there will always be meetings, especially in a growth phase, but they need to limited to the ones that really count. I would favor meetings with clients over internal alignment meetings. Clients will help you perfect your product, they will pay you, and it is hard to change their meeting culture. Whereas internally you can drive a lean meeting culture, your team can automate reporting and meetings can be thought of as opportunities to socialize, which can help build a benevolent culture.

I believe discipline eats motivation for breakfast. Having a routine that reduces decision fatigues and guard your focus for high productivity saves me multiple times everyday. Ex. Only take meetings 11-12 and 15-16 or answer emails after 45 min deep-work per hour. You can go into autopilot without switching gears every second. It might sound counter-intuitive but when I adhere to the routine with disciplines, it gives me more freedom and flexibility, instead of constrain. That's also how I created Happy Productivity Lab co-working hour in 2023 and every participant increased his/her productivity by three times or more!