What are the best tips for managing your time when working for yourself?

As the CEO of an award-winning technology company, I love blocking my calendar with tasks. Instead of writing a "to do" list, I block my calendar with everything that needs to get done. This almost always ensures that I'm executing to my best capacity!

Boundaries are important. I wake up and start work at about 5:30 a.m. and get things done, early start and early finish. I do my best work using the Pomodoro technique of focus 25 minute bursts and 5 minute breaks. Knowing and keeping yourself on a schedule is key, and setting boundaries and not going down a rabbit hole of distractions helps.

Set 2-3 priority goals for the day. Focus on 3 goals that you want to accomplish in the morning rather tahn trying to do more than that. Get in a habit of accomplishing three priority goals.

Manage your energy NOT your time. - Before you start it may be helpful to assess when your energy is at its optimum. Identifying your time of day for your best energy can help you prioritize deep, important work that makes an impact and gives you significant progress. - Once I determined that, I focused on doing the hardest work when I have the best energy. This gives me acceleration and motivation. I used to do small things thinking it would give me motivation but that didn’t hold true. _ If I’m burning my best energy on small menial tasks then I won’t have the progress of my best potential.

Create a diary of 'Must do'. keep a self discipline that each day feel fulfill by various task. Set yourself goals/ projects around your expertise which can be ( in my case photography) . Go for a walk every day . Its vital if not in meetings or photoshoot etc... Its a time for reflexion, ideas, concept. being outside is a important factor to your mental balance and creativity as much as meeting people if possible everyday.

As a managing attorney of 402Legal and the CEO of the Midlands African Chamber, I live by my calendar and embrace technology tools. They help me maximize my time and stay organized. I also make sure to schedule time to recharge as it is easier to pour from a full cup than a depleted one.

I love a good routine! Use your calendar to block time and make sure you're following your own rules. It can take time, but after a few weeks, it will become second nature. Push through and stay focused.

Understand all do the ways that you work best as well as your points of distraction. Leverage tools and systems to work for you. It may take time and a lot of self awareness, but figuring this out will be powerful in the long run. Some things to consider: Which softwares do you already use in your daily life that can be used in your business? Leveraging existing systems will save you time, energy and effort. What are your most productive times of the day? Use those for your focused work. What type of environment helps you stay focused? (i.e. working at home versus at a coworking space, no cell phone or blocked apps during focused working time, etc).

This is crucial for productivity and just general well-being. Flexibility allows adaptation to unforeseen challenges, like childcare emergencies or sick days, while consistency provides structure. Set daily goals and prioritize tasks, allowing for adjustments as needed. Incorporate regular 'fun' breaks to prevent burnout. Define specific work hours to maintain a healthy work-life balance, but keep it flexible. Periodically reassess and refine your routine to align with changing priorities and optimize personal and professional growth. Dynamic balance!

As an entrepreneur and mother of three, I believe in time blocking. Schedule "meeting days", "focus days", "writing days", "no-meeting days", etc. and stick to it. Also, be conscious about your energy level, and align the plan to it. E.g. if your brain works the best in the morning, then schedule all the thinkin-heavy tasks to the morning, and the ones you can do on autopilot to the afternoon. Last but not least: leave some buffer time every week for unexpected things. There might be a sick child, a car that you need to take to the garage, a broken fridge, etc... If you keep some buffer on your schedule, you can control these unexpected things much easier. Expect the unexpected ;-)

Booking the appropriate amount of time for a task is important, sometimes that time is not enough so you need to review the other tasks to make sure that you prioritize the most important and if have to rebook the ones that are not.

Time tracking can be very simple, but one of the main reasons to do it is to understand the relationship between what you intended and what actually happened. This helps you get better at estimation.

I am alert to not wasting my time or that of other people. Lost time can never be regained. It works well for me to have a daily practice and not to get caught up in resistance where I choose to surf the net or watch too many videos. Discipline can be fun, so manage your time well and remember to live life. Do what makes you feel alive, and that should be your work as well.

To get better at estimating tasks, it's essential to have clear "done criteria." When tasks are vague or too broad, it's hard to be realistic about what it will take to complete them or even to know when we are done. I recommend breaking projects into tasks that clear (what exactly will I need to do in order to consider the task complete), and make them "completeable" within one sitting. Once I start working on the task, I will stick with it until DONE! Avoid task switching and get the satisfaction of checking tasks off as DONE.

Not only is this crucial, but so is knowing your own personal productivity schedule for the prioritization. If you do your best work in the morning, put those highly crucial tasks and meetings during those hours. If there is a time that is usually chaotic in your work location (if you work from home, things like when the kids get home from school or your spouse comes home for lunch) use that to focus on things that are quick and easy to accomplish. And be sure to time block and stick to it. If you spend all day on a non urgent task, and leave little room for those that are detrimental to your success, you will end your day flustered and frustrated.

Never start your day reading & responding to email -- email is someone else's priority. Monday morning set your goals for the week and each day start with setting your agenda. At the end of the day and week, save some time to assess your progress realistically.

Prioritizing and changing priorities with changing realities is a constant and exhausting effort that often forces us to make unpleasant decisions. Forced Decisions Hurtful to friends and family who will find they are not always at the top of the list.

When working for yourself it can be easy to forget about the opportunities to delegate as you think delegation means having someone under you to delegate things to. Outsourcing is a boon to the self-employed. It allows people to work on the business, rather than getting stuck in it - especially with regards admin and other routine tasks. Don't think of the cost of getting someone to help, think of the cost of time wasted on tasks you don't enjoy and don't build the business.

? En entornos laborales multifacéticos, la capacidad de priorizar y delegar tareas es fundamental para una gestión efectiva del tiempo y la energía. Utilizar herramientas para clasificar tareas según urgencia e importancia, y delegar responsabilidades a otros, libera recursos y mejora la eficiencia, permitiendo un enfoque más efectivo en las actividades cruciales. ?? La priorización y delegación de tareas es una estrategia clave para aquellos que gestionan múltiples proyectos o roles. ?? Destacar el uso de herramientas para categorizar tareas y la habilidad de delegar a otros, fortalece la capacidad de los profesionales para optimizar recursos y maximizar la productividad.

My problem, when I started to work for myself, was thinking that I needed to know everything to be successful. Now, I know that some skills are essential, but everything else should be treated as just-in-time learning. My suggestion is to look at what skills are essential to you and focus on those, everything else learn it if you need to. Of course, continue deepening the knowledge in your field so you don’t find yourself out of touch with current trends. Also learn a skill that is not associated with your work or with running a business. Study a foreign language (great for mental agility, memory, concentration and creativity) or learn a new hobby. This sort of learning can serve as a way to recharge yourself and help you avoid burnout.

Technical skills likely got you to a point where you could do this work, but soft skills are what will help you do it consistently and well. Spend as much or more time focusing on these, and make sure you are holding yourself accountable for continuing to work on them.

My colleagues at Ikigai always wrap up the week with the good stories. There's plenty of time to be self-critical. When you shut off the computer at the end of the week, take a few minutes to reflect on what went well; share it with your remote colleagues, spouse, yourself, or even the dog. We all need to acknowledge the good stories and happy moments.

Implementing time blocking is a highly effective strategy for proficiently managing one's time. Allocate dedicated blocks for essential business activities while also prioritizing time for exercise, brief intervals (5 or 10 minutes) to rejuvenate, personal moments, family commitments, and opportunities for personal growth and development. Equally crucial is acknowledging and rewarding oneself for achievements, regardless of their magnitude, fostering a positive reinforcement loop within the schedule.

Working for yourself definitely has many advantages, but one of the major downsides is that you can work non stop. To avoid that dangerous pitfall, use your calendar to block time away from work. These could be as simple as built in breaks to walk around the block or an actual lunch away from your desk. It is also important to find time to pursue things that bring you joy throughout the day. So, calling a friend, reading a chapter in a book, working out, listening to a podcast should be included a few times each week. And while some of that might seem nonwork related, you may find those pursuits allow you the space to think bigger and bolder, thus moving your business forward.

Al trabajar por tu cuenta, es vital recompensarte y recargarte para mantener el equilibrio, la motivación y prevenir el agotamiento. Crea un sistema de recompensas para celebrar tus logros, grandes y peque?os, y dedica tiempo a pasatiempos y actividades que te relajen y diviertan. Mantén un estilo de vida saludable con una dieta equilibrada, suficiente descanso y ejercicio regular, lo que beneficia tu salud física y mental. Estos hábitos no solo previenen el agotamiento sino que también aumentan tu eficiencia y creatividad en el trabajo. Disfrutar del proceso y celebrar los peque?os momentos es esencial para apreciar tu trabajo autónomo y mantener una relación positiva y productiva con él a largo plazo.

In the demanding world of accounting, managing cyclical workloads effectively is key. As an accounting manager, I've seen the positive impact of celebrating milestones like book closings or payroll completions with small rewards. Encouraging hobbies or meditation also helps alleviate stress, particularly during peak periods like tax season. Balancing work and personal life is crucial to prevent burnout and maintain high productivity. In a field where precision is vital, taking time to recharge is not just beneficial but essential for long-term success.

Learn to Say No: Recognize your limits and learn to say no to tasks or commitments that don't align with your goals or would overwhelm your schedule.

La reflexión y el autoconocimiento son esenciales para entender tus patrones de trabajo y necesidades, lo que te permite ajustar tu enfoque para mayor satisfacción y eficiencia. Es igualmente importante tener una red de apoyo de colegas y amigos, que ofrece asesoramiento y perspectivas diversas. Además, establecer un equilibrio entre trabajo y vida personal es clave; fija límites claros entre el tiempo de trabajo y personal para tu bienestar a largo plazo. En resumen, una gestión eficaz del tiempo en el trabajo autónomo implica no solo maximizar la productividad, sino también fomentar el crecimiento personal y un estilo de vida equilibrado.

Effectively managing time when working for yourself involves setting clear priorities, creating a schedule, and establishing boundaries. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance, and create a daily or weekly schedule to allocate time efficiently. Establish dedicated work hours and communicate boundaries to avoid burnout. Utilize productivity tools and techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time-blocking, to enhance focus. Regularly evaluate and adjust your time management strategies to optimize productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Here is what works for me - Step 1: Set both long-term and short-term goals. Step 2: Prioritize tasks based on current importance. Step 3: Build a schedule to manage all tasks efficiently. Step 4: Use time management tools for better scheduling. Step 5: Focus on one task at a time. Delegate when possible. Step 6: Take regular breaks to recharge. Step 7: Review and refine the approach for greater efficiency.

These are great suggestions IF you can implement them. So my best tip for you - look at what already works for you: What always gets done, no matter what? Where do you always stick to your schedule? Use what works to fix what you'd like to improve.