There is so much to do, yet so little time! This is a dilemma that many entrepreneurs find themselves in quite often. Since effective time management is key to succeeding, Kuza Biashara has compiled 5 simple tips on effective time management just for you. You can click here to watch a video version of this article or scroll down to read in text.
#1: Schedule your work with a to-do list
Let’s face it, majority of us are poor planners. We wake up in the morning without a clear goal on what we want to achieve during the day. Eventually, we get confused and end up wasting a lot of time trying to figure out what to do next. Does this story sound familiar? You need to invest in a simple to-do list that will enable you to schedule your work. This way, you’ll spend less time pondering on what to do next and you’ll definitely achieve more.
#2: Create goals
Set goals and objectives that you want to accomplish within so much time. Keep in mind that small goals often work better than large goals because they allow you to have a reason to celebrate quite often. Another thing, make sure to keep tracking your goals just to ensure that you’re on the right track. Make good use of your mobile phone and computer to schedule reminders for important goals. Remember all your goals need to be SMART goals:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Action-Oriented
R – Realistic and Relevant
T – Time based
Prioritize and delegate tasks
No matter how small your business is, don’t strain to do all the work. Instead, strive to inculcate a culture of delegating some of your tasks with your subordinates. For example, if you are rabbit farmer, why would you want to feed the rabbits, market them, supply them, vaccinate them and so forth on your own? At Kuza Biashara, we always encourage our clients as well as employees to delegate their tasks. By delegating you are able to spend more time doing what you are best at.
Establish a routine and stick to it
When you follow a routine, your mind will slowly get used to your way of life and therefore you will be able to achieve a lot more throughout the day. This is how our brains are naturally programmed to work. Below is an example of a routine that you can adopt:
Simple Check List
7:00am to 8:00am Breakfast
8:00am to 11:00amGo to Gikomba market to buy supplies
11:00am to 4:00pm Manage my duka, stock taking
4:00pm to 5:00pm Appointments, read/respond to emails
5:00pm to 9:00pm Family time
This simple schedule is a generic guide that is simply meant to inspire you. You may want to create your unique schedule that corresponds to your individual needs.
Don’t waste time waiting
Any minute you spend waiting (either waiting for someone else to do something or for something to be done) is a step backward. Wait time can be best used to review or plan for future tasks. Avoid this time-wasting habit by giving your core priorities some focus.
Bottom Line;
Since the whole point of this blog-post is to help you make the most of your day, we won’t waste more of your time here.
Do you have some other time-saving tips that you would like to share with the rest of us? All you need to do is leave a brief comment on the comment box just below this article. Alternatively, you can visit our Facebook or Twitter pages for more engagement.
