When you're in charge of your own business, self-discipline can be one of the hardest things to implement. Many business owners work from home in cute, glitzy home offices, and if you're easily distracted by things, it can be tough to get stuff done.
Here are three tips on how to boost productivity:
- Learn to delegate.
As business owners, we are coming with a mindset that we can do everything and we are tempted to act on any issues that come to us without a second thought. This could create a problem if it will sacrifice your time for high-value tasks. Letting go can be difficult, especially if you are a perfectionist like most entrepreneurs and care deeply about quality of work. However, time is not a renewable source.
Each day needs to be used wisely and cannot be afforded to spend on minor things. If it is not a major task that involves your decision-making (and someone can do the job 80% as well as you can), then you should delegate the task and make a good use of your time on something that is much more important.
2. Learn to prioritize.
As a leader of the team, we fight daily battles with distraction and interruption. Put your focus on the tasks that deliver value. Peripheral activities such as constantly checking emails and nonsense meetings that have no real point or agenda should be kept at minimum.
The work of an entrepreneur is valued when results are delivered, which is very different from regular jobs, where time and effort are valued. As a result, you should always prioritize value-creating work over other tasks.
3. Never wait.
Don’t let perfectionism delays you. Nothing is perfect the first time. When there is a strategy in place, implement it quickly, and learn as you go. Rather than keep polishing it on the paper until someone acts faster than you and catches on.