Whether you are a self employed business owner or you manage an organization,
you feel that you are working harder than before!

Many business owners work very long hours, some through choice, and others as a result of sheer workload.
Some choose to work on weekends in addition to a working week of at least 50 hours.
You think you are at your productive best.
In fact, you are adopting an unhealthy pattern of work.

You have read enough of Time management. How much of it have you practiced?
What you are doing is focus only on what is right in front of you.

Then, what’s happening?

Your workload growing in size?
Spending less n less time with your friends and family?
Sleeping less for fearing of not being able to meet deadlines?

Help you get back on track:

Set a Routine for Checking Your Email.
Check your emails only three times a day – at start of your workday, at midday, and on finishing your work.
Keeping emails open all the time, is a constant distraction.
Asses only on important, respond accordingly and ignore the rest.
Do you achieve everything on your To Do list each day/week?
Most people only do what they enjoy and leave the rest for “another day”.
Close your To Do list forever to focus on being more productive; set only two or three goals for the week.

Find what is your limit to being at your productive best – 40 hours or 70 hours per week? Each person will work to a different set of most productive hours in a week.
Each person is different – be your own.

Focus on What is Important. What do you tend to favour – urgent or important? The irony is that urgent can wait as important means important and this must be your focus.
Attend Only Effective Meetings. This applies to all meetings, whether you meet a colleague in a coffee shop or you participate in a boardroom discussion. Consider the purpose for each meeting you arrange: what do you wish to achieve from it, how will it benefit you, will it allow you to be at your productive best?
Learn to Say “No”. Be selective when presented with an opportunity. Explore the short and long term benefits for you and your business. Take on too much work from too many clients and your message will read “I am always available and you can always depend on me, even if it means I have to work 100 hours per week just to get the work done!”
Recharge Your Batteries. Step away from your business, sleep, exercise, or spend time with your loved ones and friends. Give yourself permission to recharge your batteries, to re energise your thinking, your focus and return to your business with a renewed boost of confidence and clarity.
Armed and ready with the secret to working smarter not harder, now is your opportunity to implement your new time management strategy to ensure you achieve your productive best.

Suresh Shah, Managing Director, Pathfinders Enterprise