Time Management: Become a Master of Your Time and ACHIEVE MORE in 5 Easy Steps

Time management—it can either be a business owner’s secret weapon if done well or downfall if done poorly, or not at all.

Simply put, our time is limited and thus, we must learn to manage it strategically and wisely if we want to achieve success in our businesses, and even in our lives.

How is your time management? Are you a good manager of time, as well as of yourself, your employees, and your business or organization? Or do you find you have problems “finding” time and you’re always seeming to run out of it?

If you identify more with the latter than the former statement, you likely need to work – at least a little – on your time management. But if that is the case, don’t feel bad… such is the case for most people. This is likely one of the biggest obstacles to full achievement that most business owners come up against over and over. And for even more good news, time management is something that is relatively easy to get better at with just a little focused effort.

Here are 5 easy steps to help you become a better master of your time and achieve more—NOW:

1. Acknowledge that you need help with time management.

You’ve likely heard many times that the first step to solving any problem you might have, is accepting that you have a problem. Improving your time management is no different. You have to first admit you have a problem before you are ready to take steps to fix that problem.

Although running behind or getting behind every now and then is normal, if you find that this is happening to you repeatedly and frequently, you need to take a look at your time management. Likewise, if you are always “chasing” deadlines. That’s another warning.

2. Make a commitment to change—and getting better with time management.

No one can make you a better time manager, other than yourself. You must decide you need to do it, make a plan, get started, and stick to it.

Intentionally committing to better time management starts with the acknowledgment that our time is a valuable commodity that SHOULD be managed wisely. Then, we create our blueprint for improvement. A good place to start is by separating your time—duties, engagements, and deadlines—into things you must do, should do, and those that would be nice to do. This list helps you set your priorities. Thus, you do the “must” first, “should” next, and then “nice to do” when there is time.

3. Every day, create “To Do” lists and stick to them.

Once you have set your priorities, it’s time to break that list down further into a daily schedule. Did you know that you are 80% more likely to achieve goals you write down? A good practice is to create these lists on Sunday to help you get ready for the work week.

4. Utilize time management tools and apps.

Effective time management can be simpler today with the advent of technology—such as with apps that help you focus on managing your time and/or projects more effectively and efficiently. From to-do list apps to those that are more sophisticated and teach you things like The Pomodoro Technique for better time management AND focus, check out the app store for your device to see what’s out there to help you better manage and master your time.

5. Learn to say, “No.”

Of course, one of the biggest obstacles to good time management is taking on more than you can reasonably or realistically accomplish. Not surprisingly, this is the root problem most people have with time management. As much as we WANT to be superheros and say, “Yes,” to everything… that’s just not good for us—or for our other priorities. Burn out is likely to come quickly if you don’t learn to say, “No,” when you just can’t find more time.

The above steps should help even the most hardened cases of poor time managers.

However, if you still find you have issues, remember… there are professionals out there with great books, courses, and workshops on time management, ready and willing to help you get more and greater results out of the limited time you have.