Ugh… staying productive. Have you ever felt as though there are just not enough hours in a day?

Maybe you find yourself constantly hustling, only to still feel as though you are drowning in things that need to be done…

Being an entrepreneur is a difficult feat; between social media posting, client relations, emails, advertising, the list goes on – it can be hard to know what to focus on and when.

If you could go back and tell yourself all the mistakes to avoid, you’d probably jump at the idea, right?
Without the help of time travel, we can’t do that yet. Instead, I have the next best thing for you and comprised some of my best strategies that I wish I had back when I started my business. These will help to keep you focused and productive in pursuit of your success!

Get A Calendar

If you aren’t already using a calendar, what the heck are you doing? Whether it’s a day planner, desk calendar, Google Calendars, or iCal… find a system that works for you and actually use it. The best way to stay productive is to have focus, and in order to have focus, you need a clear, organized plan.

• Special Events
• Birthdays
• Daily Tasks
• Meetings
• Work

Whatever the occasion, if you’re doing it, it should be in your calendar. Life gets busy and it is all too easy to forget where you were supposed to be (and when!) if you’ve overcommitted yourself. You can’t be expected to remember absolutely everything – that’s okay! Save yourself the stress and get a calendar.

Trust me.

Need help getting started using a calendar? Check out this quick tutorial.

Prioritize Your To-Do List

Do you already have a To-Do list? Great.

Is it a mile long? Yikes.

As a society, we have this tendency to believe that the longer our To-Do list is, the more productive we will be, but I argue the opposite. It’s easy to make a To-Do list that is 234678 miles long. What’s not easy is actually navigating it. The key to mastering your productivity is to hone your focus in on 3-5 things that actually need to get done.

Start by asking yourself: What do I actually need to get done? What can wait for another day? From there, choose your top priorities and save the rest for another day.

Still not sure where to start? I have a tutorial for this too!

Learn to Say “No” More Often

This is arguably the best thing you can do as an entrepreneur. If an activity isn’t in the best interest of your time (your most precious resource, by the way) you need to learn to say no. As an entrepreneur, you need to maintain focus on the things that will bring you joy, contribute to your personal growth, and actually grow your business. So the next time you are approached with an opportunity and you feel obligated to say yes, ask yourself:

What are my priorities? Is this interaction, activity, or event going to help me accomplish this?

If the answer is no, learn to let it pass. Remember, your priority here is running a business (at least I hope it is) and your decisions need to be made with that interest in mind.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t need to be as overwhelming as it may seem.
Get organized, set your priorities, and let go of the rest. It really is that simple.