7 Productivity Hacks for Entrepreneurs

When I recently wrote about 5 Time Management Hacks for Entrepreneurs, it immediately became clear to me that people were hungry for more, so I’ve put together a more extensive list of productivity hacks for entrepreneurs. These are all tactics, strategies, and tips that have been used by successful entrepreneurs to significantly boost their productivity. Which ones sound like they could work for you?

1. Plan in Smaller Increments

When every minute counts, organizing your day by hour or even half-hour increments simply isn’t good enough. Try using 15-minute or even 10-minute increments to plan your day – it will quickly reveal where and how you might tend to waste precious time. And yes, nearly all the productivity hacks listed here have to do with making the most of your time. 

2. Make Meetings Shorter

The dreaded hour-long default in many calendars mentioned above has resulted in the assumption that most meetings are going to run for at least an hour, but many successful entrepreneurs have found that most of their meetings can accomplish their agendas in far less, often as little as 30 or even 15 minutes.

3. Leverage Your Calendar

Most people live under the dictates of some kind of to-do list. You need one to know what you have to do, and prioritizing it can be something of an art, but if you stop at the list you’re missing out on operationalizing it. That’s where the calendar comes in. You have to figure out exactly when and where you’re going to actually do the prioritized tasks by putting them on your calendar. This will immediately show you what’s realistic in terms of getting things done each day and transform your to-do list from a pie-in-the-sky dream to concrete action plan. 

4. Establish a Consistent Morning Routine

Highly successful entrepreneurs tend to follow a strict morning routine. They get up at the same time every morning, and it’s usually pretty early. These morning routines often includes both exercise, which gets the blood flowing to your brain for increased focus, and checking in on various information sources in the form of blogs or social media feeds related to their business.

5. Disciplined Email

Constantly checking your email becomes a time-sink that can be hard to overcome. Successful entrepreneurs figure out how to tame the email beast. They ignore it completely when focusing on an especially important task. They also limit how often they check it – establishing three or four small blocks of time in day rather than being constantly dialed into it. 

6. The Art of Delegation and Saying No

Part of being a successful entrepreneur is putting together a great team of people – let them step and share the load. Anything that can be delegated should be delegated so you can focus on the most important work. Your ability to say “No” is also key – taking on more than is possible for you to do will hurt all your work.

7. Figure Out What Helps You Focus

Experiment with all sorts of different things to find out what sorts tactics help you focus when you need to. For some it’s listening to music. For others it’s being completely isolated away from distractions. Some need to be in a peaceful setting with lots of natural light and nature in view. Figure out what works for you and stick with it when you need to focus. 

These are some of the best productivity hacks you’ll find among successful entrepreneurs. None of them are rocket science, but they do take a consistent commitment to realize their full benefits. Do this and you’ll be on a solid path to success in 2017.