Andre Alonzo Chambers: 4 Time Management Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs

  

If you’re an entrepreneur, your time is the most important resource. You only have 24 hours in the day, and if you don’t spend them wisely, you can find yourself stuck in an insurmountable backlog of to-do items before you know it. Andre Alonzo Chambers shares his top 4 tips for maximizing your productivity and ensuring that you are getting things done in order to avoid the common pitfalls that so many entrepreneurs fall into when trying to balance their businesses with their personal lives.

Schedule Things If Possible

You can’t trust your memory. Even if we think we have remembered everything that is important, in fact, most of us tend to forget something or misunderstand some significant detail. Andre Alonzo Chambers says a simple way of making sure that you don’t forget anything is to schedule everything ahead of time and make sure you always have a reminder at hand. Plan with no interruptions!: It's hard to stay on task when there are so many distractions around us, but it's crucial for entrepreneurs because it is imperative for them to finish what they started as soon as possible and start new projects on time. The key is planning ahead with no interruptions and finishing each task one by one until they're done. Designate a place where you will work every day: The reason behind this tip is simple: consistency makes the brain more efficient!.

Attention Management

Time management is all about deciding how you spend the time you have. It’s about changing your attitude so that you manage your attention properly. There will be many distractions from work and personal life which can hinder your progress. Hence, it's important to learn how to stay focused on the task at hand. It is suggested to keep a large calendar on your desk where you can write down all of your commitments and tasks for the day. If a task takes longer than expected, then put an X or use a marker or highlighter to cross out that task so you don't forget what needs to be done next.

     Allocate Unstructured Time

     Unstructured time is precisely what it looks like, it is time allocated for nothing. There is nothing else going on besides work and personal. Unstructured time is you’re “me time”. But, you’ll probably be thinking: “I don’t have time to do this because I already spend my days doing other things.” It would help if you allocated unstructured time because by doing so, you can recharge and prepare yourself for the next tasks that are waiting for you. Having an allotted unstructured time in your day will help release some tension and allow you to focus better on future tasks.

     Conduct a Time Audit

     Do you follow your schedule or do you always extend a meeting so the rest of your program is messed up? Time-auditing helps you identify which tasks take up more time than they should. If you have tasks that take longer and longer, it might be because of the type of work. That may mean that there are some tasks that can be delegated to others who will be better at them. It could also mean that this is an area in which training is needed or it’s just not where your strengths lie. You might need someone with more skills to take over this project and you can move on to something else if they're available and willing.