insight : amber de la garza
Time-Management Strategies for Solopreneurs: Part 2 Minimizing interruptions and distractions and implementing simple business systems will help you use your time wisely and get more done BY AMBER DE LA GARZA
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unning a business is no easy task. Just ask anyone who has gone the extra mile of starting a business instead of just dreamed of starting one. Running a business as a team of one is an even harder task because you are forced to fill the roles of numerous positions—whether you are qualified to fill them or not. Taking on so many roles demands a lot of commitment, research, energy and your most precious resource: time. That is why it is so important to invest your time wisely. In part two of this series, we break down four more timemanagement strategies that work for solopreneurs.
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CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS YOUR FOCUS
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When was the last time you were working so diligently that a bomb going off wouldn’t have fazed you? Where were you sitting? What were you hearing? What was the temperature in your office? When had you last eaten and what? What were you wearing? All of those factors and many more contribute to your ability or inability to focus. And when you block out time to work on your high-value activities, you want to be able to get into your zone of focus as quickly as possible so you can power through your tasks efficiently and effectively, then move on to your next high-value activity.
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MARCH + APRIL 2021 | wf-vision.com
There are few things more disappointing than having a scheduled block of time to work on a big project, free from distractions and interruptions, and you simply cannot stay focused. The key, then, is to identify the exact environment that you focus and work best in and re-create that environment whenever possible. That may mean facing a wall rather than a window, having classical music playing softly in the background, keeping all paper far from your desk or using a standing desk. You are unique and so is the way you work best. Lean into it.
MINIMIZE PESKY DISTRACTIONS
Creating an environment that supports your focus is important, but your effort is totally wasted if you constantly allow distractions to pull you out of your focused zone. That’s because succumbing to small distractions adds up to giant gaps in productivity. There are two main kinds of distractions you should focus on minimizing: internal and external. Internal distractions occur when you shift your focus from one task to another, such as giving in to the temptation to check your social media account during work hours. External distractions are disruptions you are aware of but do not directly involve you, such as loud construction being done across the street, kids running through your office or the phone ringing.
