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Get the most out of your precious time with these 10 tips. Thank me later!

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What would you do with an extra 10 hours a week in your business?

Boss - I’m about to make that a reality.

I’m going to share 10 ways you can actually get 10 hours back in your work week.

These are things that have helped me and my clients, and now they’ll help you to become less overwhelmed, to be more productive and to get more time back in your business, so you can spend your time how you want to be spending your time, rather than your business running your life.

And full transparency - that used to be me. I used to work more than 60 hours in my business each week. I wasn’t getting done everything that I wanted to get done and I didn’t feel like I was creating momentum or achieving any of my goals because I was always putting out fires. I just felt like I was keeping my head above water with the day-to-day tasks that needed doing each week.

Now, I’ve changed all of that so I’ll skip the story and get into how you can create these productivity systems for yourself.

Get ready to take notes!

tip 1 - know where your time goes

Tip number one, the first step in reclaiming precious time for your business is knowing where your time is going. This is a must.

Every time I talk to a client about time management, we start here. It's non-negotiable. Being mindful of every aspect of your business, day by day, week by week, month by month, is key.

Time tracking might sound tedious, but trust me, it's the foundation. Apps like Toggl or Rescue Time can help. They monitor your computer activity, showing exactly where your time goes. At day's end, you'll see how much time was spent on various tasks; it’s a reality check.

Maybe you're sinking hours into Instagram when you think it’s only minutes. Knowing reality helps set realistic time budgets. If answering emails takes an hour, not 15 minutes, you can adjust your schedule.

Feeling behind is a sign of mismanaged time. So let's be more realistic with our time and know exactly where our time is going. So start acting like the boss of your business and start tracking all of your time, what you are doing and get really honest with yourself about where you are spending your time.

tip 2 - calendar = time & structure = freedom

Now, onto tip two, where mindset meets calendar. A mindset shift is that calendar = time, so being more accountable to my calendar has been my number one thing that has transformed my business and that of my clients.

My calendar is my life. It dictates daily tasks, deadlines, and priorities. No more desk mornings wondering what to do. I want you to be really purposeful with what you are spending your time on. Time blocking is the strategy and it really works. Allocate chunks of time for tasks. It's not restrictive, just focused. Calculate how long each business activity takes, then craft a model calendar, and your weekly outline. It won't be perfect at first, but it's a step towards boss-level time management.

So we want to figure out from tip number one, everything that you do in your business, how long it takes you, and then set a time in your calendar to actually get that done. We want to then be really accountable for that.

You have to build that muscle you have to become really accountable to yourself, otherwise you're not going to create that momentum in your business.

tip 3 - eliminate distractions

Next up, tip three, eliminate distractions. This is my golden rule for productivity - it’s been huge for me, I can get more work done in less time, and it also makes the work I’m doing something that I’m a lot more proud of.

if you defy your obstacles and eliminate distractions, you will rise to the occasion of being the boss of your business and your life like never before. Embrace life's unpredictability. Perfect days are a myth. Accepting life's curveballs is essential.

You also need flexibility within this structure, because life happens. The obstacles that you encounter throughout your day, are big tests, especially in times when those difficult moments are sometimes self-inflicted, I want you to challenge your obstacles and your distractions head-on. You got this, boss.

tip 4 - manage your projects

Tip four, streamline with project management. Google Calendar and Notion are my go-to, but you can use any project management tool that works for you. The most important thing is that you have a system that allows you to create projects and become accountable for them, step-by-step.

Even seemingly simple projects benefit from clear plans that are written down and tracked. Don't rely on memory; document your process. It gives you headspace and reduces overwhelm.

The other thing that's great about having these systems in place, and using things like notion is that you can then outsource it further down the line.

tip 5 - detox your to-do list

Moving onto tip five, detoxify your to-do list. Entrepreneurial brains overflow with ideas - it’s the biggest pandemic I see with entrepreneurs, especially the creative ones. So many ideas lead to endless to-do lists which only hinders progress.

I want you to distinguish between brain dumps and daily plans. Prioritise the top three tasks daily, focusing on what moves the needle. I want you to be really mindful about what you are giving yourself to do every single day that you are not overwhelming yourself and that you are outlining your top three tasks each day.

Also, you want to separate personal and professional tasks to maintain clarity and productivity. Less clutter means clearer focus and more accomplished.

tip 6 - check your email only twice per day

Tip six, is the two-email rule. Inbox overload is a time thief, it sucks so much time out of your day. It is so easy to either be overwhelmed by the emails that you that you are ignoring or not responding to, or the complete opposite just spending all of your time in your inbox responding to emails. This is totally normal. The world that we live in is based on sending emails, a lot of the time we have to act as an email marketer, you need to be sending emails, you're probably on people's email lists so you're reading those emails, too. It's so easy to get hung up in there for hours and hours and hours.

What I want you to do is set yourself a rule to check your emails twice per day, one in the morning and one later on in the day. I have worked with so many different business owners on this, so don't tell me you can't do it because we will find a way to make it happen.

Thirty minutes tops in your inbox each time and then move on. Slack and other communication platforms also demand attention. Manage them wisely to avoid productivity pitfalls.

tip 7 - automate

Tip seven, automate like a pro. Automation is one of my love languages, I automate everything I can.

Automate repetitive tasks wherever possible Invest time in setting up systems now to save hours later. And spend time identifying bottlenecks and time sucks so that you can streamline workflows. Your future self will thank you.

tip 8 - create SOPs

Tip eight, embrace standard operating procedures (SOPs). They're the bridge from freelancer to CEO. They might sound boring, but they are a game-changer.

Document processes to ensure consistency and efficiency. Don't fear delegation; SOPs empower you to confidently and easily outsource your tasks. Seriously, when you have SOPs in place you can save hours when it comes to training your outsourced support.

tip 9 - it’s time to delegate

On to tip nine, this leads perfectly from tip 8, this is the art of delegation.

I was so scared to do this for so long and I don't want you to be afraid of delegation. I know it feels like only you know your business and only you are going to care about it as much as you do and only you can do what's in your brain, but that is not true. If you implement the steps we've talked about already, you’ll be the boss, the true CEO, not the person who does everything.

Release the need for control and trust others with tasks. Start small and gradually expand what you delegate as your confidence grows. Building a capable team is essential for scaling your business.

tip 10 - your weekly prep meeting

Finally, tip ten, is the weekly prep meeting. This is my favourite thing to do. Every single week.

This ritual sets the tone for the week ahead. You want to reflect on successes and setbacks, then plan accordingly for the next week. Seriously, it's your roadmap to productivity and success.

Let’s recap

So, let's recap the 10 tips to save 10 hours a week in your business.

Know where your time is going: Track your time to understand where it's being spent.
Time block effectively: Use your calendar as a resource for scheduling work tasks, not just personal activities.
Eliminate distractions: Minimise interruptions to stay focused on your work.
Manage projects efficiently: Organise and prioritise your tasks to maximise productivity.
Detox your to-do list: Focus on high-priority tasks and avoid letting your to-do list overwhelm you.
Check your email inbox twice a day: Limit the time spent on email to avoid distractions.
Automate repetitive tasks: Utilise automation tools to streamline your workflow.
Implement standard operating procedures: Establish clear processes to improve efficiency and consistency.
Delegate tasks: Trust others to handle certain responsibilities to free up your time.
Don't skip your weekly prep meeting: Spend an hour each week planning and reflecting to save time in implementation.