As an entrepreneur, often the most difficult thing to manage is your own time. Without a boss looming over you, meetings to attend, and a physical place to be in order to complete your work, productivity levels can easily plummet and before you know it, you’re four seasons into House of Cards and that big project is due in an hour (you know; the one you’ve barely managed to outline…the one for your biggest client). This is why it becomes crucial to find some techniques to manage your time effectively.

No Work without a Little Play First

Dedicate an entire day once each week to doing absolutely anything but work. Try not to even think about work at all on this day. Focus on having fun; maybe get started on that hobby you’ve been meaning to get into for years. Whatever you choose to do on this day off, separate it far from your work. This will ensure you’re more focused and relaxed once you go back to your work tomorrow.

Take Plenty of Breaks

As an entrepreneur, your work itself isn’t the most tiring you have on your plate. It’s the amount of thought behind the work that really becomes exhausting. By taking a good amount of breaks throughout the day, you can space out your efforts. Essentially, you’ll be better pacing yourself. The marathon runner, for example, doesn’t sprint his way to victory. He paces himself to make sure he’ll be able to make it to the finish line. Take some time off from your project (5 minutes or so) every 25-30 minutes. You’ll be amazed at just how much more you’ll feel you can accomplish throughout the day.

Get Out of the House

A change of scenery can be, literally, a breath of fresh air. It’s all too easy to become confined to your workspace, being holed up indoors. Get up, go somewhere else. Take a walk down to a local coffee shop, maybe head to a nice, quiet park if the weather allows. The trip itself can even count as one of your many breaks.

Get More Sleep

Harvard Medical School claims that a lack of adequate sleep can affect your mood, judgment, motivation, and perception. I don’t think many will disagree with me in saying that the aforementioned four categories play crucial roles, respectively, in how productive your day can be. Try to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night for a better workday to follow.

Always Be Professional

Dressing the part is only half of it—having an attitude of professionalism, even in the comfort of your own home, will help you stay on task throughout your day. Build a pay stub for accurate and easy accounting, start work and stop at the same time each day—act as you would if you had a supervisor to answer to. You’re your own supervisor, so wouldn’t you demand more respect and professionalism from your employees than can be achieved in a bathrobe?

Manage Your Time Effectively

These are just some of the techniques that I’ve employed in my daily work life and they are now indispensable. Give them a shot and watch your productivity levels skyrocket!

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