3 Ways to Increase Work Performance as an Entrepreneur

One of my favorite quotes about entrepreneurship comes from Lori Greiner: “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week."

Why do we do this? Many entrepreneurs will say they start their own businesses for the autonomy; however, the majority of CEOs that I see in my office report feeling a total loss of control of their schedules and end most days feeling like they do not get much accomplished. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that as business owners, you do, in fact, have a lot of control over your schedule and can choose how you allocate your time.

Here are three simple strategies you can begin to implement today to increase your work performance.

1. Structure your schedule as if you were employed. Many business owners find themselves working around the clock. It’s hard to turn off work, especially when you’re starting a business. Before anyone effectively scales, the founder ends up wearing many hats: public relations, marketing, operations, etc. While it’s important to work hard to ensure your business is successful, it can be detrimental to your mental health and, therefore, work performance if you are working during nearly all hours spent awake. Think about your ideal work schedule and designate dedicated working hours. Perhaps, start the first hour of your day as blocked focus time to catch up on tasks from the day before. Although it may seem simple, this is a highly effective strategy.
2. Set clear goals and track your progress. Please don’t mistake this for keeping a running list of 50-plus tasks. That is a surefire way to feel unproductive and overwhelmed. This strategy is all about mindset. Start your day with three tasks that you’d like to complete by the end of the day. Although other tasks may arise that require your attention, focusing on and completing these three key tasks will help create a positive mindset where you feel accomplished. Ending the day on a positive note will help mitigate negative self-talk from deteriorating your productivity and performance.
3. Leverage technology and automation. While technology can be detrimental to performance by providing constant interruptions throughout the day via notifications, learn to utilize technology effectively. One way this can be done is through turning on do-not-disturb mode for dedicated chunks of focused work time. Productivity and work performance suffer because of interruptions and distractions, so, by eliminating this, you can use your time efficiently. There’s nothing worse than spending the two hours you had dedicated to completing a task scrolling through social media or looking at your phone every time it buzzed. Technology can also be used to set up automations to help your business run more efficiently. Especially when you’re starting your business and heavily involved in the day-to-day operations, it’s essential to implement as many automations as possible to decrease your time spent on various tasks that are not helping drive your business forward. This can include scheduling out email marketing, establishing marketing funnels and workflows, and scheduling social media posts ahead of time.

Enhancing work performance as an entrepreneur boils down to strategic time management, a clear vision with concrete goals, and leveraging available resources effectively. You can regain control over your day while increasing productivity by structuring your schedule as if you were employed. You have the power to wrap up each day with a positive mindset by setting and achieving clear daily goals. While entrepreneurship demands long hours and wearing many hats, it’s crucial to strike a healthy balance to prevent burnout. By keeping your mindset positive and optimizing your mental health, you will set yourself up to successfully run your business. Implement these strategies starting today to foster a positive mindset, improve your efficiency, and ultimately drive your business forward toward your greater vision.