As an entrepreneur, you may feel so overwhelmed with tasks that it is difficult to know where to start. You may also experience days when you seem to be running around constantly but feel like you never got anything done. Your time is valuable, and distractions, disorganization, and a lack of prioritization may be stealing it. These are a few tips to help you gain better time management.

Adopt Technological Help

You may think that you have to do everything on your own, but today’s technology can help you significantly. You should investigate applications that can automate some of your processes, including your scheduling and project processes. You may even adopt listing software that allows you to list your projects in order of priority and break them down into manageable tasks. Anything that can be done with technology, takes another item off your list. Explore the software and applications that are available.

Create Lists

It is difficult to know where to start when you aren’t sure about what you need to accomplish. One of the best strategies to improve time management is creating lists. Each year, quarter, month, week and day, write a list of what you need to accomplish. You can start with your overall goals for these periods, but break them down into manageable tasks. Creating lists forces you to consider your goals and plan your time appropriately to achieve those goals.

Prioritize Your Tasks

You need to focus on the most important tasks first and then move down your list to the lesser tasks. If you are working on a major project that will move your company into the next growth stage, make sure it is at the top of your list. You will find that some tasks can wait, so you should set them as low priorities. The key is to prioritize your tasks and then make sure you follow your list based on the task rankings.

Avoid Distractions

Distractions are all around you. You may have phone calls, emails or people coming into your office constantly. You may get the urge to check on something unrelated to the task you are working on. Unfortunately, all these things are time stealers, and they need to be reigned in. Set boundaries that reduce or eliminate distractions so that you can focus on the task at hand. For example, turn off your phone or email when you are working on business strategies. Close your door and ask not to be disturbed when you are finishing up a major project, especially if you have a deadline.

You are the only one who can control how your time is spent. Improve your time management and learn to build your workday.