Mastering Time Management: 12 Strategies To TRIPLE Your Productivity

How good are your time management skills?

If you are building a business and you have the desire to get more done in less time, you've come to the right place.

Entrepreneurs must prioritize time management. In the world of business, time is money.

Your ability to effectively master your time will determine your success and the speed with which you achieve your business goals.

If you're ready to master time management, keep reading to discover 12 strategies that will TRIPLE your productivity!

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Time is a depreciating asset.

You can never buy your time back. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't value their time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. What you do with the time that you have makes all the difference in your life. If you want to be in control of your life, you must become a master of your time.

Successful people value their time. They associate different thoughts, feelings, and emotions with the time that they have. Thus, they can maximize each day to the fullest. If you struggle with time management, I want to help you shift your core beliefs.

How important is your time? A lot of people spend their time doing things in their business that are less than what their earning power is. In the beginning stages of building a business, entrepreneurs fall into the trap of not outsourcing.

They make the mistake of doing EVERYTHING on their own. As a result, they end up engaging in low-income generating activities with the time that they have. If you're too busy working IN your business, then you're not working ON growing your business.

In my opinion, this is a waste of time. Also, a lot of people mistake activity with achievement. They think that being busy means that they are being productive. Not true. You can be busy, but get nothing done.

The most productive people are those that “own their day” versus letting their day own them. Instead of being busy, they maximize the time that they have. When you start to value your time more, you will start focusing on things that matter.

As an example, act as if one hour of your time is worth $480.

If you believe that and take that on as a new mindset, it will change what you do throughout your day. Focus your attention solely on the activities that will move the needle forward in your business and delegate everything else.

I have been able to achieve so much success in my online business because I've been smart with the time that I have. My business is complex. There are a lot of moving pieces. I can't do everything on my own.

Once I got clear on the tasks that would generate the biggest impact in my business, I focused on my strengths and outsourced everything else. You want to make the shift from being a business operator to a business owner.

I want to share 12 strategies that will make a huge difference in your productivity levels. The more that you implement these strategies in your business, the faster you will accelerate your success. These strategies have transformed my business and my life.

1. Master Tracking Your Day

How you use your time has a huge impact on your success in life. The big lie that people tell themselves is that they don't have time to do things. This is just a story. In fact, they are just wasting their time on mindless tasks.

A simple exercise that I recommend is to keep a journal throughout your day. Track, hour by hour, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, all of the activities that you engage in. If you track your activities over one week you will start to notice where your time is going.

When I started tracking my day, I started noticing a lot of things that were holding me back. A huge part of getting what you want is knowing what you have to give up. For example, I went many years without owning a TV.

One of my mentors, Jim Rohn, taught me that a TV is an electronic income-reducing machine. I learned that the more time that you spend watching it, the less time you spend living your life.

As an example, let's say that you spend 3 hours every day watching TV. Spending 3 hours per day over several weeks or months adds up. Don't get me wrong… it's okay to enjoy some relaxation after a long day as a reward for accomplishing something.

However, if you don't keep track of the time that you're binging on your favorite shows, you'll end up wasting precious time. Try cutting your watch time. Spend 1-2 hours watching TV and spend the third hour engaging in a meaningful task. If you make this slight modification, you will make significant progress in your life over time.

What is one mindless task that you can reduce or remove from your life that will give you more time to be productive? When you go through your list of things that you do on a given day, I want you to determine the cost-benefit ratio of each activity.

For example, if the cost is one hour, what is the benefit that you're receiving from that hour? The key is making sure that you're getting more benefits from whatever it is that you're doing.

2. Master Your Beliefs

Your beliefs determine your actions and behaviors. The biggest limiting belief that people have around time is “I don't have time.” This is B.S. The reality is that everyone has enough time.

On a given day, all of us have 24 hours. All that matters is what you are doing with the time that you have. People will spend time complaining about not having time.

Oftentimes, people are looking for something to justify why they aren't doing what they know they should be doing. As a result, they create a story about not having time. They come to believe that story as truth when in reality they're just afraid of failure.

Going back to the example of building a business, at some point you need to determine what it is that you're willing to sacrifice to achieve success. In the short term, are you willing to not hang out with your friends or not watch TV, if it means having more time to build your business?

In the beginning stages of building my online business, I dedicated 3 years of my life to creating passive income. Over those 3 years, I had to make a lot of sacrifices. I knew that if I was willing to invest the majority of my free time building my business, I would be able to enjoy all of the free time that I wanted to in 3 years.

I was willing to pay that price upfront to get my freedom and time back in the long term. Today I have an abundance of time. Only you can determine what price you are willing to pay to achieve success.

There are people in this world who are much busier than you and me. However, they still dedicate their time to getting important things done. It's never a matter of how much time you have. Rather, it's how committed you are to getting things done.

In the words of Steven Covey, “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” The belief system that I empower you to adopt is “I make the time for whatever I am committed to.” There is always time if you are willing to look for it.

3. Master The Power of Leverage

You'll always be able to get more done through other people. Don't get me wrong… success requires hard work. However, I think that a lot of people overutilize this muscle. Working hard will only get you so far.

Eventually, you've got to learn how to work smart by leveraging and outsourcing. As you achieve more success in life, you want to figure out ways to get more done in less time. Efficiency is power. If you can outsource or automate something, do it!

Back in the day when I was building my website, I had to learn HTML or hire a programmer to do it for me. It was timely and expensive. The amazing thing about the Internet is that there are so many tools, like ClickFunnels or WordPress, that can automate things for you.

Similarly, on a site like Upwork, you can search for literally any task that you want to outsource to a freelancer. Don't let the saving mentality hold you back from making decisions that will move the needle forward in your business.

Why waste your time trying to learn something when you could hire someone who is skilled in that task? You can't do it all. Outsourcing is working smart. It allows you to focus your energy on revenue-generating activities that will grow your business.

4. Master Your Energy

A lot of people aren't getting the most out of their day because they are always tired. They are walking around as if they are half dead. Most people need to utilize stimulants to get a boost of energy. There's nothing wrong with caffeine. However, if you drink coffee in excess, it can wear out your adrenals.

You cannot create success in life if you do not take care of your physical body. This is why it's so important to have an empowering morning ritual that you practice each day. Whatever you put into your body will affect your energy.

If you wake up tired (even after getting 8 hours of sleep) your body is working overtime digesting food. Eating foods that force you to expend a lot of energy to digest will make you feel more lethargic.

I like to eat plant-based water-rich foods that are more cleansing. Also, I like to do intermittent fasting. If I fast 14-16 hours per day, my body gets an opportunity to rest. As a result, I have more mental clarity. When you fast, your body stores fat for fuel.

I have the most energy when I'm doing a ketogenic diet. This is when I'm training my body to burn fat for fuel, rather than carbohydrates and sugar. You get an immediate boost of energy with carbohydrates, which is great if you're doing high-intensity training. However, you'll crash shortly thereafter.

This is why you'll end up needing more carbohydrates to sustain your energy. If you change your body to burning fat for fuel, it's like burning coal. It's a slow and steady energy burn that will last throughout the day.

If you want to learn how to get your body to burn fat for fuel, I suggest that you read the book Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster By Exercising Slower written by Stu Mittleman and Katherine Callan.

5. Master Weekly And Daily Planning

Most people are reactive throughout their days. In this state, it's easy to get sucked into others' demands. It's called the vacuum effect. If you don't have boundaries around your time, you will waste time engaging in activities that aren't empowering for you.

If you don't have a plan for your day or your life, you'll end up fitting into someone else's plan. Their plan for you is going to be what benefits them most. This is why I like to plan out my days and weeks in advance.

At the start of every week, I use Evernote to make a list of the most important tasks that I want to accomplish. I'll schedule everything inside of my calendar. I like to write down what my outcome is for each task and why those outcomes are important to me.

While tasks are the building blocks of work and productivity, an outcome is the most nutrient-rich version of a goal.

Let me give you an example of what this would look like. On a day like today, my outcome is that I want to be in an incredible state.

I want to add value to people's lives so that they can accelerate success in their businesses and their lives. This is important to me because I want to put my knowledge and skills to the higher good. By sharing what I know, I can help people solve similar problems that I have faced in my life and business.

Second, I want to continue building my brand and create raving fan customers.

Third, by sharing what has worked for me with others, I can reintegrate this knowledge into my life in a new and empowering way. Now that I know what I want and why I want it, I write down what actions I need to take to make sure that I achieve those outcomes.

Once I've got my action plan in place I determine the most important task that I need to accomplish that will contribute to achieving my outcome. Keep in mind that a plan is not set in stone.

When you plan out your week, all that you're doing is giving yourself a framework. However, that doesn't mean that you can't modify your plan. Adapt and adjust your plan when needed.

6. Master Elimination And Focus

You need to identify what is distracting you from what you're trying to accomplish, whether that's answering your phone, checking emails, or scrolling through social media apps.

On average, it takes about 20 minutes to get your attention back once you've become distracted from a task at hand. This is why you must create a distraction-free zone and stay focused.

Whether you're working from home or in an office, tell your family members or colleagues to not disturb you while you're working. It is critical that you have boundaries with your time. You have to learn how to say “no.”

In my business, I have a lot of distractions. If I don't have a plan in place, I will open my computer first thing in the morning and react to a multitude of demands. This is why I mute all of my social media sites and apps at the start of my day.

By eliminating these distractions, I can focus all of my attention on the most important tasks that I need to accomplish. Later in the afternoon, I dedicate time to responding to emails and responding to my team members.

7. Master Your Routines And Rituals

I'm a big fan of having routines and rituals. I like to wake up at 5 or 6 am because I can accomplish more in the morning. There are fewer distractions. By the time it's 10 am, I've already got so much done.

Each morning I nurture my mind, body, and spirit. I engage in rituals like meditating, journaling, exercising, and reading. By intentionally putting myself in a peak mental and emotional state, I'm able to accomplish so much more throughout my day.

Moreover, when challenges arise, I'm able to handle them proactively instead of reacting and getting overwhelmed. Create a ritual that works best for you and your life. When you start your day in an empowered state, you are guaranteed to end your day in an empowered state.

8. Master Your Musts

As an entrepreneur, there is never a shortage of things that you can focus on. However, having a successful day doesn't mean that I have to do 10 million things. When you wake up each morning, identify the top 3 musts that will make the biggest impact in your business.

These are your non-negotiables. A lot of people overwhelm themselves with a long to-do list. They get overwhelmed because they believe that they have to accomplish everything on their list.

When you simplify your list to 3 high-leverage activities, you will change your criteria for success and transform your productivity levels. My 3 high-leverage activities include filming my live streams, recording YouTube videos, or working on a project that will make a difference in my business.

If doing 3 things feels like too much, stick with one thing. Don't be so hard on yourself. Simplify as much as you can. I recommend that you do your 3 high-leverage activities first thing in the morning. You've got the most willpower early in the day.

In her book, The Willpower Instinct, Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal says that throughout the day your willpower gets depleted. This is why you are inclined to have less energy and be less disciplined later in the day.

9. Master Your Speed And Urgency

A lot of people don't achieve much because they move too slowly. In short, they aren't efficient with their time. There's one thing that I learned from my step-brother about speed and urgency that I've never forgotten.

He used to have a renovation business. I worked for him now and then doing construction. I'm not going to lie… I hated the work but I needed the extra money. I noticed how fast my brother worked in comparison to myself.

Not only that, he never took a work break. The faster he worked, the faster the job got done. As a result, he completed more jobs in one year than most renovation business owners. He taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic.

A simple strategy that I use for being more efficient with my time is setting a timer for every task that I engage in. Say to yourself, “I will work on this part of my business for X amount of time.” The act of setting a timer will increase your urgency. You'll work faster.

Once your timer hits zero, you'll know that you have to move onto the next task. If you're a perfectionist, a mind hack like this will trick you into being OK with doing a good enough job.

10. Master Immersive Deep Work

There are two ways to work on something in your business. The first way is through spaced repetition. This involves doing something once per day, once per week, or multiple times per day or week.

For example, you can learn Spanish by taking a class once per week or 3 times per week. That can help you become more proficient. The second way is through immersion. This is when you immerse yourself into something for an extended period.

Going back to the example of learning a new language, immersion would involve traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. By immersing yourself in the Spanish culture, you'll learn the language so much faster.

The same concept applies to your business. As an example, there are some projects that I have to immerse myself in if I want to accomplish them. I can't just work on a particular project for one hour per day. Rather, I need to dedicate an entire week to it, with zero distractions.

As a result, in one week I can finish a big project that may have normally taken months to complete. If you are someone who has kids and a family, why not get an Airbnb and spend one weekend working solely on your business!? It's amazing what you can accomplish in a short period when you're able to fully immerse yourself in a task.

11. Master Celebration And Reinforcement

When you are hyper-focused on achieving your long-term goals it's easy to forget to acknowledge the small changes that you make along the way. Whenever you have a productive day, make it a priority to celebrate yourself. Maybe this means taking a day off, treating yourself to a nice dinner, or spending time with friends.

Whatever you decide to do, treat it as the reward for having a productive day. When you do this, you train your mind to link pleasure to positive behavior. By rewarding yourself, you will be motivated to engage in the behavior again.

12. Master Accountability

If you're only accountable to yourself, it's easy to break your commitments. The only consequence is that you'll let yourself down. Your self-esteem will take a hit because you won't trust yourself.

You will always get more done when you're accountable to someone else.

Having an accountability partner or being a part of a Mastermind group will motivate you to take action to achieve your goals. You'll be more likely to follow through on what you say you'll do because there will be consequences to NOT doing so – you'll be letting someone else down.

As an entrepreneur, having an accountability partner is non-negotiable for me. You are your boss, so it's a lot harder to hold yourself accountable. An accountability partner can be a friend, a coach, a member of a Mastermind Group, or even someone in the Project Life Mastery Global Facebook group!

These are 12 strategies for mastering time management and TRIPLING your productivity.

If you commit to applying these strategies in your business and your life, I promise that you'll see massive results. While you're in the process of building your business, I encourage you to maximize your abilities and be as productive as possible.

Once you start making a good amount of money, start outsourcing. Hire people to work IN your business so that you can work ON your business. Use leverage to scale your business. This is the smartest way to create the financial freedom that you desire.

What are the 1-2 strategies that you can immediately apply to your life? Write them down and practice taking action on them every single day!