In this article, we’re featuring insight from three more thriving entrepreneurs. Here’s a summary of their secrets.

Productivity Strategies

1. They single-task. Multitasking can crush con­centration and even creativity. That's why blogger and author Caitlin Boyle prefers to single-task. "Now I realize that it's a much better use of my time to focus on one thing at a time and finish it," said Boyle.

2. They focus on what they’re great at. Many of us think that in order to be successful we have to do everything. We must be able to work through a project from start to finish on our own, along with tackling all the other responsibilities that pop up. But a smarter strategy is to identify your strengths, and delegate everything else.

3. They manage their energy levels. You can have all the time in the world, but if your energy levels are low, you probably won’t get much accomplished. Another entrepreneur, Michael Stanier said that boosting his energy levels also boosts his productivity. He referred to Tony Schwartz’s work on performance and energy.

According to Schwartz on his website, ''Time is fi­nite, but energy - the capacity to do work - can be expanded and regularly renewed. The better we meet our energy needs, the more value we're capable of creating.”

4. They accomplish one important task each day. No matter how erratic his days, Stanier spends several minutes "at the start of each day figuring out what the most critical thing is I want to accomplish." He makes sure to follow through on this one goal. Similarly, he encouraged read­ers to think about their one thing. He said: I like the idea of picking a 'Great Work Project' - the one thing you're really going to focus your time and energy on to make a difference and get ex­cited by.

5. They know their time-wasters and avoid them. “The web is a huge time suck for me," said Linda Formichelli, a wellness coach, per­sonal trainer and freelance health writer. She recognized ttie websites that regularly pilfered her productivity, and blocked them.

6. They start early. Formichelli prefers to get up at 6 a.m. because she's super productive during the quiet hours of the morning. By 10:30, she’s already answered email, developed workouts for clients, written interview questions, enjoyed a run, showered, studied for her wellness coach­ing certification course and had breakfast with her family! Waking up early also means that she's able to stop working at 5:30 and spend the rest of the evening with her husband and son.

7. They take care of themselves. Being a harried entrepreneur isn't just harmful to your health, it's also unproductive. Mo one can work round the clock, especially when they're continually stressed. Self-care is productive. Formichelli makes time to exercise regularly, take baths and meditate - all vital activities that keep her at an even keel.

Entrepreneurs have to contend with many challenges. Below are just a few of these ob­stacles along with insight on overcoming them.

Unruly e-mail. “My habit is to check all day long and to answer e-mails as they come in, which really scatters my attention and makes it hard to get anything done," Formichelli said. Recently, she's started answering email twice a day, which has actually cut down on her correspondence. "I answer e-mails when I get up until 8, and then later in the afternoon. I find that when I do that, I actually get less e-mail because I'm not creating a back-and-forth with people all day long," she said.

Shiny Object Syndrome. Whenever anyone starts a project, they get wholeheartedly excited. But completing it can become another story. "I like starting things, and I'm less good at finishing them," Stanier said, who calls this the "Shiny Ob­ject Syndrome." "So I do what I can to self-manage around that, including checking in with my busi­ness partner about what I've got on my plate.”

Overscheduling. Overscheduling is "a huge challenge and a big stress" for Formichelli. For instance, her goal is to complete 50 prac­tice wellness coaching sessions by the end of October. Formichelli's fix? To do the best she can with her sessions, and use this as a les­son in creating a better schedule in the future.

Time management. Boyle finds it especially tough to manage her time effectively. "Either I spend too much time on a task or get easily distracted by Facebook and Twitter." So she uses Online Stopwatch "to set time goals for myself. When the buzzer goes off, I move to something else.”

© Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. All Rights Reserved.  

© Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.. All Rights Reserved.