Creativity is women’s most beautiful trait, and we know how to use it! We’re visionaries, multitaskers, and hard workers. We build our businesses from the ground up, and we still try and find the time to care for our loved ones at the end of the day. Sometimes we even cut out a few hours for ourselves in our busy schedule and manage to squeeze in some self-care in there.

We know that we could do more for ourselves, but the 24 hours in a day simply aren’t long enough for busy women entrepreneurs. However, let’s remember that effective time management is also a form of self-love. Organizing your time and energy in a way that serves you best is the best thing you can do for yourself. If you’re not sure where to begin, keep reading, we’ve got some time management tips.

Time Management Strategies for Busy Women Entrepreneurs

That’s why it’s important to pay attention when you’re a powerhouse and when you can’t be bothered to concentrate. Once you understand your rhythm, you can organize your tasks, meetings, and even workouts during the parts of the day that are best suited for it.

This will allow you to show up for the task at hand in full force, instead of dragging your feet because you’d be better off preparing a presentation than having a 3-mile run. Figure out what works for you and use it to your advantage! This is one of the best first steps when figuring out a time management strategy that works for you.

Plan, Organize, and Stick to It

“Let me check my calendar” might sound overused, even borderline obnoxious, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The more successful you are, the more you’ll need to have your time properly planned out.

That way, you’ll know what to expect and how to prepare for the day ahead, so that there are as few surprises as possible. Yes, unexpected delays and situations will crop up because that’s how the universe works, but until it does, you’ve got your trusty plan to stick to.

There are many many different ways to plan out your time, be it on a weekly or daily level, for your business and/or for your family life. Try different approaches and see which one best fits your lifestyle. A good exercise to include in your morning routine is to spend 10 minutes writing out the things you’ve got to do that day.

It doesn’t matter whether you do it by hand in personalized spiral notebooks or you use an app on your phone, as long as you have it written in front of you. Then you can crack on with your day and make the most of it.

Allocate Time Slots for (almost) Everything

Having every waking minute of every day planned out is near-impossible, not to mention exhausting. Instead, you can estimate how much time you’ll need for a certain task, and allocate time for doing only that.

No distractions, no multitasking. Easier said than done, we know, but also much more productive at the end of the day.

If you need two hours in the afternoon to brainstorm, block out those two hours in your calendar and when the time comes, get into it. The same goes for your non-work related activities – exercise, hanging out with friends, date night, etc.

The key is to stick to your schedule, even when it’s easier to postpone over and over. By following your own plans when it’s not easy, you’re showing up for yourself, and that is a game changer.

Relaxation Is Non-Negotiable

Talking about relaxation and time management might seem counter-intuitive, but it makes perfect sense. Taking a step back from your everyday duties is difficult for women entrepreneurs and community leaders – when you’ve got goals to reach and dreams to fulfill, you might mistake relaxing for a waste of time. 

When a woman entrepreneur isn’t at the office, you better believe she’ll start remodeling her kitchen, reorganizing her closet, or doing a deep clean of every room in the house. However, having downtime is incredibly important for mental, emotional, and physical health. 

Only when we destress and recharge can we go back to our business at full throttle. So, make time in your calendar to relax in a way that makes sense to you, and actually do it! Time management doesn’t just include your business time but also your personal time.

Delegation Is not Abdication

This should be a mantra of all entrepreneurs out there. Just because you think you can do everything by yourself doesn’t mean you should. Surround yourself with trustworthy people to whom you can delegate projects you don’t need to be heading. 

Not only will this give you more time to create and problem-shoot, but it will also allow your coworkers to challenge and prove themselves. It’s a win-win combination, and as long as you’re willing to relinquish a bit of control, you’ll be able to organize your time in a way that works for you and for your business. 

Time management is one of those skills that you’ll be improving your whole life. Effectively planning out your time is the path to leading a life that’s fulfilled, but not overwhelming. That way, you’ll have success and peace, which is the ultimate goal for all of us.