The key to being a successful in business or personal life is well time management. You need to manage time effectively if you're going to be successful. As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success. 

Personal goal setting is essential for time management, because goals give you a destination and vision to work toward. When you know where you want to go, you can manage your priorities, time, and resources to get there. Goals also help you decide what's worth spending your time on, and what's just a distraction.

Have you experienced too many days of mind-numbing work, only to be faced with the realization that you haven’t accomplished a fraction of what you’d intended?

Of course, this happens to everyone occasionally, but if it is becoming a routine occurrence in your life, it’s time to do some sober introspection so that you can make the necessary changes.

Each of us has been granted a twenty-four hour day. How we manage those twenty-four hours will be the most important factor in determining our success or failure. Time is a precious resource and we have each received equal portions, but the way we spend this time will result in many different outcomes. Time cannot be bought or sold. Therefore, this priceless resource must be spent wisely.

"Saying no to futile causes can recapture valuable time which will improve your productivity." 

Prepare in Advance

First, prepare your work list for the following day the evening or night before.

The best exercise is for you to plan your entire next day as the last thing you do before coming home from work. When you plan your day the night before, your subconscious then goes to work on your plans and goals while you are asleep. Very often you will wake up in the morning with ideas and insights that apply to the work of the day.

A major benefit of preparing your daily list the night before is that this exercise lets you sleep more soundly. A major reason for insomnia is your lying awake trying not to forget to remember everything that you have to do the following day.

Once you have written down everything you have to do on your list, it clears your mind and enables you to sleep deeply. This will help you increase productivity throughout the next work day.

Masterful time management

Masterful time management is not just task oriented, it is people oriented as well. You can multiply success by utilizing the talents of others. This will increase your available time and energy. Good people skills enable you to successfully enlist the help of others. In short, learn to delegate effectively. Those who try to do everything themselves usually fail.

Set Daily Goals With Reminders

Every day comes with new tasks to accomplish. Make it easy for yourself to complete each task by taking life one day at a time. Do you have a huge report due next month? Consider what you’ll do each day to finish it instead of waiting until the last minute. Use apps like Google Calendar to stay on top of your daily goals. You can set up reminders to stay organized and make sure you don’t forget anything. 

Procrastination

If you have adopted the mantra, “Never do today what you can postpone until tomorrow,” or if you view tomorrow as an acceptable labor-saving device, you have a procrastination problem. Unfulfilled tasks are a distraction that interfere with our ability to be productive individuals. They turn our focus from the task at hand to those tasks not done. 

Complete Most Important Tasks First

It’s easy to start your day with the simplest tasks. It makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something even when you’re avoiding your big project. But by the time you’re done with your less important tasks, you’re already worn out and even more reluctant to start on your priority work.

Switch things up and perform the most important tasks first. It will be a relief once you’re done, and the rest of your day will run more smoothly.

Accept the reality of To-Do List

I’m not a proponent of daily “to do” lists, largely because they become unrealistically long and often cannot be completed. This leads to frustration, contributes to your sense of failure and, as a result, robs you of ambition and momentum. In my view it is more productive to develop long range plans, up to a year out. This provides you an overview of where you are going, keeping you on track but reducing day-to-day anxieties. This keeps you motivated because by completing a task you can see the progress toward your goals.

Understand your personal goal

Work with, not against your internal clock—Understand your personal rhythms. Get in touch with your internal clock. Most of us think of this in terms of being a “night” person or “day” person, but it is more than that. Everyone has peak hours for energy, productivity and focus. These vary from person to person. Learning when you are at your best will allow you to schedule your most arduous tasks during your personal peak performance times. 
Speak openly about your goals and objectives. This will provide you with an added incentive to see them through because others can hold you accountable.

Increase Productivity With Prime Time

Organize your life so that you are doing creative work during your internal ‘‘prime time.’’

Your internal prime time is the time of day, according to your body clock, when you are the most alert and productive. For most people, this is in the morning. For some people, however, it is in the evening. Occasionally, a writer, an artist, or an entertainer may find that her prime time is in the early hours of the morning.

It is important that you be aware of your internal prime time so that you can schedule your most important projects accordingly to increase productivity. Your most important work usually requires that you be at your very best, rested, alert, and creative. What time of the day do you most feel this way?

You must also be aware of external prime time. This is the time when your customers or clients are most readily available. Each person should give some thought to structuring their day for both their external and internal prime times.

Multi-tasking is a figment of the imagination.

No one can truly focus on multiple tasks at one time! Doing something well demands focus and single-tasking is the only way to achieve that focus. Moreover, single-tasking allows you to maintain that focus through to the next task because your mind is clear. Does texting while driving make for a good outcome? 

"Finish one small piece at a time. Consider this as “the journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step” philosophy." (Quotes)

All work and no play

A well-rested person is a more productive person, but beyond rest, make time for recreation. Allow yourself the time necessary to relax and “smell the roses.” There are no firm and fast rules here. Some people need six hours of sleep, others need eight. Relaxation and recreation mean different things to each of us. The point is to refuel by getting the appropriate rest and recreation that meets your needs. 



Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.