How many of us have found it so hard to stay on track while living the life of an entrepreneur? How many of us have wanted to move forward with certain business processes but we get stuck within our own thoughts? There’s plenty of times when a business owner has a set list of items to complete but life just gets in the way. Being a full-time mom, wife, and business owner, and still trying to have time for yourself becomes super hectic. We all have so many things going on in life; sometimes we get lost in what needs to get done and how soon we should complete it. Becoming an entrepreneur alone is very stressful. There are so many things that you must get done to be considered a successful business. Knowing that you need a business plan but you keep putting it off because you feel it’s not important. Constantly reminding yourself to set up a business bank account but there’s so many things going on at home. Creating social media profiles for your business to gain more exposure is necessary but you have not slowed down to take in the processes. These are all ways that an entrepreneur experiences procrastination. Although, there are so many reasons why things do not get done while being an entrepreneur; poor time management, lack or limited resources, little to no capital, etc. Many times these are things that are completely out of our control. Even though there are multiple trials and tribulations that occur while being an entrepreneur; there are ways to eliminate them so you can stay on track.

Understanding that organizational skills will be the most important and valuable aspect of eliminating procrastination is the first step. Being aware of deadlines will prepare you for delays or issues causing you to fall of course. Every entrepreneur has their own way of doing things and staying on task but, I like to consider 8 proven methods that will allow anyone to remove those horrible habits of procrastination. As a business mentor and consultant, these are methods that I would recommend to all of my clients regardless of their entrepreneurial vision.

1. Focus on a clear goal

Understanding exactly what you goal is will allow you to focus on that solely. Create those clear and consistent business objectives so you have something solid to work towards. Even if you have a larger goals – break it down into smaller more manageable goals and task so they are easier to achieve. This also keeps your focus and you’ll be able to continue working towards larger goals.

2. Know your why

Have a true idea of what you are doing and why you are doing it. Having a clear idea of your reasons behind it all will make it easier to follow through with the task. If you can understand and justify the reasons you may need to complete a certain task; then you are able to mentally prepare and execute it.

3. Change your environment

Changing your environment or the location where you are workings will cut down on your procrastination. Maybe move from a room that has a TV in it to one without. Place your phone on airplane mode or even power it down to cut out all distractions. This will allow you to focus solely on the tasks you need to complete. Changing and recreating your perfect work environment will only work if distractions are eliminated.

4. Focus on the next step

Never take on too many tasks at one time. This will automatically overwhelm you and increase the risks of procrastinating. If you are all over the place; you will not know where to start or where to begin. There’s no way of focusing when you have no set plan to focus on. This leads to stress and then no longer wanting to focus on the tasks you are needing to complete. Maybe breaking down your tasks into smaller steps will also allow you to focus on each and every next step needed for success.

5. Take regular breaks

Always remember to take routine breaks. You never want to overdo yourself and strain your mind. This automatically results in shutdowns of your mental and procrastination sets in. Plan a relaxing day and enjoy yourself. No need to focus on ALWAYS working but more so focusing on rejuvenating your mind, body, and soul. Maybe you do not want to take that long of a break; then you would just take a 5-10 minute break to relax and proceed with your next task.

6. Tackle challenging tasks first

Most entrepreneurs do not like to get the hardest tasks done first. They simply add them to the very end of their list or at the end of the day. If you schedule the hardest tasks at the beginning of the day, you’re able to have a very clear mind that is able to complete them. If you complete the hardest tasks early in the morning or earlier in the day; you’re able to utilize all energy you have to put toward those difficult tasks first.

7. Make yourself accountable

Knowing that deadlines are very important; entrepreneurs have never had problems setting those for other people but have difficulties setting them for themselves. Verbally state out loud when you are going to complete your tasks and make them known. If you just really make yourself accountable for your tasks, post them on your social networks so you know to keep pushing yourself toward greatness.

8. Use time management strategies

As mentioned above, time management skills and strategies are very important for all entrepreneurs. Knowing how to manage your time and block out your day into segments makes for a great strategy. There are so many techniques to utilize that will assist with time management. There’s one called the Pomodoro Technique. A creative task could be done in the morning and you could focus on much-needed meetings in the afternoon and evening. The idea of this all is to establish a system or platform that will work best for you. Knowing that there are so many different strategies, as entrepreneurs, we can test out multiple strategies to see which gives us the best results.