It seems as if an entrepreneurs day never ends. It’s difficult to pull yourself from your work tasks and allocate time to your family, friends, or yourself. For those who work for others, the typical workday goes from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, allowing the time to grocery shop, get some rest, run errands, spend time with friends and family, and disassociate from office life. Unlike standard employees, many entrepreneurs have tasks and duties that extend far before and after the hours of nine to five, eliminating time that others usually allocate to other areas in life. Although it takes time, trial and error, and various methods to master, it can be done. Here are ways that you can stop working by 5 p.m.
5 Tips to Help You Get Out of the Office By 5 P.M.
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Effective communication - Clear communication is key in any business. Letting your clients and employees know exactly what you need, and asking if they have questions will save time, energy, and any unnecessary confusion. This will save a lot of contacting after hours, or even throughout the day when other tasks and responsibilities are in need of attention.
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Delegating - Entrepreneurs often tend to wear more hats than the average person. This is usually because business owners know exactly what needs to be done, and how to do it properly. This is why it’s tempting to try to take on all of the tasks at once. Don’t do it. If you have trained employees or contractors, trust what you’ve taught them to fulfill tasks that need to be done. If you feel that you are not able to trust the people on your team to handle task or projects, it may be time to consider investing into training your staff or making them available to the market, so that you can move in more qualified team members.
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Put it on Autopilot, by Automating - When technology is used strategically, it is no threat to entrepreneurs. In fact, it can be a business’ best friend. New software, programs, and technology are being created and used by entrepreneurs every day. Both free and subscription-based tools such as Ontraport, Acuity Scheduling, Clickfunnels, Google Business Suite, OptimumHQ, and so many more, make things easier to remember, arrange, and make your plans more cohesive -- saving you from constantly checking your calendar, informing others of your availability, sharing documents, and obtaining information from clients.
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Work/Life Processes - Developing an efficient process is key. When trying to get out of the office at a specific time, multitasking throughout the day is key. Processology helps to do so by creating strategies and processes designed to produce profits and freedom that make working more efficient to free up entrepreneurs’ time for living outside of their businesses.
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Give Yourself a Hard Stop Time - As hard as it is in reality, just stop. The tactics used above will help. Use effective communication to let your clients and employees know that you will not be reached after five. Use automated response emails and answering machine responses, stating that the next available time you’ll be able to be reached. Your freedom takes discipline and might be difficult for you and the people you interact with, initially. Change is hard for everyone, but people will adjust, and you will thank yourself for doing it.
At Processology, we are helping entrepreneurs realize their big dreams by breaking the chains of entrepreneurship. Freedom and success can be yours easier than you think. Learn how Processology can help you by clicking here.
