You only have 24 hours : How to maximize your time as an entrepreneur ?

Time is given to you in limited supply. You got the same 24 hours than Lebron James, Richard Branson and Barack Obama. How to make the most of it without burning all your gas ? How to break down your goals into attackable pieces in order to achieve your goals - and still have a life. Few bites down there.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

You want it all. Obviously, you are ambitious and hardworking. Going the extra mile is no stranger to you. Effort is not your problem, but time constraints may be. You got only that much time in a day, kids are screaming, paperwork needs to be done, and ten thousands things are demanding your constant attention.

Breath. And read.

Tip 1 : Give up. You can't do it all and it's alright

As conter intuitive as it may seem : give up. For once, just give up. You can't do it all. AT LEAST NOT TODAY. We often over estimate what we can do in a day by underestimate what you can do in a month. So give up the ambition to fill every minute of your day with productive tasks.

Make a NOT TO DO LIST for today : consciously decide what you gonna postpone to tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Fill today with only the unique most important - or the most urgent subject at hand (I immensely suggest the most important if possible, but sometimes big emergencies emerge and have to be treated)

Tip 2 : Consider consequences (real ones)

Is not responding to that email today REALLY such big problem ? Guess what, if you put more thought into it, you will probably come to the conclusion that a lot of what is thrown at you by life or by people around you ... can wait. MANY things can wait, much more than we think. Breathe, drink water, sit down and assess the real consequences of not responding RIGHT NOW. I did not say not to respond. Just not right now.

« Prioritize, and execute» - Jocko

Tip 3 : Sometimes, sweat the small stuff

As an overall rule, we all know we have to focus on the big, hairy, audacious goals and not letting minor details get in our way. For sure sounds like a great plan. But sometimes, this little stone in your shoe is preventing you from walking towards your goals. Consider at some point to block out distractions to clean up all the little stones for good (until next month when they will invariably accumulate again as life works this way) : take 1 or 2 full mornings to batch pending paperwork, thank you notes, house fixing tasks or whatever hitch you wanna scratch.

Tip 4 : Tell people to fuck off

We live in a being nice culture. Politeness has often been ingrained in us a civilized kids or an approaching version of that. We are pretty reluctant to tell people no, without any need for explanation. Remember people's agenda does not care about your agenda. Sometimes they do not know what your goals are, what your day looks like, and pretty frankly, they do not care. Even if the title of this paragraph is chosen to make a point and you can obviously chose your words more carefully than I do : allow yourself to protect your time by either saying no, just no, for no reason. You don't have to explain yourself