Starting a business is easy. The hard part is keeping it.
Today’s entrepreneurs, business leaders, and managers must struggle with the complicated mix of responsibilities for running a successful company, from managing employees to upgrading technology to social media marketing and meeting the day-to-day needs of customers.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all of that, then you need to take a step back and look at ways to improve your productivity and manage your stress. The answer isn’t just to work harder.
Successful business owners learn to manage themselves first, and everyone else second. You need to become as meticulous about how you manage your time, energy, even your diet, as you are about the financial needs of your business.
Here are a few tips on maximizing your productivity and effectiveness, from sources who know what they’re talking about.
Read
It’s so incredibly easy to get caught up in the constant urgency of living and working in the Age of Information. The culture of smart phones and social media has made us feel that we should always be connected, and always available.
Yet the reality is that our brains need time to rest, especially for creative thinkers, including the business leaders who must make complicated decisions about the strategy and trajectory of their companies.
In other words, there’s a reason why the business section at the bookstore is often one of the largest ones.
It’s not just because entrepreneurs and corporate managers must constantly be learning to stay ahead of the competition. It’s also because reading itself improves productivity.
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One study found that reading for just six minutes a day can improve productivity by 68 percent.
“We’re not talking about reading company reports, or trying to cram sheets of technical specifications into your brain,” as one staffing blog put it. “We’re talking about reading for pleasure.
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If you’re one of those people who “doesn’t read fiction”, find some interesting non-fiction you can sink your teeth into. Studies have found that reading for leisure or entertainment for 30 minutes a day can have some pretty remarkable effects on your brain.”
Exercise
There’s no way to ignore the fact that exercise makes us more productive. Too often productivity is measured in time. Yet we have all experienced the speed and quality of our work after a good morning run or some laps at the local pool.
Working more doesn’t necessarily mean working better or even producing more results. Without regular exercise, at least a few times a week for at least 45 minutes, we can never experience the full potential of our productivity.
Running every other day is a top recommendation from Tom Jakobek, a career financial manager and current CEO of KBNJ Consulting Inc., a Canadian construction firm.
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“It’s tough being in charge. You have to take it seriously, and that means taking care of your body,” Tom Jakobek said. “There’s nothing like the lucidity that comes from regular exercise. It will improve all your decision-making — and you’ll just be a happier person.”
Take Your Time With Decision
As the head of a business, one of the privileges of being in charge means you can take your time making decisions.
More importantly, you will likely make a smarter decision and execute it more successfully if you take some time to reflect before pulling the metaphorical trigger.
Mike Whitaker, author of The Decision Makeover: An Intentional Approach To Living The Life You Want, writes that smart decision making requires self-discipline.
“Most of us go about it the hard way, learning what not to do and creating wisdom going forward,” Whitaker wrote. “Successful people, however, approach decisions differently; they have a methodical way of looking at choices.”
You might have noticed by now that all three of these lessons involve taking your time, taking a step back, taking a rest.
In the hubbub of daily life, even as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, always remember to find moments to pause, and see the bigger picture. You and your company will be better for it.