Have you ever needed more hours in your day? Join the club. Take it from someone who works 35-40 hours at a job per week, runs a blog (20 hours/week) and is also supposed to be some semblance of a a wife. It’s hard to juggle and can seem pretty overwhelming at times. But I’m here to let you in on two secrets. The first one is – there is no way you’re going to get everything done on your list. The second one is that there is a better way to more strategically use your time. I read about this method a few years ago and it was life changing. This secret time management tip for small business owners has truly impacted my efficiency when accomplishing tasks and helped me find more hours in my day.

The Secret Time Management Tip for Small Business Owners

If you’ve ever felt like the woman pictured above – trust me you need this. Even though this method isn’t a complete secret many have never heard of it. I just came across this method by chance. It’s called the pomodoro technique and is a God-send for small business owners. Ever feel like you’re just treading water but you’re not actually accomplishing anything? It’s easy to feel that way as a new small business owner. This technique helps you maximize your efficiency while giving you things every human needs – rest and confirmation of what you are accomplishing.

What Is The Famed Pomodoro Technique?

The pomodoro technique is a time management technique developed by Francesco Cirillo. It essentially helps you increase your productivity and is especially helpful to small business owners via:

• short intervals
• more focused work
• a productive environment

Each of these short intervals of time would be known as a pomodoro. When your attention span is about eight seconds on average (which is common for humans)  and you’re working on a mammoth task it’s easy to get distracted.

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique

The secret time management tip for small business owners known as the pomodoro technique is easy to use. I appreciate it’s accessibility for most (all you need is a timer) and simplicity. I have provided the steps below:

1. Identify Your Task & Write It Down :

   • Now to do this you need to identify your overall goal. What do you want to accomplish out of your series of pomodoro’s ultimately today? Once you have this you’re going to break down your goal into individual tasks. For instance if my goal were to write a blog post I would divide my time into the following pomodoro’s:
     • 1st 25 minutes: blog post preparation
     • 5 minute break
     • 2nd 25 minutes: write rough draft of blog post
     • 5 minute break
     • 3rd 25 minutes: edit blog post draft into final
     • 5 minute break
     • 4th 25 minutes: schedule/create social media posts
     • 5 minute break
   • It helps to identify one overall task to work on, but these may consist of a few steps. For instance blog post preparation for me includes keyword research and a brief outline.
   • DO NOT over-schedule yourself. Sometimes it takes a day or two to really understand how you’re utilizing your time for specific tasks. If you over-schedule yourself the time Gods will laugh at you because you’re  a human being. Even if you’re being succinct there’s a limit to what you can do in each window. If you get that same feeling scheduling an individual pomodoro that you do when you make impossible mammoth lists you’re not doing it right.

2. Set Your Timer For 25 Minutes

3. Work On Your Task for 25 Minutes

   • You must do this in a distraction-free environment.
   • Most of us are addicted to our phones. A great way to help keep distractions on your phone to a minimum is by placing your phone on silent. However, there are also apps to help you.

4. Check Off Your Written Task

   • Only do this if you’ve completed it of course, but do it nonetheless. It’s good to have a physical document to recognize your progress and accomplishments for the day. For many small business owners who walk around feeling like permanently exhausted overwhelmed pigeons this is exceptionally important.

5. Take a Break for 5 Minutes

   • You need to treat this ultimately as a marathon. If you don’t take five minutes of your time to re-focus you’re going to hamper your productivity. Get some water, have a cup of coffee, check the dreaded social media, love a dog. Whatever you need to do to recharge – you do you.

6. Every 4 Pomodoros Take a Long(er) Break

   • You wouldn’t go through an entire day only taking five minute breaks. I don’t know about any one else but I can’t consume a Chick-fil-A Sandwich and waffle fries in that time. So every fourth pomodoro (nearly two hours), take a longer break. Your longer break should probably be in the ballpark of 15-30 minutes. Again, take whatever you need to re-focus. Everybody is different. You’ll probably want to do a fifteen minute break the first and third time so you can actually take time off traditionally during your lunch hour.

Cheers to A More Productive 2018

Every minute is valuable, especially to small business owners. The secret time management tip for small business owners known as pomodoro is exceptionally helpful. Want to up your businesses game in 2018 with better social media management? We’ve got you covered. Below are some posts you may enjoy:

• Building a USEFUL Small Business Facebook Page
• Professional Facebook Cover Design for Just $1
• 5 Foolproof Facebook Post Ideas for Small Businesses
• The Secret to Find The Best Time To Post on Facebook
• DIY Social Media Audit

Thanks for reading!

Lauren