8 Work Habits That Make Your Day Harder as an Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur is hard enough already. Add to that the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the end of the year for your small business, and you’ve got a recipe for stress.

Even worse, many of us unconsciously keep work habits that make everything more difficult. So make sure you’re not doing any of these 8 things that drag you down and make your days less efficient.

1. Letting your inbox guide your day. Listen, I’m as addicted to email as the next person, but if I spent my whole day reacting to each thing that popped into my inbox, I’d never get anything done. At least nothing that’s really worthwhile. Think of it this way… do CEO’s of big companies let their inboxes run their lives? Of course not, so you shouldn’t either.

2. Winging it. If you don’t plan out your day, your week, your month, and your year, you won’t have clear priorities to guide you. Keeping a routine that has some flexibility and taking a moment to plan out the day ahead or next week will help you stay on track.

3. Always running behind. You know people who always have to say, “I’m sorry I’m late.” Maybe you’re even one of them. It’s understandable as busy as you are, but it keeps you stressed, doesn’t appear professional, and ensures projects will lag behind, so it’s important you give yourself enough time to get things done and get places you need to be.

4. Procrastinating. I’m a procrastinator on certain things, so I get this for sure. But it’s only going to make things worse. And the only way to feel better is to sit down and get the work done. So build in accountability for yourself on the types of tasks you have a tendency to procrastinate on.

5. Waffling. No, I don’t mean the kind you eat! I mean not making clear decisions, which is one of the most important jobs you have as a business owner. If you dislike decision-making, next time you have a tough call, think about your core values and ask what your gut is telling you. You usually know the right answer.

6. Multi-tasking. As entrepreneurs, we often think multi-tasking is part of our job and that we can’t function without some of it. But experts will tell you that multi-tasking actually makes you less efficient, not more efficient. So take on one thing at a time, finish it, and move on.

7. Being afraid of the word no. Do you feel guilty every time you have to turn down a project or client? No is an important word in the vocabulary of any entrepreneur, so embrace it and what it can do for your business. You can always refer people to colleagues, which they appreciate, allowing you to do more of what you’re great at.

8. Doing tasks others can do. If you’re still working on tasks that other team members can do for you, you’re pulling away time from work that only you can tackle. Often times, you’re not the most efficient at those tasks either, compared to someone who specializes in that type of project. So not only are you making your day harder, you’re slowing down productivity too.