Daily Scheduling Tips for Anxious Entrepreneurs

As someone who's faced my own personal struggles with anxiety, I know that one of the biggest challenges can be time management. People living in the overwhelm often feel pressure to overachieve, overschedule, and overburden themselves. (Hell yes we do)

With so much on your plate, it can feel super daunting to check off every item on your daily to-do list. Today I'm giving you some tried and true daily scheduling tips for anxious entrepreneurs.

If You Can Plan It, You Can Do It

One of the struggles I face as an entrepreneur with a bit more anxiety than the Average Joe is that I feel the need to do everything, everywhere, all at once (great movie, but not a great feeling). If I don't have a set schedule, I'm more likely to drift between tasks and even create new ones for myself throughout the day. Overall, it's not the most productive way to spend my day. 

Each day, create a schedule and set specific goals about what you want to accomplish. Having a concrete list of just 3 tasks you need to work on relieves the stress of figuring out what to do next or worrying if you accomplished what you needed to that day. For me, it's helpful to refer back to my schedule when I find myself wandering.

Set Deadlines

You work for yourself, so you don't have a boss breathing down your neck to ensure you meet deadlines. But it's still important to stick to a schedule. Deadlines are the best way to keep track of your time and stay focused on specific goals. They're also great motivators. You'll want to keep going when you're in the zone and crushing those deadlines!

Get Rid of Clutter

Get rid of clutter for a more productive day. We're talking physical clutter and digital clutter. I don't know about you, but spending 20 minutes searching for a file I randomly saved a couple of weeks ago can derail my whole day (and put me in a bad friggen' mood). Cleaning up your workspace streamlines your workflow so you can get more done. Less desk clutter = less mental clutter. True story.

Your physical workspace should have everything you need to do your job without extra junk. Try to keep your work materials separate from the rest of your stuff. This can be extra difficult if you work from home, but maintaining order helps keep you focused on work during work hours. You won't get distracted if you come across an unpaid water bill or your kid's report card. If you have trouble with this, hire a professional organizer in your area to help you figure out how to best utilize the space you have.

There are plenty of ways to remove clutter and stay organized on the digital front. Name all files before you save them, and keep separate and specific folders on your desktop. If your work and personal computers are on and the same, create a separate desktop for work. That way, you aren't weeding through vacation photos to find the contract you're looking for. You also won't be thrown off by notifications from your personal email account, Facebook messages, etc. For more on getting rid of digital clutter, check out this helpful article.

Follow Your Natural Rhythm

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Something in-between? The great thing about being your own boss is that you can follow your natural rhythm and set your own schedule. 

If you're an early bird, try to accomplish a couple of big tasks in the morning. When you lose steam in the afternoon, you can pick off smaller tasks that don't take up as much energy. Alternatively, if you're usually more alert later in the day, tackle smaller tasks in the morning and work up to the bigger projects.Finding what are your magic hours (and doing the most heavy brain tasks during that time) will change the game for you.I know it did for me.

Set Boundaries

Boundaries are essential. (Not just in your work, but I digress).

Running your own business means you play a lot of different roles. You may have to work long hours or sacrifice weekends in certain seasons. I fully support the short term sacrifices and pushes, but don't go overboard. Working from home does not need to mean giving up family time or being on call 24/7/365. 

Decide when you want to finish work each day, and make a commitment that you won't answer work calls or emails after that time. Setting firm office hours means you can be as productive as possible when you're scheduled to work. It also means you can be fully present in your personal life.This is one of the best gifts you will give yourself as a business owner. I know in the beginning of one of my businesses, I had zero time and client boundaries. All day, every day, anytime, all the time. Now, that is a hard no. Build this habit in quickly so that your mental wellness is in tip-top shape.

Schedule Breaks

Hey, even kids get recess. It isn't healthy to GO GO GO all day with no breaks. 

If you find it hard to take time for yourself, making it an item on your to-do list will help. You aren't being lazy— you're sticking to your plan and prioritizing your mental health. (That being said, don't feel guilty about taking a spontaneous break as well. If you feel mentally exhausted, there's no shame in taking a breather).

Set aside time to take a quick walk, get your nails done, FaceTime your best friend, or even take a cat nap. You'll find it feels really good to find a moment of peace on even the craziest of days. 

Delegate

You don't have to do EVERYTHING yourself (I. KNOW. RIGHT? Where are my Hyper-independent people out there?). You own your own business because you're really good at what you do. That doesn't mean you have to be good at everything. Don't fall into the trap of wanting to do every single aspect of your business on your own. You'll wind up wasting valuable time and energy, and your personal life will suffer. 

To help manage your schedule, try delegating some of your tasks. For example, hire someone else to handle your social media and manage your website. Get a Virtual Assistant to help you with small menial tasks that are not in your zone of genius but are totally in theirs. You are ALLOWED.  You'll have more time to focus on the work that matters most to you and stay in your personal ZOG...Zone Of Genius.

Speaking of delegation, fine-tuning your mental health shouldn't be a solo project. Even Wonder Woman needs backup sometimes. The community of Women Out Loud has your back. Join your fellow bad-ass, barrier-breaking, business-owning sisters at WOL to unlock your full entrepreneurial potential.

Want more?

Did you know I have a podcast just for Anxious Entrepreneurs?! That's right. Come listen to the show for more anxious entrepreneur tips on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!