It's quite unfortunate that some entrepreneurs allow their time to be stolen by one form of routine task or the other. Tasks like addressing employees questions and concerns, approval and signing of checks and so on, are tasks that should be carried out within a particular period weekly, and not daily, because there are capable of taking an entrepreneur's precious time.
ROUTINE TASKS TO CONSIDER
1 Stop overloading your to-do list.
2 Stop having open-ended meetings.
3 Stop answering repetitive questions.
4 Stop taking the same follow-up approach if people ignore you.
5 Stop eating lunch at your desk.
6 Stop making piles.
IN DETAILS
1 Stop overloading your to-do list.
Overloading of daily tasks list is considered by some entrepreneurs as the best, thinking that by doing do, they'll accomplish so much for increased productivity. However, this does more harm than good. By overloading your to-do list, you'll only end up doing a few things and at the end of the day feel stressed out and disappointed, blaming yourself for not doing enough. Instead of such, create a manageable list of essential tasks that should be finished on a given day, shifting the rest for a later date.
2 Stop having open-ended meetings.
Make a list of priorities before calling for a meeting, to avoid wasting time to figure out things to discuss. Let the expected attendees know exactly what the meeting would be all about, so as to be prepared before time. By making a list of your priorities for the meeting, you'll stay focused and avoid being taking off the track by some unnecessary issues.
3 Stop answering repetitive questions.
Instead of wasting time to answer the same set of questions all the time, ensure that you prepare a FAQ where clients and everyone concerned can access and satisfy their curiosity. You can as well make a video with sets of instructions for more assistance.
4 Stop taking the same follow-up approach if people ignore you.
It's not every ideal clients that appreciate a particular means of followup. If you've tried sending mail messages and yet no response, try meeting him or her in person, or better still, call or send a text message. You can as well tell him or her of your values as a company and the benefits associated.
5 Stop eating lunch at your desk.
Some entrepreneurs consider taking a break outside for lunch as a waste of time. This is so wrong. By taking a break, you would afford yourself the opportunity of refreshing your mind and brain. Your energy would be fully replenished and when you return to your desk, you'll accomplish more tasks than you would have, if you were still there.
6 Stop making piles.
Piling up files in an office complex has become a lifestyle of some entrepreneurs. In most cases, the arrangement of these piled up files are only understood by them. This is not encouraged again in this 21st century. Instead, adopt a systematic approach to filing, this would help to to do away with some useless papers.