Time is Money: Essential Time Management Strategies for Business Owners
Jackie Muller, President and owner of Dynamic Intervention Wellness Solutions
Wishing for a magic fairy to grant you time management skills is a fantasy—but developing them is within your control. Time management, like any other skill, takes practice, patience, and experience. The good news? You can strengthen this mental muscle and automate effective techniques over time
Ever wonder how some people seem to juggle everything effortlessly? If your to-do list feels endless, you’re not alone. With the right strategies, you can take control, feel accomplished, and make time work for you. Some people may be winging it, others might be lucky, but most have mastered time management—and you can too!
The “Big Rocks” Strategy
Time management isn’t something we’re born with, and many of us never formally learn it. The key is to identify and prioritize your most important tasks—the "Big Rocks." If you spend your day on small, insignificant tasks, time will slip away, leaving you feeling busy but unproductive. Focus on the big things first, and everything else will fall into place.
Avoid the Endless To-Do List Trap
Adding more and more tasks to a never-ending list is counterproductive. And while checking off completed tasks can be satisfying, it’s not enough to drive real progress. The solution? Get everything in one place, streamline your priorities, and create a system that works for you.
Mastering the Mental Game
The first step to better time management is shifting your mindset. Replace “I can’t” with “What do I have to lose?” Challenge automatic negative thoughts that hold you back. When you take control of your time, you gain momentum and turn strategies into habits.
Using the Covey Time Management Matrix - (watch video) 4 QUADRANTS
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey introduces the Time Management Matrix, which divides tasks into four quadrants:
Free worksheet: Free Quadrant Worksheet
Q1: Urgent & Important → Do immediately
Q2: Not Urgent but Important → Schedule it
Q3: Urgent but Not Important → Delegate it
Q4: Not Urgent & Not Important → Delete it
The goal? Move your “Big Rocks” into Q2 (Scheduled Tasks) so you’re working proactively rather than reactively.
Take Action
For more insights on scheduling and optimizing your workflow, join us for the WFBPA: Lunch and Learn February 2025, or check back next month for more on “Time Blocking Your Power Hour.”
