Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? 🙋🏻‍♀️

You’re busy juggling client work, admin tasks, and trying to fit in marketing and business development. The day seems to slip by, but somehow, there’s still a mountain of to-dos left unchecked.

It’s a familiar story for many entrepreneurs—one where you’re working constantly but never quite have time to focus on the growth-driving activities that will move your business forward.

But here’s the thing: You can free up 10+ hours a week to focus on strategy, execution, and growing your business. Those 10 hours don’t have to be a distant dream—they’re totally achievable with the right strategies in place.

So, let’s talk about some practical ways you can take back control of your time.

1. Streamline Your Processes and Automate Repetitive Tasks

Think about all the small tasks you do over and over again—scheduling appointments, sending follow-up emails, processing payments, creating content (sometimes on the fly). These are prime candidates for systems and automation that could save you from wasting time and burning out.

When you're organized, you set yourself up for success. You create space in your mind and your schedule to lead yourself and your business properly. When you're not organized and systematized, you set yourself up for chaos, leading to feeling overwhelmed and overworked.

By creating systems for everything you do and automating what you can (and these days, you can automate more than you think!), you free up precious hours every week.

Examples:

• Content planning: Create a system for your content plan, allowing you to work far in advance and be more intentional about what you’re creating.
  
• Client management: Use client management tools like HoneyBook for lead inquiries, client onboarding, and payments.
  
• Project management: Use tools like Trello, Asana, or even a well-organized spreadsheet to keep track of projects, tasks, and deadlines.
  
• Automated responses: Set up automated email responses for common inquiries or routine communications.
  

The key is to document your key processes and look for ways to simplify or optimize them. This also helps if you’re ready to delegate or train a team member to take over certain tasks.

Actionable Tip: Identify 3 tasks you do repeatedly, and find tools or software that can automate or systematize them to save time and mental energy.

2. Cut the Non-Essentials

We’ve all been there—working on something that feels productive, but deep down, you know it’s not really moving the needle. It’s time to get ruthless about cutting non-essential tasks that drain your energy without driving real results.

This goes hand-in-hand with streamlining your processes, but it’s important to note.

Remember the 80/20 rule—80% of your results come from 20% of your time and effort. Imagine what could happen if you focused on turning that 20% into your 80%? You’d 10X your results. (If you haven’t already, check out the book 10X is Easier Than 2X for a deeper dive on this principle.)

Actionable Tip: Take a hard look at your weekly to-do list (or even your calendar). Which tasks are really driving growth, and which are just “busy work”? It’s time to trim the fat and focus on what truly moves the needle for your business.

3. Delegate or Outsource

You don’t have to do everything yourself—even if it sometimes feels that way. If a task isn’t in your zone of genius, or if it’s eating up time that could be better spent elsewhere, delegate it.

This is one of the top things that keeps entrepreneurs from real growth. Think about the value of your time as a CEO. If you’re spending hours doing tasks that you could pay someone else $15-$20 an hour to handle, you’re limiting your business potential.

Yes, there are stages of growth when you can’t hire a full team. But you can start small, and you don’t have to wait until you feel “ready” to begin outsourcing.

Examples:

• Virtual assistant: Hire a VA to handle your admin tasks, client scheduling, and repurposing content.
• Bookkeeper: Outsource your finances to a bookkeeper to keep your financials organized and free up mental space.

Outsourcing what drains you can make a huge impact on your schedule and mindset.

Actionable Tip: Make a list of tasks that drain your energy or aren’t directly generating revenue, and either delegate them now or make a plan to do so within the next three months.

4. Implement Strategy Sessions & Calendar Blocking

Be intentional with your schedule. Time blocking is a game-changer because it helps you focus on specific tasks without distractions.

I live by my calendar now and no longer use never-ending lists that make me feel like I’m never doing enough. The problem with working from a to-do list is that it pushes you to focus on tasks that are quickest to cross off, instead of prioritizing the ones that move the needle for your business growth.

One of the best things you can do is block strategy time at the beginning of every week. Use that time to connect with your overall business strategy, so you can align your tasks with your top goals every day. Plan your week around this strategy so you’re working from a place of intention.

Examples:

• Dedicate specific days or blocks of time to client work, marketing, or execution.
• Schedule times to check your phone and email, so you’re not reacting to other people’s demands all day.
• Protect your focus hours—when you can focus deeply on a task, you get more done in less time.

5. Set Boundaries and Eliminate Distractions

It’s easy to get sidetracked by social media notifications, constant emails, texts, or even well-meaning friends and family. But these distractions add up and slowly eat away at your productivity.

Examples:

• Turn off non-essential notifications during work hours, and let others know when you’re focused on work.
• If social media is part of your strategy, use it intentionally as a producer rather than a consumer—especially during work hours. We’ve all been sucked into the scroll trap, but no one builds a million-dollar business by staying in the scroll.

The key is to create strong boundaries that protect your time and mental energy.

Freeing up 10+ hours a week isn’t some fantasy—it’s absolutely possible with the right strategies in place. You’ll not only have more time to focus on growing your business, but you’ll reduce stress and regain control of your time and energy.

As the CEO of your business, it’s your responsibility to protect your time and focus on the things that truly matter. Remember, when you turn your 20% into your 80%, you’ll 10X your results!