Nine Impactful Changes These Leaders Made to Their Routines After Becoming Entrepreneurs

When you first became an entrepreneur, what’s one change you made to your everyday routine that helped you become a more efficient and productive professional? Why has this been such a key change?

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs. Learn more at yec.co.

1. I Time Blocked My To-Do List

When I became an entrepreneur, I started keeping a to-do list and using time blocking to plan my day. This technique allowed me to figure out what I needed to accomplish with a timeline. As a result, I found it easier to work through complicated projects, keep track of meetings and stay on top of things like emails and invoicing.

– John Turner, SeedProd LLC

2. I Listened to Inspirational Stories

The change I made to my daily routine is that I started the day with an inspirational story of another entrepreneur. They were always short, compact stories, but knowing what others went through to achieve helped me. I also learned some habits through these success stories and began implementing them little bits at a time. This has changed my outlook as well as how I do things. It’s made me more effective.

– Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

3. I Used a Task Management System

One change I made to my everyday routine that helped me become more efficient and productive was to start using a task management system. I began using a tool to keep track of my tasks and deadlines, prioritize them and schedule my time more effectively. This helped me stay organized and focused on the most important tasks and avoid getting bogged down by less important or less urgent tasks.

– Kazi Mamun, CANSOFT

4. I Tracked My Daily Progress

The one change that I made to my everyday routine was that I started tracking my progress on a daily basis. This helped me become a more efficient and productive professional as I’d strive to do better than I did yesterday. This was a key change because it helped me improve by enabling me to reflect upon my mistakes and explore new ways to help maximize my efficiency.

– Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

5. I Woke Up Earlier

One change I made to my everyday routine was to start waking up earlier. As a night owl, I needed to adapt my schedule to be available during normal business hours to communicate with freelancers, vendors and partners. By waking up earlier, I was able to make the most of my morning and set the tone for a productive day ahead. This also makes scheduling meetings a lot easier.

– Andrew Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

6. I Meditated

The change I made to my everyday routine is that I started meditating before starting my day. This helped improve my focus and start my day with a positive mindset. Being an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s normal for you to encounter failures or have moments of self-doubt. Meditation helped me block all negative thoughts and gain clarity, enabling me to keep the needle moving despite all odds.

– Jared Atchison, WPForms

7. I Prioritized Tasks the Night Before

If there’s one routine that has made the most impact, it has to be writing and prioritizing tasks every night. Rather than going to sleep with hundreds of worries and plans from the day and struggling to resume your inertia every morning, I found it’s best to write down and prioritize all the tasks for the next day so you can maintain high productivity without getting confused and stressed out.

– Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz

8. I Focused on Efficiency

I created a daily routine that would help me become more efficient and productive. This included setting specific goals for each day, breaking down tasks into smaller chunks and taking regular breaks throughout the day to recharge. Additionally, I started to prioritize my time better by focusing on the most important tasks first and delegating those that weren’t as important. 

– Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

9. I Paid Attention to My Calendar

I started paying attention to my calendar. When you first start out of your own, you may be coming from an agency or structure that was very calendar-forward. This can burn us out; however, more freedom comes from using your calendar wisely, not ditching it. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be intentional with your time to experience more freedom. Calendars help!

– Matthew Capala, Alphametic