As a business owner, time is your most valuable asset. Yet, it often feels like there’s never enough of it. Between managing clients, leading a team, and planning for growth, the demands on your schedule can feel overwhelming. The truth is, we can’t create more time—but we can manage it better.

From today lets start thinking about time management as self-management. The most successful business owners aren’t just good at handling tasks; they’re great at managing themselves within the time they have.

In my blog today I’m going to share with you three powerful time management techniques—The Default Diary, The Time Target, and Self-Management—to help you reclaim control of your day and drive business success.

The Default Diary

One of the biggest time traps for business owners is spending too much time reacting—jumping from one task to the next, answering emails, putting out fires—without a structured plan. The Default Diary is a simple yet powerful tool that ensures you’re dedicating time to the activities that truly move your business forward.

What is a Default Diary?

A Default Diary is a pre-planned weekly schedule that assigns blocks of time for specific tasks—just like you would schedule meetings with clients. Instead of reacting to your day, you proactively decide in advance how you’ll spend your time.

How to Use It

– Block out time for high-priority tasks (e.g., strategy planning, marketing, sales).

– Schedule “buffer time” for urgent but unplanned tasks so they don’t take over your day.

– Include personal time — your business shouldn’t run your life!

– Stick to it  —your diary is only effective if you commit to following it.

The result? You create structure, reduce distractions, and ensure that every hour you work is productive and intentional.

The Time Target:

Business owners often spend too much time working in their business rather than on it. This is where the Time Target concept comes in—it helps you identify whether you’re focusing on the right activities for business growth.

The Four Levels of the Time Target:

Not Urgent, not important – Low-value, repetitive tasks (e.g., answering emails, admin work). Delegate these whenever possible.

Urgent, Not important – Supervising teams and daily operations. Your team should handle this so you can step away.

Urgent, important – Business development, creating systems, planning growth. This is where you should spend more time.

Not urgent, important – Vision, expansion, high-level networking. The more time you spend here, the faster your business scales.

How to Use It:
  • Audit how you currently spend your time—how much is in the not urgent, not important vs. the not urgent, important category?
  • Begin delegating lower-value tasks so you can focus on high-impact activities.
  • Train your team to handle more responsibility so you can step into the CEO role.

If you’re constantly stuck in not urgent, not important tasks, your business will never grow beyond you. But by shifting your focus, you create space for real business expansion.

Self-Management is Time Management

At its core, time management isn’t about managing hours—it’s about managing yourself. The best schedules, tools, and systems won’t work if you don’t discipline yourself to use them effectively.

How to Improve Self-Management:
  • Set Clear Goals– Know what success looks like each day, week, and month.
  • Minimise Distractions – Turn off notifications, set focus times, and protect deep work hours.
  • Review & Adjust Regularly – Check in weekly—what’s working? What needs to change?

By mastering self-management, you take full ownership of your time, making every hour count.

 

By implementing these strategies, you’ll gain more control, reduce stress, and position your business for real growth—without working longer hours. Remember, it’s not about doing more, it’s about doing what matters.