5 Habits to Help Business Owners Save Time

time is your most valuable asset. Drawing from timeless wisdom in James Clear’s Atomic Habits and Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, we’ve distilled five powerful habits that will help you reclaim hours in your week while driving better business results.

1. Ruthless Prioritisation: Work Smart, Not Just Hard

The Problem:
Most business owners spend their days reacting to urgent tasks rather than progressing strategic priorities.

The Solution:

• Start each week by identifying 3 key objectives that will move your business forward

• Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorise tasks by urgency/importance

• Implement “Golden Hour” – protect your first 60 minutes each morning for high-value work

“What’s important is seldom urgent, and what’s urgent is seldom important.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

2. Create Systems, Not Just To-Do Lists

The Problem:
Ad-hoc working leads to duplicated effort and constant firefighting.

The Solution:

• Document repeatable processes for common tasks

• Automate where possible (accounting, email sequences, social media)

• Batch similar tasks (e.g., handle all calls on Tuesday afternoons)

Client Example: A Bristol-based consultancy saved 12 hours weekly by creating standard operating procedures for client onboarding.

3. Master the Art of Strategic Delegation

The Problem:
The “I’ll just do it myself” mentality creates bottlenecks and limits growth.

The Solution:

• Conduct a time audit to identify tasks only you should do

• Start delegating one recurring task this week

• Use the 70% rule – if someone can do it 70% as well as you, delegate it

Remember: Delegation isn’t about losing control – it’s about multiplying your effectiveness.

4. Practice Deep Work Sessions

The Problem:
Constant interruptions and multitasking destroy productivity.

The Solution:

• Schedule 90-minute focus blocks in your calendar

• Eliminate distractions (turn off notifications, use website blockers)

• Apply the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes work, 5-minute break)

Pro Tip: Reserve your peak energy times (morning for most people) for strategic work.

5. Weekly Reflection & Continuous Improvement

The Problem:
Without reflection, we repeat the same inefficient patterns.

The Solution:

• Every Friday, spend 30 minutes reviewing:
  What worked well this week?
  What could be improved?
  What one process can I optimise next week?

• Implement Kaizen (continuous small improvements)

“We don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.” – James Clear

Putting It All Into Practice

Start small – choose one habit to implement this week. Track your time savings, then gradually incorporate the others. Within 90 days, you could reclaim 10+ hours weekly – time to focus on growth, strategy, or personal wellbeing.

At ActionCOACH Exeter, we help business owners like you implement these habits through our proven coaching frameworks. Want to discover how much time you could save?

Call us on 01392 325225
Email andrewdegroot@actioncoach.co.uk