Many entrepreneurs tend to feel overwhelmed, especially when it seems there's never enough time to get things done. Many times this could be a result of poor time management - not getting as much as you can into the time you have. Time is really of the essence, hence the age old adage - time is money! It is important to note that the only way you can reach your goal as an entrepreneur is to stick to an established plan of action guided by deliberate time consciousness.

Again, time is money. This is especially true for you as an entrepreneur because, while regular employees are assured of fixed wages, your earnings and growth depend on the amount of time and skill you put into your activities. A deeper look at the success stories of successful entrepreneurs will show you that each one of them wouldn't have gone far without an established routine. Not just any routine, but routines built around the goals they had set for their business ventures. While it's easy to write off routine as rigid and boring, proper time management allows for responsible flexibility.

In order to ensure that you meet your goals this year, we have put together a list of practical steps you can take to better manage your time. Here’s a caveat: these suggested steps only work with a dogged determination to squeeze out every bit of productivity you can from your given time.

1. Review your goals and priorities: It is important that you review your goals and get your priorities right. What goals did you set last year? How much was achieved? What was left undone? What needs to be carried over? What new goals and targets do you want to infuse into this year's plan? Critical questions which need to be answered to develop your new goals for the year. Also please remember that it is a total waste of time trying to achieve goals that aren’t specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based. To make the most of your time, each goal or task should be given a level of priority. This allows for better time apportionment.

2. Plan your day: It is important that you take some time to plan each day. This not only helps you get a lot more done, it will help you allocate the proper amount of time to both the important and trivial activities. Having a daily plan gives you direction and a sense of fulfillment when you actually get things done. Start with your priorities. A well planned day won't have you spreading yourself thin. Remember, allocate larger blocks of time and energy to the most important things!

3. Wake up earlier than usual: Getting an early start each day gives you more time to carry out some activities – personal or work related. For example, an early riser has much more time to plan his or her day, exercise, or do any other important task that would ordinarily be left pending.

4. Avoid procrastination: Habitual procrastination renders your goals and daily plans totally useless. In order to record significant growth this year, procrastination needs to be avoided like a plague. Don’t postpone tackling important tasks in favor of nonessential activities that offer temporary gratification. Procrastination causes stress in the long run due to the accumulation of tasks left pending.

5. Be Positive - start each day with a positive frame of mind! This is crucial. Believe in yourself and what you can do. Learn to ignore inconsequential things and negative comments from people that contribute little to your goals. Be impervious to negativity.

6. Learn to reflect on your day: This exercise allows you to evaluate your day based on how much you've been able to accomplish. It also gives you the opportunity to fit pending tasks into the next day. It allows you pat yourself on the back for tasks successfully completed. You deserve the pat!

Do you have other time management tips you would like to share with us? Feel free to leave a comment.