4 Ways to Protect Your Time, According to the Founders of Warby Parker, Minted, and Other Top Businesses As an entrepreneur, your time will always be in demand. Here's how founders at four businesses prioritize their own needs.
This story appears in the January 2021 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
1. Reschedule.
"I reschedule meetings every day," says Jesse Draper, founder of Halogen Ventures. "I don't cancel for the fun of it, and never last minute if I can help it. But I reprioritize every month, every week, and every day to make sure I'm staying focused on my goals."
Related: 10 Time Management Tips That Work
2. Filter your commitments.
"Before I commit to anything, I ask myself, Would I say yes if this were happening tomorrow?" says Mariam Naficy, founder and CEO of Minted. "If my answer is no, then I say no. Think about the commitment in the near term. If it seems valuable, great. If not, don't do it."
3. Learn from your mistakes.
"Every Friday, I look back on my week and rank my meetings," says Dave Gilboa, cofounder and co-CEO of Warby Parker. " "Zero' if it was a waste of time; "one' if the world would hardly end if I'd missed it; and "two' for an optimum use of time. It helps guide my future calendar."
Related: Learn Time and Stress Management Techniques to Empower Your Business
4. Know when you work best.
"A lot of entrepreneurs make space in the morning, but we are the opposite," says Carolyn Childers (left), who cofounded women's executive club Chief with Lindsay Kaplan. "We work through problems by text after midnight. It allows to wake up the next day fully aligned."
