4 Fail-Proof Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Your Business Day

4 Fail-Proof Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Your Business Day 4 Fail-Proof Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Your Business Day Startup culture programs us to  think that it takes nearly nonstop work to make it to the top. People think of sleeping pods in offices, hackathons, and endless cups of  coffee. Sometimes, the pressure to always be on can disguise itself as  a flexible work schedule. In reality, the fact that you can work from anywhere  is just an invitation to work no matter where you are. As an entrepreneur building a lifestyle business, I find that directing a 100-percent  remote company can easily turn into an exercise in being a workaholic if I dont put limits on myself. I learned this the hard way with my first few businesses, where I used to work myself into the ground thinking that that was what productivity meant. No matter how driven you may be, your body simply wasnt made to be on 24/7. Pushing yourself beyond the point of fatigue is not a sustainable strategy in the long term. If you want your business to thrive, then you have to give it the very best of yourself. That doesnt mean putting in grueling 18-hour days amped up on caffeine, ordering fast food for its convenience, and sitting the whole time. It means giving your business focused, productive energy and doing whatever you need to do to replenish that energy. Stand by Your Quitting Time You should give your business a significant portion of your time every day, but you dont have to be on call all the time. Institute a hard stop every day. Mine is around 4:30 P.M.  After that, I spend time with my family or hang out with my friends. Its amazing what this has done for my productivity. Compared to when I was first starting out when I used to work any time I wasnt sleeping forcing myself to stick to a hard stop time gives my day more structure. I might put in fewer hours of work overall, but the ones that I do put in are hyperfocused. My overall productivity has remained the same, and I have more time to spend on other things I love. Sleep Studies show  that people who get between seven and  eight hours of sleep every night perform better on cognitive tests. Thats why Ive stopped believing in all-nighters. Ive found that the one-time increase in hours worked is something I wind up paying for days afterward. Its like sprinting the first two miles in a marathon: your overall movement becomes slower even though you really push it for a short stretch. Your business is like a big marathon for your brain, so do what you need to do to get enough sleep for your body and wake up rested. The quality of your sleep matters, too. Sleep in complete darkness and avoid  screen time before bed (that means no checking your phone or tablet while  the lights are off). Your brain maintains itself, heals,  and organizes information while youre asleep,  all of  which is crucial for your continued success as an entrepreneur. Exercise Exercise produces endorphins that boost your mental state and calm you down, helping you focus and make better decisions for your business. By improving your mood and lowering stress, youll avoid making rash decisions motivated by anxiety. Exercise also boosts energy and reduces fatigue by helping you sleep better.  This  study  shows that these benefits can even come from low-intensity exercise, as long as its regular. For me, playing with the kids, taking a brisk walk around the block, or even doing some yard work all count if Im moving around and I break a sweat. Make an effort to get fit  by exercising in the morning or  during the mid-afternoon slump, and youll have much more mental energy for your business. Reduce Decision Fatigue With Routine Decision fatigue is an inevitable result of having to make decisions every day. When the volume of decisions you have to make is  too high, your mental energy gets  depleted, and your brain experiences a short-term burnout. Entrepreneurs who try to work through decision fatigue experience great lapses in judgment, have difficulty staying focused, and tend to be more pessimistic. The key to reducing decision fatigue is to schedule all your important decision-making moments earlier in the day, when you have more mental energy. Then implement as many routines as you can in your workday so that you have to spend less mental energy elsewhere. I find that scheduling time to review my employees work, answering emails, and any other easy tasks are best done at the same time each day, ideally in the afternoon. At this point, because I know they come at the same time every day, those tasks are like brushing my teeth something I just do instead of deciding to do. No matter which of these techniques you choose for reducing mental fatigue, think  of these tips as energy boosts  instead of  breaks. Productivity doesnt come from being glued to the helm of your business every waking moment. It comes from energized, focused bouts of work, balanced with well-deserved rest. - This article originally appeared on BusinessCollective. Dave Nevogt is a cofounder of  Hubstaff, a time-tracking software for remote teams. Hubstaff allows managers to see time spent on projects, screenshots, activity levels, in-depth reports, and timesheets. Dave has been founding companies since 2004, with his first success coming at age 23. Follow him at @dnevogt.