The 11 time-management mistakes you're probably making, and how to fix them

Take all of your tasks and place them into four quadrants:

• To do first: the most important responsibilities that need to be done today or tomorrow.
• Schedule: important tasks that are not urgent.
• Delegate: essential items that are not important.
• Don't do: tasks that aren't important or urgent. 

You don't have to be doing everything — check your ego and delegate. 

For example, if you don't have a staff, outsource specific jobs to freelancers: hire a personal assistant to manage your calendar, email, social accounts or blog. 

You don't have to wake up early to be productive. 

Instead, you have to figure out when you have the most energy and focus during the day and complete your most important tasks then. It's all about working around your peak productivity.

No matter how well planned you are, you will get interrupted. That's why it's crucial that your calendar has some flexibility. 

We all strive to deliver quality work, but constantly aiming for perfection is unrealistic.

Often the pressure we put on ourselves to "be perfect" leads us to pressure other people about their issues. It's not worth it.

It's not always easy to determine how long it will take you to finish a task — but usually, it takes longer than you think it will. 

Keep a time log for at least a week to see how you spend your time.

It's acceptable to have a little clutter around your workspace. This doesn't mean you have to leave food wrappings on your desk or never putting tools back to their place after using them.

If you don't have the time, then there's no need to stress yourself out about a small mess. Set aside a day per week to organize your space.

Regardless of how much you have on your plate, everyone needs breaks to refocus and recharge.

Your break could be a 10-minute walk between tasks, but try to unplug completely during non-business hours.

Experiment with various time management techniques until you find the system that works best for you.

It will take some trial and error but until effectively manage your time, you'll constantly battle the clock.