Two precious hours – How to reclaim your time

Every owner managed business I have worked with shares the same problem: too much to do, not enough time and far too much of the business relying on one person. Usually the founder.

And if you are honest, you probably already know the solution is not working longer hours. It is building better habits and better systems that give you control rather than chaos.

Last week, I talked about the value of carving out two precious hours every week to step back, reset and look ahead. Today, we are going to dig into what actually happens during those two hours because done properly, this is one of the most powerful steps you can take to make your business less dependent on you.

Set yourself up before you start

If you have not already, the first step is setting up a way to dictate content. This could be a dictation service like UK Typing or one of the many apps available.

The point is not the technology. It is the habit. Capturing clear instructions quickly means you can delegate effectively instead of piling more work on your own plate.

Apps give you immediacy. Human typists give you accuracy. Both work, so choose whichever option helps you use it consistently. Once it is in place, those two hours will instantly become more productive.

The two priorities: delegation and the to do list

Your two precious hours are not for firefighting. They are not for catching up on emails. They are not for the quick job that never turns out to be quick.

Those two hours are for two priorities only.

Delegation.

Updating your to do list.

And you must protect this time. Think about a goalkeeper in the final minutes of a cup match. If you let yourself get drawn back into doing the work, you lose the moment where clarity, not pressure, dictates the week ahead.

Delegation: more is delegatable than you think

One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given was this: are you the only person in the world who can do this piece of work?

It is a great test. Most of the time, the answer is no.

We all like to believe certain tasks need our direct involvement. Some genuinely do and those go on the to do list. But the truth is that far more can be delegated than most owners admit.

This is where dictation earns its keep. Do not just forward an email and hope for the best. Dictate clear, detailed instructions so your team can deliver even when you are not available to explain it.

Use this session to clear the decks. Whether requests come through email, WhatsApp, text or your internal system, delete what you do not need, delegate what you can and keep only what genuinely belongs with you.

The to do list: the most undervalued tool in business

If you do not have an up to date to do list, your business will always be too dependent on your memory and your memory is already overloaded.

There is almost a one hundred percent correlation between business owners drowning in urgent work and business owners who do not keep their to do list in order.

I do not mean a scrap of paper or an app with half written reminders. I mean a complete, numbered list on a simple spreadsheet.

Why a spreadsheet? The data sort function. When things get messy, and they will, you can delete the numbers and re sort everything by priority in seconds.

And let us be honest. High, medium and low is nonsense. If twenty things are marked high, which one goes first? Numbered lists force decisions. Decisions create clarity. Clarity reduces chaos.

Prioritising urgent versus important

I am not going to preach a single method because every owner managed business has its own rhythm and pressure points. But whatever method you use must lead to one outcome.

You know exactly what you need to tackle first on Monday morning.

That alone is worth the two hours. For many owners, the simple relief of having a plan is what gets them out of bed earlier and reduces that Monday morning dread.

Setting hares running to build momentum

If you still have time left, look further down your list. Are there tasks someone else could start for you? Jobs where sixty percent done by someone else gets you ninety percent of the way there?

This is what I call setting hares running. It reduces future bottlenecks and builds momentum without you doing all the heavy lifting.

We will cover this in more detail soon, but even a couple of early handovers can save hours later in the month.

And now you are ready for the week ahead

Two precious hours.
A clear inbox.
Delegated tasks.
A properly prioritised to do list.
No surprises waiting for you on Monday.

This is how you make your business less dependent on you. Not through heroic effort but through small, consistent habits that build structure, control and freedom.

Next week, I will talk about how to get the right help to make all of this easier.