It never fails that at some point during the year, you get really, really busy. We’re talking so busy that you feel like a crazy person for pursuing entrepreneurship.

It happens: Even great historical figures like Abraham Lincoln struggled with time management. He said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

When your busy season hits, your time becomes an even more precious resource. Waste it, and your bottom line will suffer. You’ll lose customers. People will start to share their negative experiences with your business.

So how can you take advantage of time management tips to make every work hour more productive? Start by reading this post.

Keep a tight schedule.

If your smartphone is always by your side, you’ve got a handy calendar right in your pocket. Put your to do-list on your phone and set up alerts so that you never forget where you need to be and what you need to do. While you’re checking emails and making calls, you can pop into your calendar to see where you need to head next.

Close your door.

Lots of business owners pride themselves on their “open door” policy, but sometimes, that door has to be closed. Sending the “do not disturb” message helps you work productively and without distractions that keep you from getting things done. If the phone is a problem, turn off your phone’s ability to accept incoming calls when you need to push through a work session.

Hire more help.

You can’t clone yourself, but you can delegate. Hire some temporary freelance support for task-specific work, or get a virtual assistant who can handle some of the day-to-day functions that tug at your attention throughout the workweek.

Make time for mental health.

Busy season = burnout season, so you have to schedule time to just focus on you. Even if it’s only five minutes per day, make it a priority to meditate, exercise, or simply rest your brain from taxing business-related thoughts. That means making sure you’re getting enough sleep, too.

Try a new productivity technique.

Ever heard of the Pomodoro method? Working in 25-minute sprints, you can optimize your productivity with the ultimate time management hack. This method helps you take regular breaks and power through your to-do list in a brain-healthy format.

Stop saying yes.

If you’re saying yes to every new opportunity, its no wonder you’re feeling overloaded and busy. ‘No’ can be a beautiful thing — and helps you sort out what really matters to you and your business. Be more selective about what you dedicate your time to.

Establish hard stop times.

Calls and meetings can easily run long, and leave you always struggling to catch up. With hard stop times, you can let others know you have to move on when the clock hits a certain point.

Switch up your working hours.

If all else fails, you can always consider starting work a bit earlier or staying a little bit late — or even working on part of a weekend. The trick here is to not overdo it. You still need work-life balance, but if you truly feel like you can’t catch up during the workweek, every entrepreneur knows what it means to put in a few extra hours to make things happen.

Time Management: You Can Do It

If you’re willing to alter your time management approach, you can get on the right path to a healthier, more balanced schedule. Take steps toward feeling less stressed during your busy season, and your business will flourish as a result.

What other time management hacks do you use?