Try These Frameworks To Take Back Your Time
Running a business can often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Between managing clients, handling finances, and putting out daily fires, it’s easy to lose focus on what really matters.
At Rhombus Accounting, we see it all the time. Business owners come to us overwhelmed, exhausted, and stuck in a constant cycle of being busy but not necessarily productive.
The truth is, managing your time effectively isn’t about working harder — it’s about working smarter.
Here are three tried-and-tested productivity frameworks that can help you take back control of your time, make better decisions, and get more done without burning out.
The Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is one of the simplest and most powerful tools for deciding what deserves your attention.
It’s based on a simple idea: not everything that feels urgent is actually important.
You divide your tasks into four categories:
Urgent and Important – Do these first. These are tasks that need immediate attention, like submitting tax returns, paying suppliers, or dealing with client issues.
Important but Not Urgent – Schedule these. These tasks help you grow your business long-term, such as planning, marketing, or developing systems.
Urgent but Not Important – Delegate these. Someone else can handle them, such as routine admin or responding to minor emails.
Neither Urgent nor Important – Eliminate these. They add little value and distract you from meaningful work.
Using this matrix regularly helps you prioritise effectively and stop wasting energy on low-impact tasks.
The 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)
The 80/20 Rule is one of the most eye-opening frameworks for any business owner.
It suggests that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your efforts. In other words, a small number of activities or clients usually drive most of your success.
To apply it, look at your:
Best-performing products or services
Most profitable clients
Tasks that bring in the highest return on your time
Once you identify those top 20 percent activities, focus your time and energy there. Reduce or delegate the rest.
For example, if one type of service consistently brings in high-value clients, double down on that offering. If certain clients take up lots of time but deliver little profit, consider whether they’re worth keeping.
The 80/20 Rule helps you work strategically, not reactively, and ensures your time goes toward what truly moves your business forward.
Time Blocking
Time blocking is a simple but highly effective method for managing your day. Instead of keeping an open schedule and jumping between tasks, you assign specific time slots for focused work.
Here’s how it works:
Break your day into blocks of time (for example, 30 minutes to two hours).
Assign each block a specific purpose, such as client calls, admin, marketing, or planning.
Avoid multitasking during these blocks — focus entirely on that one task.
Time blocking helps you stay on track, reduces distractions, and ensures that the important work actually gets done.
You can also use different colours in your calendar to separate types of work. For example, use one colour for meetings, another for deep work, and another for personal time.
When you treat your time like an appointment, you’re more likely to stick to it.
The Bottom Line
Managing your time effectively isn’t just about productivity, it’s about creating space to focus on growth, strategy, and the things that matter most.
By using frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix, the 80/20 Rule, and Time Blocking, you can take control of your schedule, reduce stress, and make real progress in your business.
At Rhombus Accounting, we help business owners not only stay on top of their finances but also manage their time more efficiently so they can focus on what they do best — running their business.
Meet Lewis
Lewis is a professional accountant and founder of Rhombus Accounting. He regularly shares his knowledge and best advice here on his blog and on other channels such as LinkedIn.
Book a call today to learn more about what Lewis and Rhombus Accounting can do for you.
