7 steps to scheduling yourself for success

It seems like one day as a financial advisor you go from struggling to find clients to juggling endless meetings, urgent emails and last-minute crises, all while trying to work on your business in whatever slivers of time you can find.

Handling this requires deliberate time and attention. With a few practical steps, however, you can carve out the time to manage your financial advisory practice and still keep your sanity.

1. Figure out where your time actually goes

Before you can fix anything, you need to know what’s broken. Start by tracking your time for one week — from impromptu hallway chats to late-night email marathons. Look honestly at how much time is going toward reactive firefighting, how much is lost to email and admin work, how much of your time is meeting with clients and how much of your day is spent in real, meaningful conversations with your team.

The results might be sobering. That’s OK. This exercise isn’t about guilt; it’s about identifying the problem so you can fix it.

Ask yourself: Where am I spending time that doesn’t align with my priorities as a financial advisor?

2. Block your calendar like you mean it

Once you know where your time is going, it’s time to reclaim it. Treat management time as non-negotiable, just like a critical client meeting. That means blocking time for weekly planning (30 to 60 minutes to review priorities and get organized), brief daily check-ins with yourself each morning, regular one-on-ones with each team member and dedicated space for team development.

Ask yourself: Is my calendar reflecting my role as a financial advisor who runs a team, or am I letting other priorities take over?

3. Learn to let go

You can’t do it all, and you shouldn’t try. Delegation isn’t about offloading work you don’t want to do. It’s about empowering your team while freeing up your own time to focus on higher-level priorities. Before you delegate, think through a few things:

• What tasks are you currently doing that someone else could handle?
• Who on your team is ready for more responsibility?
• Are you providing clear instructions and expectations?
• How will you check progress without micromanaging?

Done well, delegation is one of the most powerful tools in your toolkit. It builds capability on your team and gives you back the time you need to see clients and think strategically about the practice.

Ask yourself: Am I delegating effectively, or am I holding on to tasks my team could manage?

4. Stop being reactive to pop-up problems

Being reactive is a time and energy drain. It’s like bailing water out of a boat without plugging the leak — you stay busy but never make real progress. The antidote is to be proactive by looking for patterns in recurring problems, building systems or processes to prevent issues from arising in the first place, and fostering a culture where team members feel safe raising concerns early, before they become crises.

This shift takes time to build, but it pays dividends. Every fire you prevent is time you get to actually spend with clients.

Ask yourself: Am I spending more time fixing problems or preventing them?

5. Make development conversations count

Conversations about growth aren’t just nice to have. They’re essential for your team’s success and, over time, for reducing your own workload. When your team is developing their skills, fewer fires land on your desk.

Ask yourself: Am I dedicating enough time to helping my team grow?

6. Guard your time

Your time is one of your most valuable resources, and it’s your job to protect it. Let your team know when you’re available and when you need uninterrupted focus time. Clearly define what counts as an emergency, set boundaries for interruptions and train your team to handle certain situations on their own.

This isn’t about being inaccessible. It’s about being intentional so that when you are present, you can give your full attention to what matters most.

Ask yourself: Am I setting and enforcing boundaries that allow me to focus on high-priority work?

7. Check your progress regularly

Running a financial advisory business is a constant learning process, and regular self-assessment is essential. Schedule time to reflect on what’s working, what isn’t and what needs to change. Do you feel more in control, or are you still overwhelmed? These questions don’t have permanent answers — check in on them often.

The last idea

Being a successful financial advisor isn’t about working more hours or saying yes to everything. It’s about being intentional with your time and energy. Start small. Block time for one-on-ones. Carve out 30 minutes each week for planning. Build from there.

Ask yourself: What’s the first thing you’re going to block time for this week?

Kate Zabriskie is the president of Business Training Works Inc., a talent development firm. She and her team provide on-site, virtual and online soft-skills training courses and workshops. For more information, visit businesstrainingworks.com.

For more time management tips, read

• Prevent burnout: Time management and staying balanced
• Making every minute count (MDRT member-exclusive content)