Part of the American Dream is the opportunity to create your own wealth and destiny. As a business owner, you have the chance to not only establish your own business, but to create an identity that is consistent with your goals and vision. One of the major challenges that new business owners have in the early stages is wearing the many hats. Operating a successful business often requires more time and resources than initially anticipated.

Time management plays a key role in handling the daily grind of running your own operation. Setting daily goals is an essential part of building a results-oriented routine for your business day. How does your day begin? Do you start early and end late? Do you accomplish enough during your business day? Or is every day a challenge?

Here are some tips to conquer time management:

- Do you procrastinate? Procrastination can leave you overwhelmed and create an entire new set of business problems. Get to the root of your procrastination and eliminate it!

- Make a list of priorities for the day and stick to it. Simpler than it sounds, keeping a to-do list will hold you accountable for your day and keep you moving forward.

- How do you spend your time? Focusing on a group of unimportant tasks while the important ones fall by the wayside? Wasting business resources and time on smaller tasks that could be outsourced to someone else? Get a handle on what is important and you will experience a more productive workday.

- Don't let the pressure get to you. Sometimes it feels like we have to perform far beyond our limitations as a small business owner. Stress can attack your day and the performance of your business. So take a moment to assess the most important goals for the day and get back on target!