Don’t take the “bull in a china shop” approach by aggressively
overhauling your lifestyle. You may not be able to implement all of these tips,
but over time (and even with a little tweaking) you may find a strategy that
works for you. Pick a few strategies until you’ve mastered them or you’re
comfortable moving on to the next strategy.
Take it one step at a time to gain more time!
1. Focus on the Important Things
Do less. I’m reminded by one of my
favorite Bruce Lee quotes: “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease.
Hack away at the inessential.” As they say, “Less is more.” Get rid of clutter:
junk and nonessential tasks. Stop playing games and surfing social media. Focus
on what’s important.
2. Remove the Clutter
Much of our “visual noise” is caused
by stuff. Practice a three-part clutter rating system that will help you
prevent and remove clutter:
o
It’s important now. Use it and then put it in its home
(where it’s supposed to be).
o
It will be important. Put it in its home (where it’s
supposed to be).
o
It’s not important. Get rid of it: Toss it or if
possible, consider donating it.
3. Get Organized and Stay That Way
Pick an organizational system,
execute it, and stick to it. Your new system may feel foreign at first, but it
will eventually form into a habit. If you slip or feel like you’re ready to
give up, recall the benefits of being organized and pick up where you left off.
When necessary, make adjustments, but avoid switching to new organizational
systems or you’ll lose the benefits.
4. Keep a One-Stop Weekly Calendar
Whether it’s a pocket calendar, wall
calendar, smartphone app, etc. – keep ONE calendar. First, keep track of the
usual calendar suspects: events, birthdays, and appointments. Second, use your
weekly calendar to keep track of bills, plan menus, make appointments with
yourself to write, etc. This will help prevent the scenario of sifting through
bills, notes, and multiple calendars.
5. Get Ready the Night Before
Get it out of your head. Plan out
your next day by listing quick notes about what you need to do and even lay out
your clothes, pack your lunch, etc. to prevent those early morning rushes.
6. Set Daily Goals and Rewards
In the morning, take 5-10 minutes to
look at the day ahead (reviewing and revising the list you prepared the night
before, right?) and set goals. For each goal achieved, set a reward equal to
the goal. Finished that 30-day project? Treat yourself by scheduling a
30-minute massage. Cleaned your email inbox? Indulge in 5 minutes of social
media or the latest puzzle app.
7. Do the Important Stuff First
This is the ultimate “Procrastination
Be Gone” formula: Pick 2-3 things you want to accomplish today and do them
first. No “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” – do it.
8. Focus on What’s in Front of You
Of course, not all tasks require 100%
focus, but for tasks like writing, never multitask. If you refocus your
attention on another task, it can take more time to refocus on your original task. Don’t do it. Stay
focused.
9. I Mean It: Stay Focused
Turn off your phone and disconnect
from the Internet during tasks, like writing, to focus. Don’t drop what you’re
currently doing to address something you just thought of or remembered. If you
think of something completely unrelated to what you’re working on, jot down a
few quick notes (a word or two to jog your memory will suffice). Keep up
momentum: FOCUS.
10. Execute Decisions Faster
If you find yourself hemming and
hawing over a decision, make a decision then and there. If the task has a lot
hanging on the outcome, seek/ask for more information if you need it, but the
key is: make a decision now.
11. Delegate and Learn to Love It
We can be greedy with our workloads.
Drop the “if you want things done right, you have to do it yourself” mentality.
If it can be done by someone else (more effectively) and it’s not an important
task, then delegate it.
12. Just Say “No”
Stop agreeing to take on things for
which you don’t have time. If you don’t have time for it or it will take your
focus away from other priorities, say no.
13. HELP Is not a Dirty 4-Letter Word
Ask for help (nicely). Sometimes a
fresh set of eyes is all you need to get back on track, but be sure your plea
is directed at the right person and is respectful of their own priorities.
14. Time Activities
We all can get swept away by
television, social media, Internet browsing, repinning, article reading, and
games. Allot yourself an amount of time for online activities and playing
games. Set an alarm. When the time is up, stop the activity.
15. Time Your Conversations and Meetings
I’m not recommending that you “don’t
socialize” or be rude. I’m recommending that you don’t allow conversations or
meetings to completely disrupt your day. Allot yourself time. For “water
cooler” talks, give yourself 5 minutes and keep them infrequent. For meetings,
estimate how much time you’ll need to address the needs of those involved, come
prepared, and if there isn’t already an agenda, propose talking points to
squeeze more value out of the meeting.
16. Call, Don’t Text
Text messaging is supposed to be
quick and to the point – not long, drawn out conversations. For anything beyond
a quick yes or no question, call. For example, call for emergencies and all of
those “how are you” and “what ‘cha doin’” questions. If it goes to voicemail,
don’t worry. Most people have access to visual voicemail anyway, so it will be
like a text. Either way, trust that they will get the message.
17. Turn Aimless Browsing Into Growth Opportunities
Create an ongoing list of questions,
curiosities, or things you’ve always wanted to find out more about. When you
sit down to browse the Internet, start looking for answers. You might surprise
yourself with what you find.
18. Do Your Errands at the Same Time
Schedule time to do errands and plan
a route ahead of time to ensure you’re not wasting time bouncing back and forth
across town.
19. Filter Your Email
How much time do you waste in your
inbox? Filter your email:
o
Create rules for recurring emails that don’t require an action
to be archived in a particular folder.
o
Set rigorous anti-spam settings to block unwanted email from
reaching your inbox.
o
Form a habit of touching an email once: If you open it, you have
to address it (e.g., respond and file).
On a related note: When you’re at a
checkout counter of a shop you don’t frequent often and the clerk asks for your
email address, politely decline. You can always like their Facebook page,
follow their Twitter account, etc. to stay up-to-date with their announcements
and promotions.
20. Automate Responses
If you find yourself replying with
the same or nearly identical responses for clients, keep a template to quickly
copy/paste the response and tweak it as necessary to personalize the message.
21. Automate Bill Payments
For any recurring bills that you
have: AUTOMATE. Not only will this save you time, it may even save you money
and raise your credit score if you’re the forgetful type.
22. Sort the Mail in Your Hand
When you get your mail, don’t let it
sit in a moldering pile. Sort out the junk right away and then prioritize other
items respectively (see weekly calendar). If possible, go green by electing not
to receive the hard copy.
23. Avoid Rush Hour
Do you commute to work? Negotiate a
work schedule to travel during non-traffic delayed times. You can easily turn a
30-minute, traffic-jammed commute into 15 minutes by getting ahead of the
traffic or waiting it out.
24. Keep a Running Shopping List
Create a policy that for whoever
squeezes the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube, kills the mustard bottle,
etc., they are responsible to write it down on the shopping list (failure to
adhere to this rule results in a penalty: additional chores or tasks on
demand). In doing so, this will save time from taking inventory as well as keep
your shopping trip quick – get into the store, grab what you need, and go
(rather than meandering down aisles).
25. Cook for Tomorrow
Double the amount of what your
cooking and refrigerate/freeze the leftovers. It may take you a small amount of
time to double what you’re already making, but it will save you much more time
making your next meal by not having to start from scratch.
26. Wash Dishes While You Cook
Rather than letting it all stack up
on the kitchen counter or in the sink (this personally grosses me out on levels
I cannot describe), wash your dishes and utensils you have finished using while
you’re cooking. This turns that huge cleanup event at the end into a more
manageable task. It also prevents food from drying and obnoxiously sticking to
dishes.
27. Spend Less Time on Laundry
Presort laundry. This way, you don’t
have to dump all of your clothes on your bedroom or laundry room floor so you
can pick out the whites, the delicate garments, etc. Once that particular
presorted load of laundry is full, then you’re ready to wash, dry, fold, and
put it away. If you have kids old enough to participate, let them fold their
stuff and put it away.
28. Learn While You Workout
Listen to news, podcasts, and
audiobooks rather than music to keep up with trends in your niche, current
events, books, and learning at large.
29. Exercise More Effectively
Exchange moderation for higher
intensity. You can have a more effective and efficient workout by putting more effort into a 30-minute high-intensity
workout than 90 minutes of low-to-medium effort. Check with your doctor for
information on your target heart rate and what exercises may be right for you.
30. Combine Activities
Need to catch up with a friend, but
you need to bake cookies for the kiddos’ bake sale? Invite your friend over and
you may find they have a great love for cookie decorating! Need to run, but you
also have to take the dog for a walk? Run with the dog – he/she will love it.
This will save you tons of time and can be fun in the process!
Looking at this list, I realize that’s a lot more time-saving
tips than I set out to write (I initially was going to run a “Top 7″ post) and
there’s so much more to share!