|
The below article is by Zoë Routh from Inner Compass www.innercompass.com.au It is a fantastic list of the common methods of gaining more time in a day, I have seen most of them on various web sites, but not all together like this.
Have I actually taken on some of these ideas, well some of them and I'm working on adding more of them, some don't suit me directly, but one I found was exceptionally handy was laying my clothes out the night before, I don't actually do it all of the time, just when I know I might need it (morning after training, busy day ahead,etc) it's strange it does not really save me that much time, as for work I already know what I'll be wearing, but it is one less thing to think about and the morning seems to go so much easier. It is also great in the mornings as I put out my exercise clothes, so when I get up at 5:00AM and I'm still waking up, I just walk to the living room/lounge room pull on my clothes and head out for a run or to throw some weights around....
Every executive I work with always lists ""more time"" as the biggest thing that would make a difference to their lives. Let's face it though, there is no more 'time' to get - there are only the 24 hours that get reset each day. It is of course how you use that time that accounts. Below are some tried and tested strategies guaranteed to stem leaky time wasters and allow you more time for things you REALLY want. 1. Organise your desk drawers.
Spend a lot of time rifling through drawers looking for something? Have everything you need on a daily basis in the top drawer. Everything of secondary use or rarely used, put in the subsequent drawers according to frequency of use.
5 minutes of searching for random objects per day x 5 = 35 minutes 2. Limit email time
Check your emails at specific times - first thing, before lunch, and at end of the day. Turn off the alert system. This way you can dedicate your concentration to whatever task is at hand and won't be sidetracked by something unrelated.
3 distracting emails per hour x 1 minute per email x 4 hours of deskwork per day x 5 days per week = 60 minutes 3. Block out YOU time every day
You will be far more relaxed and focussed if you get a chance to do something that is utterly and purely for you, your pleasure, your battery re-charging.
Increased efficiency of 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week = 75 minutes 4. Exercise every day
Increase blood flow, mental sharpness, reduce stress, and increase relaxation. It all equals a more effective you.
Increased efficiency of 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week = 75 minutes 5. Take breaks
Research shows that the brain can only focus on one topic consecutively for about 90 minutes. So change the tempo, focus, and pace by taking a break for a few minutes each 90-minute segment. Stretch, get a glass of water, and talk about the football - anything to change mental gears and physical position.
Increased efficiency of 10 minutes per day, 5 days per week = 50 minutes 6. Pay bills all at once, on line
By clumping this task to a specific time once per month and by doing it on line you save travel, waiting in line, waiting on the phone.
15 minutes of travel, 5 minutes waiting in line, 5 minutes waiting on the phone per month / 4 weeks = 6 minutes 7. Hire a house cleaner
By outsourcing the basic functions of house cleaning, not only will your house look awesome, but a) you won't be doing the work yourself, b) you won't worry about it anymore! A real winner!
120 minutes 8. Systemise your errands
No matter how much you outsource, there are still little jobs that get left over to be done each week. If you make a regular schedule for them, you can build other outings into the routine, saving you extra trips.
20 minutes 9. Blast clutter
Clutter not only looks bad, it causes confusion, distraction, and hides things you are looking for. Get rid of the rubbish, systemise the rest.
5 minutes per day saved not looking for things in random piles x 7 days = 35 minutes 10. Enjoy the one-pot wonder meals
Preparation, cooking, and cleaning up after meals can sap some serious hours out of your life. Go for simpler meals such as soups, casseroles, stews that you can throw in the slow cooker in the morning and be ready by dinnertime. Only one pot to clean too!
20 minutes per meal x 5 meals per week = 100 minutes 11. Use a 'launch pad'
Have one place in the house and office that you use to dump all your portable take-with-you items such as purse, wallet, sunglasses, keys. This way everything you need to get up and go will be in one place. You can also use this place to write out errand lists, shopping lists, collect mail to post, books to return to the library.
5 minutes per day saved not looking for lost keys etc x 7 days =
35 minutes 12. Use an electronic diary, or personal digital assistant
This fantastic device allows you to take all your contacts, schedule, emails, and notes with you. You can enter all new appointments while you are out, write notes or emails while you are stuck in line, and then it all synchronises with your desktop back at the office. No more re-writing notes and appointments!
5 minutes per day x 5 = 25 minutes 13. Stop doing things that are not a key priority
For one week stop and ask yourself each time you undertake a new activity, 'does this support my current key most important priorities and objectives?' If it does not, then dump it. Examples are having lunch with someone because you feel you should, reading junk emails, watching TV.
60 minutes 14. Watch less television
Some people I know have actually eliminated TV completely from their homes! How much time could YOU save if you watched a little less?
Try just one hour less per day x 7 = 420 minutes 15. Use a shopping list whiteboard on your fridge
How many times have you gone to the shop only to return home without the key ingredient for the meal?? If you keep a running list on your fridge, you simply write down items as you run low on them, and then your list is ready to go on your weekly trip to the shops. No more extra trips!
30 minutes 16. Write out your routines
Writing out your daily, weekly, and monthly routines for both home and work is an excellent way to ensure all the essentials get done in a timely and efficient way. It also greatly reduces stress as you can pull out your routines book and just follow the instructions.
15 minutes per week in improved efficiency 17. Lay out your clothes the night before
How many times have you opened up your cupboard doors and just stared. Then pulled out and tried on half a dozen outfits before finally settling on one. This usually happens when you are running late of course!
10 minutes per day x 7 = 70 minutes 18. Clear your email to ZERO every day
Sounds like a pipedream? It's definitely possible. At the end of each day make sure you have deleted, scheduled, filed or delegated all your email. There is no reason to have an overflowing inbox.
Save at least 5 minutes per day scrolling through email that has banked up looking for that all important message x 5 =
25 minutes 19. Plan your day in the morning or night before
When you identify your key priorities and tasks and have a plan of attack, the work tends to flow easily through the list.
15 minutes of increased productivity per day x 5 = 75 minutes 20. Schedule recurring appointments in your diary
This avoids double booking and allows you to work around a regular schedule.
5 minutes per week in re-scheduling 21. Use ONE task list
How many places do you have jobs-to-do piling up? Your in-tray? Your email in box? Scraps of paper? Your brain? Use one central place to manage all your responsibilities. Reduces the stress of worrying what's in each pile of to-dos.
10 minutes per day sorting through each pile x 5 = 50 minutes 22. Coordinate your wardrobe
If most items coordinate with each other you will spend less time trying to mix and match outfits each day.
5 minutes per day staring in the cupboard x 7 = 35 minutes 23. Organise your wardrobe
Having a logical system for storing your clothes saves you a ton of time when selecting your outfit for the day. Pants together, shirts together, etc.
2 minutes per day rifling through drawers etc x 7 = 14 minutes 24. Don't do your own taxes
You don't do taxes every day, but when you do it can be a laborious and agonising process. Outsource and save all that energy AND time.
5 hours (300 minutes) / 52 weeks = works out to 5 minutes per week 25. Don't do your own window washing
You may not do it every day, but when you do it, what a pain in the bum! Dump this sucker off your to-do list.
2 hours (120 minutes) twice per year /52 weeks = 4 minutes 26. Hire a gardener or landscape for minimal maintenance
No matter how much you love it, it can be a total time sucker. Choose how much garden time you REALLY want, then outsource or re-design your garden for minimal care.
At least 60 minutes per week 27. Automate computer backups
When you do remember to do it (!!!) it takes a lot longer than you think to set it up and do the process. Subscribe to an automated service that does it on-line every day.
10 minutes per day x 7 = 70 minutes 28. Have meeting free days
Are they a meeting or a 'gab fest'? When you schedule meeting-free days, you can power through all your tasks and projects in mostly interruption-free gleefulness.
60 minutes 29. Do breakfast instead of lunch
Taking time out to have a lunch with a colleague or friend can drag on - commuting to the location, waiting for service, staying longer than you expected. It all adds up. If you meet for brekkie on your way to work, you are less likely to linger.
30 minutes per week 30. Use a brain book
Have a book where you dump all random ideas, tasks, and reminders as they come to you. When you know you have captured your ideas on paper, you can relax knowing they will be processed when you are in front of your activity hub (calendar and task list).
10 minutes per week saved remembering and then forgetting things you need to do 31. Use mind mapping software for all projects and reports
I worked out that I save approximately 4 hours per report or project simply by using mind mapping software. Not only am I more creative, but the function that allows me to export the mind map to a word document saves hours in formatting. Can't imagine life without it!
4 hours (240 minutes) per project per week 32. Write out your intentions for the day
When you choose and articulate on paper how you want to experience your day and what you want to achieve, the brain seems to go on autopilot and presto! The day turns out as you had intended.
15 minutes per day x 7 = 105 minutes in increased productivity and efficiency 33. Map out your time and activities
Create a blue print or template for all of your activities. This is like budgeting your time. When you know how much time all of your jobs take and where you can actually put them in your calendar, it makes it easier to say 'yes' or 'no' to additional tasks or engagements.
30 minutes per week in increased productivity 34. Stop worrying
When you were pacing the room chewing your fingernails were you very solution-focussed? Did it in any way alter the outcome of the situation? Hmmm. NO! Worrying is a huge waste of time and energy. Rather than stewing on 'what if' and 'if only', invest your time and anergy in action-oriented solutions.
Depending on how much of a worrywart you are, this can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 60 minutes per day. We'll go conservative 5 x 7 = 35 minutes 35. Have fun!
Work and play is soooo much easier when you are having fun! Challenge yourself to make all your jobs pleasurable and the time will never, ever drag. Play some dance music when you are de-cluttering, give yourself rewards when you complete a project, and always make sure you are doing things you LOVE to do that support you and how you truly want to experience your life.
Time saved: Beyond measure Grand total of time saved per week: 2084 minutes, or 34.7 hours |
