We all say it don’t we? There are not enough hours in a day!
You can’t wave a magic wand and make the days longer but there are things you can do to save time.
Today I am going to suggest ways in which you can add hours to your day by maximising what you can accomplish with the time you do have.
This will require a change in your habits, but many of these strategies are so rewarding that once you see the benefits, you’ll be motivated to continue.
Follow these tips to add hours to your day and accomplish more:
1. Put things away when you’re done with them. Rather than creating clutter which gets in your way and is emotionally distracting and draining, put things away when you’re done using them. Tell yourself that a task isn’t complete until everything is picked up which will save you time and energy in the long run.
2. Do easy things during your least productive hours. Everyone has a time of day when their physical or mental energy is low. What’s yours? Schedule easy tasks during these times. It can be a good time to read emails, file papers, or tidy up.
3. Do your most challenging tasks during your most productive hours. Likewise, you have a time of day when your focus and energy are high. Identify yours and choose to do your most challenging tasks during this time.
4. Reduce the amount of time spent on low-value activities. You might be surprised by how much time you spend watching TV, surfing the internet, or texting friends. Putting this time to better use can easily add a few hours of productive time for most people.
5. Batch your activities. Answer all of your emails in one go, have a dedicated block of time for being online, pay all of your bills twice a month, batch cook on Sunday's and do your admin at the same time of day. Remember that it takes time to switch tasks and regain your focus.
This is one of my favorites.....
6. Make use of waiting time. If you’re stuck in traffic, listen to a podcast or an audible book. If you’re on the train and the carriage is quiet, catch up on your phone calls. If you’re waiting at the doctor’s office, deal with your emails. Waiting for your child to get dressed? Clean up the kitchen.
7. Track your time. The average person has little idea about how they spend their time. Track how you spend your time for a week. Every 30 minutes record how you spent the last half-hour. Divide your activities into different categories e.g. online, cleaning, working, watching TV and see how much time you spend on each.
8. Get help. Ask for help. Give your partner or children some tasks to do at home. Is a relative constantly asking you if they can help? If finances permit, get extra for household jobs, it doesn’t have to be every week. This will help you save time and help someone with employment.
Here are some suggestions:
Hire someone to do your ironing
Hire a gardener.
Hire a cleaner.
Have a family chore rota so things are evenly shared.
Buy your shopping online and have it delivered.
Pay someone to run your errands.
9. Schedule your day. I can’t stress this one enough. Many of us move aimlessly through our days because we don’t have an idea of what we’d like to get done and guess what? Little gets done. Make the most of each day by making a schedule and sticking to it. Decide the most important tasks that need to be done and do those. You’ll waste less time and add hours to your day.
10. Go to bed earlier. Most people don’t accomplish a lot in the evening. Shorten your evening by going to bed earlier and then, you can add time to your day by getting up earlier. Early risers are a common trait of the world’s most successful people.
11. Eliminate distractions. Turn off your phone. Use white noise to drown out distracting sounds. Close all of your computer windows and tabs other than what is needed.
The length of a day is fixed. After sleeping, there are a set number of hours left and it can be all too easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed.
You can’t make the day longer, but you can get more out of each day with a little careful planning and organising.
Get as much out of each hour as you can by identifying where you waste time (we all do) and start implementing some of these tips. Begin with one or two and then add on.
The more effective you are at using your time, the more time you’ll have left to enjoy doing the things you actually love.
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