How to Save Time and Get Things Done
by Tom Duong

Self-Improvement Add Comments

Gain More Time

Save time? Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Well, strictly speaking, yes – however, there are ways to make it seem like you have more hours in your day by maximizing your productivity. Read on for some tips:

1)  Organize! The time you spend looking for things which are misplaced is simply put, wasted. Use job lists, calendars and time management tools including software. Don’t overuse these though; you can end up wasting more time than you save. Find a balance which saves you time.

2)  Multitask when possible. If you have chores and errands to get done and calls to make, you can use a headset for your phone and tackle both at the same time.

3)  Ditch that TV! “American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV.” — The Kaiser Family Foundation.  That’s right, a lot of people spend an entire day out of their week watching TV; just think of all the things you could do in that time!

4)  Try to avoid wasting time online. The web can be as bad as TV when it comes to sapping productivity. Instead, set certain times for web browsing outside of times when you need to be productive. This will free up a lot more time than you may realize; try it out, you’ll be amazed.

5)  Ask for help. Get a little assistance from family, partners and the others around you. You can, for instance, take a day (Sunday is a good day as any for it) to make meals ahead of time and freeze them. This way, you’ll save at least an hour every evening! Just take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven; you can even get other tasks done while it heats!

6)  Get up half an hour earlier or go to bed half an hour later.
Use this extra half an hour to organize and plan for the day.

7)  Prioritize. When tasks don’t lend themselves to multitasking and can be handled more effectively on their own, prioritize these tasks and knock them out one by one. Make a list if necessary and remember to keep time sensitive items at the top of your list.

8)  Simplify. You can save the time spent ironing by having your clothes dry cleaned instead. Rather than go to the gym, why not simply jog around your neighborhood instead? You can have cereal at breakfast rather than cooking every morning; also, set your coffee maker on a timer to make coffee when you wake up instead of waiting in line at a coffee shop. These time-saving tips can also save you money. Come up with recipes and grocery shop for the necessary ingredients; this means you’ll need to go shopping less and can mean less spent on groceries as well.

9)  Don’t sweat housework so much. Really, your home doesn’t have to be gleaming at all times. Keeping a routine cleaning schedule and being organized will go a long way towards keeping things clean. If it’s within your means, hire a maid rather than spend time on these duties.

10)  Don’t forget to set aside some personal time. All work and no play leads to procrastination. Schedule days off or set aside time for activities that you enjoy. You’ll be more relaxed and far more efficient when you are working.

So what will you do with all of your extra new free time? Take more time for family, hobbies, even more work!

Do you have any time-saving tips? Please feel free to post them here on my blog.



Enjoy this post? Subscribe to get updates via RSS Feed or email and get a FREE Special Report!

"Resell Rights Profits Exposed!"
Click Here To Subscribe

6 comments

U Comment I Follow
Comment by Henrik
2009-07-23 02:50:04

Amazing article… ! I often find myself stumbling around on the Internet while I should be working and yes it does steal a lot of time, you could use on being productive instead, I don’t watch TV but I probably use the same time on not being productive in front of the computer screen as I would on watching telly….. I will give some of your tips a go, I especially like the go to bed half an hour before or get up earlier to plan your day point.

Comment by Tom
2009-07-23 15:10:11

Thanks Henrik for sharing your personal experience. I think you’ll do great with the waking up early technique. I’ve been waking up half an hour early for the past few months and just recently increased it to 1 whole hour.

One hour doesn’t sound like much at first, but if you multiply that number by 7, you’ll end up with 7 extra hours in additional productivity by the end of each week or 28 hours in a month!

 
 
Comment by Print Brochures
2009-10-06 20:21:24

This kind of post will truly be functional for everyone. This is what a lot of people need. Being effective and using time productively is really important. Thank you for sharing the tips.

 
2009-12-25 22:21:05

haha try telling my wife point number 9…

In all seriousness I believe that key to being a small business owner is to be a jack of all trades, and having at least a fundamental understanding of all things related to your business… this is particularly important when outsourcing certain companents of your business…

 
2010-04-11 11:41:57

I use to spend a lot are time watching television, but know the internet takes up most of my time.

 
2010-07-22 12:03:17

I don’t think I can agree with #6. Of course it’s great to have an extra half hour of time, but you’re also missing out on 30 minutes of sleep, which means your mind and body will be more tired. And when you’re tired, you tend to do things a little slower and make mistakes more frequently. So I wouldn’t recommend that as a technique for being more productive.

 

Leave a comment »

Name (required)
E-mail (required - never shown publicly)
Website
Your Comment (smaller size | larger size)

Trackback responses to this post



Home | About | Affiliate Programs | Archives | Contact

Disclaimer | Terms Of Use | Earnings Disclaimer | Privacy Policy


Copyright