Who couldn’t use more hours in the day? The truth is, most people can add more time to their days by being more productive with the time they already have. By being more deliberate in how you spend your time you can increase your productivity and have more time for additional tasks and leisure activities.
Here are a few time saving hacks that can help you get started!
Get your most important tasks out of the way first
It’s important to take advantage of your most productive and efficient time of the day – which, for most people, is shortly after they wake up. By working on your day’s most important (and perhaps daunting) tasks during this time, you’re not only more likely to complete that task but you’ll often complete it much more quickly than if you were to try to attempt it later on in the day once fatigue sets in.
Spend a month logging your time
If you’re in a profession that requires billable hours, you may already be familiar with the process of logging time. However, implementing this tactic for both professional and personal activities can be really eye-opening. It shows you exactly how you’re spending your time, and allows you to identify areas where there’s waste. Most people who try this exercise are amazed at how much time lower-value tasks like checking social media, surfing the web, and watching tv can add up to throughout the day.
Establish a Task Schedule and Use a Timer
After you’ve logged your time for a month, use that information to establish a daily schedule for things you need to get done. Since you’ve been logging time, you should have a better sense of how long your daily tasks take, and thus should be able to establish a pretty accurate schedule. Once your schedule is established, use a timer to keep yourself on track and accountable. Also, be sure to schedule in time for yourself, your relationships, and your hobbies.