A few years ago, I saw a picture that circulated on social media that said, \u201cYou have the same number of hours in a day as Beyonce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While that is motivating, it\u2019s only partially true – yes, even the most successful people in the world have only 24 hours in a day, but it overlooks the fact that those people don\u2019t have to spend their time on things like doing laundry or waiting for a bus.
Even though we don\u2019t have the whole team of professionals working for us as they do, there are things we can do to save time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll go over 17 time-saving tips that will help you spend more of your most precious resource on things that matter to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we go into any of the tips we\u2019ll talk about, as a starting point, it\u2019s important to know what exactly you are spending your time on. The easiest way to do it is to track your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can do it using pen and paper or in a spreadsheet, but it\u2019s way less time-consuming to use a time tracking app<\/a>. Using an app will allow you to see all the data in an organized way so you can analyze how you spend your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try Clockify by CAKE.com FREE\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Is there something you should spend more\/less time on? Can you organize your time more effectively? What changes can you make to your schedule to better suit your needs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1Trying to decide what app(s) would be the best for you? You might find this blog post useful: Whatever you do, being good at time management is important<\/a>. It helps you get more done in less time, achieve your goals, and be less stressed. \ud83d\udca1If you want to learn more about time management, you should check out these blog posts:<\/p>\n Best time management techniques<\/a><\/p>\n Improve time management skills with these 10 easy steps<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Not procrastinating is a no-brainer way to save your time. Try to start a task as early as possible. It\u2019s easier to work on something a little bit every day than to wait for the last minute and stress yourself out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a procrastinator by nature but I also refuse to work at night instead of sleeping. In addition, I can\u2019t work under too much pressure because I can\u2019t handle stress well and I start panicking. Our focus is not the same throughout the day. It\u2019s best in the morning when our mind is still fresh and well-rested. You should use this time to work on the biggest and the hardest task of the day: you will focus easier and it will take less time to finish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finishing the biggest task within the first few hours of your workday will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to be productive for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people prefer waking up early and they\u2019re the most productive in the morning. Others function better at night. Figure out if you\u2019re an early bird or a night owl – or maybe a day pigeon who likes waking up and going to bed at a reasonable time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make a schedule that compliments your natural rhythm; if you\u2019re a night owl<\/a>, waking up at 5 AM will only make you grumpy and less <\/i>efficient. Similarly, if you\u2019re a morning person, you won\u2019t be able to accomplish anything late at night. One of the perks of living in the 21st century is that you can do a lot of things from the comfort of your own home, using the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take advantage of that. Pay your bills online instead of going to the bank or post office (you\u2019ll also avoid waiting in the queue) or even automate it. There are a lot of apps that make your life easier and help you be faster and more productive. Whatever you need, there\u2019s probably an app for that, from to-do and calendar apps to a variety of automation apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all know that multitasking is not a stellar idea if you want to be productive – you are more effective when you focus on only one task at a time. That applies to switch tasking<\/i> or (as the name says) switching from one task to another<\/a> and losing a lot of focus in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Multitasking is not always bad. If two tasks don\u2019t tax the same parts of your brain, it\u2019s a good way to save time. For example, cleaning and listening to an audiobook. If you have to commute to get to work, you have plenty of options to make that time more useful and\/or less boring: if it\u2019s close, you can take a walk or ride a bike. If you\u2019re catching a bus or a train, you can read the news or a book, listen to podcasts, or answer emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need more rest, just relaxing and listening to music or even doing simple mindfulness exercises while going to work are perfectly fine options, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about what you need more of and try to implement it in something you\u2019re already doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By preparing in advance, you\u2019re more likely to get the best use out of your time. Here are two examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re holding a meeting, make sure everyone knows what the meeting is going to be about so they can come prepared. Keep your meetings as concise and focused as possible; long and unnecessary meetings waste everyone\u2019s time. If everyone comes prepared, you can get straight to the point and solve a problem in significantly less time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Also, if the meeting can be an email, it should be an email.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a student, you should show up somewhat prepared for the lessons. I know staying on top of your schoolwork is not easy – I was a student until recently. That\u2019s how I know this helps a lot. You already have to attend the lessons, make the most out of them. They take a significant portion out of your day: don\u2019t waste that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saying yes<\/i> to everything is a sure way to burnout and overwork yourself, as well as spend your time on things you don\u2019t want or need to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You shouldn\u2019t give portions of your time away like they\u2019re free Costco handouts; your time and energy are a valuable, limited resource and you should treat them as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t say no<\/i> in all circumstances, especially at work, but often you can. Small tasks can add up quickly, especially if we tend to procrastinate. You can avoid that by getting into the habit of doing the tasks immediately if they take less than 5 minutes. At first, it\u2019s hard to get out of the habit of saying \u201cI\u2019ll do it in 10 minutes\u2026 I know I said that 10 minutes ago too, but this time for real\u201d. Maybe you won\u2019t feel the instinct<\/i> to pay a bill, but when you remember it, do it right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, this applies to getting out of bed too. Don\u2019t snooze the alarm. According to experts, repeatedly hitting the snooze button can lead to extended periods of sleep inertia (feeling of grogginess after waking up). It also messes with your sleep cycles, which is bad for both your mind and your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mornings can be hectic – to avoid additional stress and save a significant amount of time, prepare everything the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
35 best apps for time management in 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Build time management skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You should know how to properly set goals, prioritize, focus, plan effectively, and organize your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The solution I came up with is to trick myself into being organized. I do it by making a game out of it. If I manage to do a task in X amount of time, I reward myself. I also have a points system (depending on how satisfied I am with my work; I also get extra points if I finish early). The more points I get, the bigger my reward is. Time management doesn\u2019t have to be serious and boring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Do one big task before lunch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Know when you\u2019re the most productive and make a schedule around it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make sure that 1) your schedule works for you and 2) that you\u2019re getting enough sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n5. Take advantage of technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You can also shop and, in a lot of cases, work online. Not only does it save time, but it\u2019s also much safer during the situation we\u2019re in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n6. Kill two birds with one stone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Another example is going for a walk with a friend: you get some physical exercise, catch up, and enjoy the nice weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Preparing in advance is the key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Preparing for meetings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Preparing for lessons as a student<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It makes it easier for you to learn during<\/i> the lesson, which means spending less time studying at home and\/or right before the exam. You will also know if you don\u2019t understand something, so you can ask the professor right away and save yourself the trouble down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n8. Learn to say no<\/i><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You know when everything in you wants to say no<\/i>, but you end up saying yes<\/i> because you feel bad? Here are some things that might help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
For example, \u201cThank you for thinking of me for this, but I\u2019m already working on two big projects so I, unfortunately, don\u2019t have time for any additional work. I don\u2019t want to compromise the quality of anything I\u2019m working on\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you for inviting me, but I can\u2019t – my sister and her kids are in town and I\u2019m spending this weekend with them\u201d is just enough.<\/li>\n\n\n\n9. If it takes less than 5 minutes, do it right away<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Washing your coffee mug or a plate only takes a minute, maybe two; if you wait until your sink is overloaded with dirty dishes, it will take you significantly more time (and they will ruin your mood every time you look at them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What helped me is Mel Robbins\u2019 5 seconds rule<\/i>: when you have the instinct to do something, react within 5 seconds or your brain will convince you that you do it in 5 minutes\u2026 or 10\u2026 or 110.<\/p>\n\n\n\n10. Prepare the night before<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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