We are always looking for ways to make more productive use of our
time. Do you always seem to be playing catch up? Do you end your day
with a longer to-do list than you started? Are you stressed over how you
spend your time? Here are eight steps you can take right now to help
regain control of your clock.
Eliminate time wasters. At the top
of the list is television. The average American watches 5 hours of TV a
day. That equals an incredible 6 full days in front of the tube each
month. What could you do with an extra 6 days this month? Turn off the
television and find out.
Cut back on possessions.
Bigger living spaces and more stuff come with a double price: the cost
to purchase them and the time to maintain them. A simpler lifestyle
frees up time previously spent on vacuuming, fixing, and replacing. If
taken far enough, you may be able to work less because you are buying
less stuff.
Consolidate errands. Making several trips in the car
to run errands wastes time and money. With a little planning you may
find you can do it all in one trip instead of two or three. Can you wait
until tomorrow? Can you try to run errands only four days a week
instead of six or seven?
Keep a time log. Write down what you do and for how
long each day for the next week. The idea is to get a good sense for
where your time goes. Just like a budget for your money, you can’t save
time if you aren’t really sure how you are spending it.
Go on an e-mail and Internet diet. It is likely your
time log will show that you’re spending quite a bit of time checking
your e-mail, tweets, Facebook page, or just surfing away without a real
purpose. If that’s the case, go on an electronic diet. Spend time at the
sites that are important to you or help you solve a problem (like this one!).
But ditch the mindless wandering from site to site. You lose weight by
cutting calories. You gain time by cutting back the time you waste on
the computer.
Do some chores at night instead of weekends. Some of
that time you are not spending in front of the TV can be used for chores
you usually do on weekends. Just 30 minutes one or two nights a
week will save more of your weekend for relaxing, having fun, being with
family and friends or working on a project you enjoy. Weekends are not
supposed to be workends.
Say “No” to some of the requests for your time. It is
good to help those who need your assistance, just not to excess, Learn
to say “No” to things that you really don’t want to do. Be choosier
about what volunteer work you accept. Be unavailable if someone is
overusing your generous nature. Realize you are sacrificing your time to
give someone else more. Some sacrifice is good. A lot is probably not.
Abstain.
Re-think routines and habits. I used to spend at least
60 minutes every morning reading two newspapers. It finally dawned on me
that is when I’m most productive. To spend an hour or more on something
I could do later in the day or at night was a mistake. Changing that
habit has made a tremendous difference in what I accomplish before
lunch. How much of your schedule is habit instead of what is most
productive? Review your time log for anything that might produce better
results if you make a change.
Time is the most valuable resource we have. We can’t increase
it, but we can make the most of what we have. What you do with that
resource can be the difference between a satisfying and productive life,
or one that is constantly stressed and unfulfilled. What is your time
plan?
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