Time Saving Ideas

Little jobs on your to-do list can rapidly add up, requiring large chunks of time to complete. We can all do with being more efficient, so here are a few tips to make the most of  spare moments.

Firstly, before you even begin, think hard. Chances are, in five years time, many of the things you are worried about fitting in, won’t even cross your mind. Prioritise important tasks and people, and allow yourself the freedom to reschedule or cancel unimportant things. Avoid “busywork,” which occupies time, often with no useful outcome. Remember MI3 – Most Important 3 tasks. Start with the most important first thing in the morning.

Secondly, increase your focus, motivation and energy levels by keeping yourself fuelled with good food, rested with good quality sleep and fit with regular exercise. Being well physically and emotionally organised can triple your productivity and output.

When it comes to little tasks, apply the two-minute rule: if you can do something (like replying to an email, or a house chore) in two minutes, do it now. It can take more than five minutes to plan a time to ‘do it later,’ so just complete it and tick it off your list.

Then move to the five minute rule, as an antidote to procrastination. Some tasks seem too big to start, which can lead to putting it off. So, when it comes to a big task that you aren’t keen on (messy linen cupboards for example), just spend five minutes working at it. You’ll find out that most times it continues well beyond the five minutes, as you enter a flow state.

To get better at something, do it every day – so if exercise is a priority, do something active every day, even at Christmas, even in the rain. Make it a ‘daily do’ and you can’t help but improve. Tiny habits, linked with the five-minute rule, helps you create good habits quickly.

Dn’t rely on your memory. Get you list out of your head, then you don’t need to spending time mentally checking it. Write it down!

You don’t need lots of toys to be efficient or effective – you need a routine and self discipline. Routine beats tools. Make a plan of what you want to achieve and stick to it. If you often find you have unexpected interruptions, factor some extra time into your plan.

To maintain focus, learn to timebox – for 30 minutes do only the task at hand. Nothing else: no phones, email, talking to people, Facebook…nothing else. It is amazing how much you can achieve when you don’t allow yourself to become sidetracked.

Apply this technique for email and phone calls too – spend half and hour checking and responding, two or three times a day. The rest of the time, do and complete other things – stopping and starting lots of little tasks isn’t efficient.

Reward yourself – make time to do something you enjoy once you have finished your day’s list.