If you are constantly feeling like there’s so much to do and not enough time to do it, you’re not alone. These days, it feels like everyone and everything is competing for our attention. It’s nearly impossible to focus and even harder to fit into our schedule the things we actually want to spend time on.
Here’s the deal. You have the same amount of time in your day as the next person, but you might not be using it in the most effective ways. Good news! You can change that. Here are five time-saving tips that will help you make more time for the things that matter.
1. Banish your distractions.
One of the biggest time-wasters in a work-day is distractions. We get into the zone to focus on a single task, but before long there are numerous other things fighting for our attention. Text messages pop up on our phones. Notifications ding. The email tab in our browser shows our inbox growing. Social media is calling for our attention. Someone knocks on the door. The list goes on. Recognize the distractions and block them. Put your phone in airplane mode. Close the browser tabs you don’t need at the moment. Put a “do not disturb” sign on the door.
2. Unsubscribe.
How much time do you spend sifting through unimportant mass emails that you don’t even open? Besides just taking up valuable space in your inbox, they also increase the chances that you’ll accidentally overlook something truly important. Instead of just deleting or ignoring them, unsubscribe from the ones that don’t benefit you.
3. Plan your day the night before.
Before you finish up your work-day, set aside 10 minutes to prepare for the next day. Decide what your top priorities will be, and if you’re feeling particularly proactive, schedule out how you’ll use your time specifically.
4. Batch your tasks.
You can organize this when you do your planning at the end of the day. Group together all tasks that are similar. If you have four phone calls to make, group them together. Do all computer-related tasks back-to-back. If you have errands to run, do them all on the same outing. Streamline your processes and you’ll minimize time wasted shifting from one type of task to another.
5. Read articles or important documents on the go.
You can convert articles or documents to audio with an online text to voice tool and then listen to them while you drive to work or even while you step outside to take a quick walk around the block. You save time by doing these tasks on the go and reserve the time in your office for higher-focus tasks. It’s a win/win.
If you’re interested in creating a smoother flow in your work-day, reducing your stress, and having more time for things you enjoy, then try one (or all) of these helpful time-saving tips. Now, what are you going to do with your newfound free time?
