There are so many things you have to do during the day that it’s easy to get behind and wonder how you’ll catch up. This is a dilemma many Americans face when trying to fit a week’s worth of work into a few hours. If you feel like you’re always behind with no way to catch up, follow some of the suggestions in this chapter to get back on track.
Be Organized
You’ll be surprised at how much time you’ve been wasting finding the things you need just to get started. You may have misplaced your notes or left your pen in the wrong place. Finding the keys is difficult and your coat seems to have disappeared. These are all things that are reducing your productivity and will waste a lot of time. Instead of spending much of your life trying to find things, you need to learn to get organized. Find a place for all your stuff, and then make sure to put it there every time you’re done using it. This can help you get to work faster and save you a ton of time.
No Multitasking
Most people feel that multitasking is the way to get more things done, but this is a huge waste of time. Multitasking has been shown to reduce your productivity by about 40%. It is believed that this is due to the fact that jumping from one task to another will make it difficult to get rid of distractions, and this jump will cause blockages in your mental capacity. This combines to slow down the process you need.
Have a Calendar
It’s easy to forget about things you need to get done during the day and you may soon find that there’s more than one thing going on at the same time or that you have more work than you can handle because you forgot another task. To avoid this and stay on track, get a calendar and write everything down. Write down projects, due dates, appointments, meetings, nights out, vacations, and anything else that’s important to your schedule. However, make sure you only have one calendar. Some people will have multiples and this is bound to cause problems. Having all the information in one place makes it easier to know what you need to do and to plan ahead.
Plan Trips and Tasks
You can waste a lot of time going back and forth to the store or across town to do chores. Before you head out to run errands, take a few minutes to plan your route and make a list. Choose the route that makes the most sense and know exactly how to get there without distractions. With the list, you will surely get everything you need and you won’t have to waste time going back out and getting things again.
Routines
Having a routine is the best way to save time. With a routine, you will know when something is going to happen and how long you have to do it. Routine may not make you work more productively, but it can help you know what’s coming up, where things are, and how to get them done. Another benefit is that a routine can free up your brain to do other things, which is important when you have projects and other work to do.
Plan out meals
The time you spend on meals can be enormous. If you’re waiting until the last minute to find out what’s for dinner, you’re trying too hard. You may have to spend a lot of time trying to figure it out, going to the store to get the ingredients, and then having to spend a lot of time getting it all done. Planning meals for a week can simplify things. You can go out once and get all the ingredients and then do it that night. It is even possible to make several meals at once to save even more time.
Learn personal time wasters
Everyone has something to do that is going to waste time. This may include checking email, walking around the office, social media, or something else. Take a few minutes to determine what wastes your time, and then do everything you can to avoid doing it. Even skipping it for an afternoon will save you a lot of time and you’ll be amazed at what it can do.
