Time

Time is an exhaustible luxury. Each of us is only given 1440 minutes each day and they often seem to fly by so quickly. Because time is precious and limited, none of us want to feel as though we are wasting our time. By improving our efficiency, we can complete every item on our lists, and still have time to spare!

Suggestions for boosting efficiency:

1. Get organized.

  • Organization is a key element to managing our time well.
  • Take a few moments before completing a task, whether it is great or small, and create a time-saving game plan.
  • Lay out all the supplies you will be using.
  • Know exactly where you will start and where you want to finish.
  • For some tasks, it is helpful to create a checklist.
    • Check this twice.
  • When laying out your supplies, put them in the order in which they will be used. In os doing, you will be able to shave a few seconds off of your project time whenever you reach for supplies, rather than getting up to locate items.
  • Even if you do not have everything you need, you can still benefit from a checklist.
    • Build milestones into your project.
    • If we are able to check the milestones off as scheduled, we know that we are on the right track.
    • If the items are being checked off later than scheduled, a decision must be made to either speed things up, or revisit your list.

2. Work in bursts of activity.

  • If there are time-consuming tasks to take on, rather than dreading the hours of work that are ahead, work in shorter time windows.
  • Working in spurts of 25 minutes, with a five-minute break in between, still allows you 50 minutes of work time without feeling worked to the bone.
  • It is important to focus completely on the task at hand while working in spurts.
  • Stop multitasking!
    • Concentrate on the single task at hand.
    • For instance, if your are painting a room, the only things that you should be doing throughout your 25 minutes of work is rolling paint onto the wall and reloading your paint roller.
      • Not using the restroom. Not stopping to choose different music. Not helping someone in another room.
      • Just painting!

3. Start your day powered up and focused!

  • In order to be efficient, it is necessary to begin the day with the right tone.
  • Get a good night’s rest.
  • If your morning routine depends on your consumption of coffee, drink a healthy sized cup of coffee accompanied by an equally healthy breakfast.
  • Start early.
    • Most of us feel more energized after breakfast and coffee at 7:00am rather than at 11:00am.
    • Plus, you will add a few extra hours to your day. This will allow you to cross more tasks off your to-do list sooner.
    • Then, the rest of the day is yours! How sweet is that?

4. Remove distractions.

  • Distractions are a part of everyday life and all our plans are susceptible to them.
  • Rather than trying to work around them or fight them off, eliminate them entirely.
  • Unless your work requires it, turn off the computer.
  • Place your cell phone on silent, and unplug the television and all other things that are known to be a distraction to you.
  • These steps will help you avoid channel surfing, catching up with your Facebook friends, or gossiping when your friend calls, instead of getting your work done.
  • If you need to get something done on the computer in a timely fashion, close down the windows you do not need to use. Consider blocking the websites that are known distractions for you.

5. Invest in the effective use of your time.

  • The final, and possibly the most important step, is to invest in items or services which permanently shave minutes off of your day.
  • It may be a bit more money upfront, but you can potentially shave hours of chores off of your to-do list each week. And, often, these are chore you have no interest in doing, anyway.
  • Use a lawn mowing service.
  • Purchase a good dishwasher and microwave.
  • Have the cleaners pick up and deliver items. Most companines do not charge extra for this service.

Whether you are hoping to finish a set of very complex tasks more quickly or simply save a few minutes from your everyday responsibilities, it is possible.

The desire, making a workable plan, and focusing your efforts are the only requirements to improving your personal level of efficiency. These simple tips will you maximize your time quickly.