14 Ways to Create More Time in Your Day (Part Two)

This is Part Two. Be sure to read Part One first.

As much as we all wish it were possible, there will never be 25 hours in a day. Who doesn’t long for more time in the day to get everything done?

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, work from home, or work in an office, I’m sure you feel as though there is never enough time in your day to get your to-do list tackled. If you had extra time, it could be spent accomplishing your goals, finally starting that exercise routine, or spending more quality time with your family.

While you may not be able to conjure up additional hours, you can easily implement these time management techniques to create extra time in your day by simply using your existing time more wisely!

Here are 14 ways to create more time in your day:

For #1-7, check out Part One.

8. Prioritize your top 2-3 tasks

It’s easy to get caught up in completing tasks that aren’t exactly crucial for the day. I used to hate when someone told me to prioritize because I always thought, “well, everything is important.” I was very wrong. If we think of everything as being important, then it’s basically saying that nothing is because we are unable to differentiate the must-dos from the nice-to-dos. Having that mindset makes it difficult to reach your goals when you can’t determine what you actually need to do to get there.

Figure out your top two or three tasks that you must accomplish for the day, and then everything else you get done after that should just be considered a bonus. This way you’re not spinning your wheels all day on low priority tasks, and instead can focus on getting your most important tasks completed.

9. Figure out when you’re most productive

Are you an early riser, a night owl, or perhaps you start to hit your stride mid-day? Figure out when you tend to be the most efficient and alert, and then take advantage of it. Aim to spend that designated time each day accomplishing your most difficult tasks instead of wasting your peak brain juices on something that you could do while on autopilot.

10. Say NO

I think we would all agree that time is our most precious commodity. Learning how to say no to the things you really don’t want to be doing anyway frees up a lot of your time. You are the keeper of your time, so do not let others dictate how you spend it. (tweet that)

Spend your time focused on what’s important to you instead of being pressured into wasting it on doing what others want you to do.

11. Own less

Less is more. Less to clean up, less to organize, and less to maintain all equates to more time on your hands. Having a house that isn’t filled to the brim with clutter also helps you to have a clear mind. Downsizing and simplifying your possessions can save you so much time in the long run!

12. Stop procrastinating

We all have things we need to do that we don’t necessarily want to do. Either because we’re dreading the task itself, or we are worried about not doing a good enough job on it. Just get started and stop dragging your feet or putting it off! The sooner you get it done, the more time you’ll have on your hands to be able to do what you want to do.

13. Set limits

Whether you give yourself a time frame to work within, or go as far as setting an actual timer, you’d be surprised by how much more of your to-dos you can accomplish when given a strict amount of time to complete it all in.

When given a very limited amount of time to spend on a particular task, I find myself extremely motivated to get as much done as possible with that time. Naptime in my house is a great built-in timer to get me working quickly, but I also really like setting a timer for 15 minutes when tidying up or cleaning the house. It’s a fun way to challenge yourself and see how much you can actually accomplish in a short amount of time. It’s also easier to hustle when you know that at a certain time you can take a break from what you’re doing. Try it sometime!

14. Cut out distractions

There are so many distractions that can interrupt us throughout the day if we let them. IM pop-ups, Facebook and Twitter notifications, phone calls, text messages, email alerts, co-workers stopping by to chat….the list goes on and on. It has been said that it takes more than 25 minutes to resume a task after being interrupted. That is a lot of wasted time, folks.

When you really need to hunker down and get work done, try turning off your phone, closing all browser tabs or programs on your computer that you aren’t currently using, and if you work in an open office environment – put headphones on to let your co-workers know you are unavailable to talk at the moment. Eliminating distractions can be a huge way to save yourself time throughout the day!

What are some strategies that you use to manage your time effectively?

Photo credit: “time” by János Balázs. CC2.0