Five 1-Minute Time Savers

Picture by Elliott Brown

Time is the one resource we can never get more of. Eventually, it will run out, and we won't have a chance to get to back or to buy some extra, no matter what common expressions my say.

The idea of 'saving time' is actually quite odd as well. It's not like we can take some time, put it in a bank, and withdraw when we need it most. Time is not money.

But what we can do, is try to use our time as efficiently and carefully as possible, thus creating limiting the time we spend on activities that don't really matter to us. On this blog, there are some ideas on how to do this, and below you can find the 5 best ones.

1. Keep stuff in the same spot. At all times, keep your things in a designated location. Even if it's something that you use often, like a phone, try to give it a certain location in every room. For example: in the office it should be on your desk, in the kitchen next to the fridge, etc. Then, even if you don't know which room it's in, you limit the places you have to look for it.
   Read the post on keeping your keys in one place here.
   
2. Write lists. Lists are a good way to use your time more efficiently because you've basically done the thinking before the doing, thus focusing on each of those two in turn instead of trying to do both at the same time. A good example of a list that can save you tons of time is a grocery list, but it also goes for checklists when you pack or when you're working.
   
3. Clean up as you go. Clearing stuff away is one of those things that takes up time depending on the kind of person you are. Messy people have to spend a lot more time on this because of the magical way in which stuff just seems to fill up their space. It seems difficult to control, but it isn't. You just try to remind yourself to put everything you touch back in its designated spot. Taking off your clothes? Put them on a hanger in the closet or toss them in the laundry.
   Mind you, in certain situations this may ruin a perfectly good moment. On these occasions, use your better judgment.
   This post gives you more info on putting things away when you're finished with them.
   
4. Make activities shorter. Some things we do don't really require as much time as we take for them. How long do you really need to talk on the phone? Or be in the shower? Do you really want to spend your time slowly meandering through the supermarket?
   Try to do some of these things a little faster to save a couple of minutes. They will add up to give you time to do something you enjoy.
   
5. Give up a big time waster. Stuff that wastes time is something you do that doesn't really mean that much to you, but that just kind of makes time go by. We all have these activities. It could be reading a magazine, watching TV or surfing the web. It's the kind of stuff that makes you feel a little 'blah' after, and in hind sight turns the day into one of those days in which nothing really happened.
   We gave up facebook and TV so far. What would you give up?

What do you do to save time? How important is it to you? What would you do with an hour extra each day? Let's share some of our ideas with each other!

Five 1-Minute Productivity Tips

Picture by Trine de Florie

I know some of you don't have time to rummage around this blog looking for the best advice for your particular situation, so I've gathered some tips to make you more productive instantly. Some of these I have discussed more fully in other posts, in which case I link back to them. Others are easy or quick tips that don't really need a full post explanation.

So how do you give your productivity an instant boost? You pay attention to the little things:

1. Clear your working space. Anything that is within your reach but you don't need, shouldn't be there. A clear surface is a great way to focus on the only thing that's on there, which is your work. Storing away the stuff that's already there, is a matter of seconds really.
   
   
2. Make a to-do list with only the essential tasks on it. Keeping your energy focused on the one thing that should be done first, will make it easier not to worry about all the other stuff. You can always keep a longer to-do list with a week's worth or a month's worth of goals somewhere else, and draw from that every day. Read this post about writing a to-do list for more information!
   
   
3. Take a couple of seconds to focus. It can really help to sit down and gather your thoughts and your energy before you start working. You'll be more controlled and more to the point in your work. That will result in less time wasted on stuff that might otherwise catch your attention, but doesn't matter at all. Wondering how to focus quickly? Read this post to learn how.
   
   
4. Set a time-limit for your work. It may seem counter intuitive to limit the amount of time you spend you work to become more productive, but it does make sense. After working on the same task for a while, your energy starts to dwindle, and so does your productivity. You're better of bundling your energy and working in highly productive spurts. The time you'd spend if you kept working, you can use to perform tasks that don't require much concentration.
   You can use Instant Boss to help you stick to your assigned time.
   
   
5. Give up the idea of multitasking. It doesn't work. When you think you're doing two things at once, you're in reality switching between tasks. However quick you may be able to switch, you ALWAYS lose time in the switching, and, more importantly, you lose focus. Read this post about the myth of multitasking for more!

I love productive days and moments. They make me feel successful. It doesn't matter so much what I do, I can feel successful teaching, cleaning that house, writing or baking bread. It's just the feeling of progressing and working toward a goal that makes it all worthwhile!


How do you keep a focus on being productive? How do you stop procrastinating and start getting things done? I'm always looking for more great advice!