This post is about 12 effective tips to make more time in the day.
Even if the major aspects of your life flow together well, having chunks of time go to waste can be just as frustrating as having a leaky faucet.
Although it is possible to place the responsibility for some of these time leaks on other people and others on oneself, the fact remains that no one can make up for lost time.
It’s possible that losing track of time in small increments will wear you down. The following are some typical time leaks, along with potential methods, both immediate and long-term, for filling them.
Why it’s important to keep track of time
- When you use your time well, you are more productive. Managing your time better lets you get more things done. This doesn’t mean you do less good work; it just means you get things done faster.
- You are happier and feel like you’ve done more. Making choices and decisions based on what’s most important is the first step to getting organized. From there, you can use tools like time management software to keep your goals and tasks organized.
- You are energized. Just getting things done can give you energy and make you feel good. Managing your time gives you a sense of accomplishment and takes some of the stress out of getting things done.
12 Effective Tips To Make More Time in The Day
#1 – Manage Your Distractions
Do you ever feel like your hand and your brain are working at cross-purposes?
It’s as if your mind is set to work, but the moment your finger touches the mouse, you’ve scrolled five times further down Facebook’s News Feed.
Maintaining concentration in the face of distractions such as social media, email, and (yes) YouTube videos is a challenge for even the most dedicated workers.
Fortunately for us both, I learned a trick during my time studying for college finals that I’ve brought with me into the working world, and it’s a real game-changer.
Self Control is a program for the Mac that lets you disable access to specific websites for a period you choose. (Don’t worry, PC users; a program called Freedom offers the same functionality.)
You can easily block distracting websites for as long as you need by adding them to a “blacklist.”
How much time you reclaim will astound you.
Further Reading: How To Eliminate Distractions And Boost Your Productivity
#2- You should reevaluate how you sleep.
Does this advice sound like we’re trying to talk like your mom? We’re willing to take that chance so that you don’t have to waste any of your time.
It’s common knowledge that many of us spend excessive amounts of time in bed with our screens illuminated. That’s something you have to take care of. I’m willing to take on the responsibility. It’s something that every single one of us does.
But research from Harvard Health suggests that the blue light from our screens is having a negative impact on our ability to get quality shut-eye.
Research has shown that while this light can improve focus, reaction time, and mood during the day, it can prevent the body from producing the sleep hormone melatonin at night, thereby disrupting your circadian rhythm.
Consequently, we wake up feeling foggy or later than usual, and our sleep quality suffers. Yikes.
That is to say, when it is time for lights out, blue lights out must also occur.
Further Reading: 10 Powerful Evening Habits For a Better Sleep
#3 – Get up early and take the day with confidence.
If you want to get more done in less time, getting up early is a great strategy.
The most obvious benefit of getting up early is that you’ll have a lot more time to get things done.
If you want to get the most out of your day, you should get up early.
Research shows that those who get up earlier have a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
Working as the sun rises not only provides you an advantage over others who are still in bed, but it also allows your brain a chance to benefit from the two and a half hours after you first awaken when it is at its most productive.
The saying, “the early bird catches the worm,” is still there for a reason.
Further Reading: 6 Reasons To Get Up Early In The Morning
#4 – Never Try to Do Too Much At Once
When discussing methods of increasing output while decreasing time spent on individual tasks, the term “multitasking” often comes up.
The widespread dissemination of papers and books on the topic has convinced everyone that multitasking is the best strategy for advancing one’s career and contributing to society.
Neuroscientific evidence has accumulated in recent years to support the idea that multitasking is physically impossible, and as a result, this strategy for enhancing productivity has been increasingly rejected.
Evidence suggests that switching from one activity to another and back again in a short period of time (multitasking) reduces focus and productivity.
Instead, focus on a single job at a time and enter a state of flow, where time passes quickly and you feel completely engrossed in what you’re doing.
The added benefit of increased focus and efficiency means that you can accomplish far more in each of your day’s waking hours.
With this method, you may say goodbye to the excuse of being too busy.
Further Reading: How To Stop Multitasking And Become More Focused
#5 – The ability to say “no” is a skill that should be developed.
Saying “no” is one of the most important and scary things you can do. You can say “no” to a project, a promise, or a request.
It’s easy to think that saying “no” is selfish because there’s always another request, assignment, or project you could take on top of what you already have going on.
But burnout is a serious and scary psychological problem in which people are so stressed out that they start to hate their jobs.
They may even have physical symptoms, like feeling tired. Burnout is becoming a bigger problem in workplaces around the world, and it needs to stop.
Just say no.
No one who cares will mind if you politely say you can’t do what they want because you’re too busy.
It’s very important to take care of your mental health.
So, even if it feels weird the first time, learn to say “no” to projects you don’t want to do and learn how to keep your work life simple.
Further Reading: The Benefits Of Saying No: 9 Reasons Why You Should Say No
#6 – Make a list of things you need to do the night before.
When your mind is racing with a million and one thoughts at once, it might be difficult to wind down and get some shut-eye.
It is highly recommended that you write down everything that has to be done the night before in order to spare yourself some time in the morning.
This activity is one of my favorites since it helps clear my head and shut off all of the surrounding chatter.
It also enables me to have a concept of what my tomorrow will be like, which saves me time because I won’t have to waste it trying to recall what I needed to do after that.
Further Reading: How To Write a To Do List For Maximum Productivity
#7 – Delegate.
You don’t have to do everything by yourself, right? If you have the money, hire someone to do some of your work for you.
Think of yourself as someone who creates jobs and helps the economy in your area. Don’t have enough money?
Look for friends, coworkers, or family members who might be able to help, either directly or in exchange for other things you’re already doing.
Ask your partner to take on one of your tasks.
Or, ask your children to help out a little more.
Try taking care of the kids, running errands, making meals, or whatever else is on your list together.
There’s no reason for all of us to do it. Share, trade, barter, bargain.
Do anything you can to make things easier and more fun.
Further Reading: 10 Simple Ways To Delegate Tasks And Get More Done
#8 – Maintain Focus on Your Priorities
A common practice among workers is to complete tasks in the order of “whatever is easiest” because this gives the impression that more effort has been accomplished.
Putting off the unavoidable will only cause you stress and may result in your priorities suffering in the future because you did not properly budget your time.
Although this may be a smart way to save time on some occasions, it is not a good way to save time in all circumstances.
If you make it a habit to go in a specific order and maintain that order, you will be astonished at how much more you will get done around the house in the long term (“in the long run” being the keyword here).
Further Reading: 3 Simple Techniques To Prioritize Your Tasks And Get More Done
#9 – Don’t wait for things to happen.
We spend so much of our time reacting. We’re always answering emails, sitting in meetings that don’t do anything, and taking care of other people’s “emergencies.”
All of these things make it harder and harder to get anything done.
The Pomodoro Technique helps with this.
Don’t worry if you don’t know how this system works; it’s very easy. You only need a timer and the desire to get more done every day.
Choose a task, which should be your most important one.
Add 25 minutes to the timer. Work on that task until the timer goes off. During that time, don’t do anything else. After that, take a five-minute break.
You can do this process as many times as you want, but even just one “Pomodoro” will help you be much more productive because it keeps you focused on the task at hand and gives you breaks so you don’t get too tired and burned out.
Further Reading: 5 Science-Backed Strategies To Overcome Procrastination
#10 – Work On Your Mindset
If you convince yourself that you do not have enough time, you will not have enough time.
The way the world operates is just like that.
When it comes to your level of productivity and how you choose to spend your time, your frame of mind has a significant impact.
It is literally impossible to have effective time management without first having your mindset in the correct game.
If you go into each day with a pessimistic outlook and limiting beliefs, you will fail to make effective use of your time and you will not get the outcomes you seek.
When you get up in the morning, check to make sure you are in the appropriate frame of mind.
#11 – Plan ahead to get more time.
When you plan things out in advance, you end up with more time, space, and energy in your life.
It is strongly suggested that you set out some time during your nighttime routine to make a strategy for the next day.
Mark on your calendar the results that you anticipate obtaining within a specific amount of time.
Respect these outcomes in spite of everything.
If you follow these instructions, you will be able to get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time and you won’t waste time mindlessly wandering around.
Make it a routine to constantly plan ahead so that you have more time available.
Always stick to the plans you’ve made.
Always be there for yourself, as this is the most important step.
If you show up, you have a lower chance of getting distracted, taking breaks, and putting things off till later.
You will also have extra time on your hands as a direct result of your increased concentration on the outcomes you seek in your life.
Further Reading: Top 6 Tips for Effective Planning
#12 – Monitor the Time Spent on Each Task
Softwares can help you keep track of how much time you spend on each task.
This is not the same as putting time into a scheduler.
Some people work best when a clock keeps track of how much time they have left to do a certain task.
These tips for managing your time will help you stay focused and feel like you got a lot done during the day.
Some might work better than others. It really comes down to finding a way that works best for you.
Time is precious.
It is also hard to get back once it has been used up.
You can be more productive if you know how to handle your time. This will lead to more success and less stress about things that still need to be done.
You will be amazed at how much time you can squeeze out of each day’s 24 hours.
Ali Ounassi, Founder Of BestProductivityTips.com
