Over the years, I've talked to a
number of clients who wish they had a few more hours in their
day. Finding "extra" time in your day is a lot like doing a
household budget - once you know what's taking up your time, you
can decide what to trim to get some of it back.
Here are five key areas where we
often lose time unnecessarily, as well as guidance about how to
get some of it back:
1. Correspondence -
email, IM and snail mail can usurp inordinate amounts of time
every day, if you're not careful. To fight this "time vampire,"
choose a block of time to dedicate to these activities and don't
allow yourself to get sucked into peeking, or responding
to "just a quick one," at other times of day. Be ready to "get
medieval" on those that are labeled "urgent." When processing
mail (electronic or otherwise), set a timer for 2 minutes - when
the timer goes off, either put it on your to-do list or know
that you're done dealing with that item.
2. Errands - if it's not
the kids' soccer practice, it's the dry cleaning. In addition to
that, you've got to get to the ATM, fill up the car and shop for
dinner. But if you don't plan well, you could drive back and
forth across town four times before you even set foot into a
grocery store! Two ways to alleviate this struggle:
- Cluster your errands
- plan your trip so that all your destinations are near
one-another. Maybe there's a gas station near the grocery
store. If you need to stop at an out-of-the way store, maybe
your bank has a branch nearby as well.
- Get help managing your
errands - if your spouse is driving by the dry cleaner
on the way home, ask him to make a stop.
Either way, you'll save time
and gas.
3. Mindless Entertainment
- it's not called "the boob tube" for nothing! Although both
television and your computer can be "educational resources," all
too often, we find ourselves sitting mindlessly in front of
them. When we need to unwind, we power up one of the two.
Before we know it, the evening's spent.
The secret to avoiding this
pattern is in choosing it as an activity. Though it may
seem awkward at first, it's usually better to schedule
this downtime. Record your favorite shows and watch them
later. When your program is over, move on. Not only does this
help reduce the tendency to surf endlessly, you will
actually be able to enjoy more programming in less
time (did you realize that almost one third of each broadcast
hour is dedicated to commercials?).
4. Commuting - millions
of people ride, drive or otherwise transport themselves to their
workplaces daily. By their own admission, commuters will tell
you that, if they could get that time back, they would earn back
hours of their day and transform the quality of their lives. For
many, working from home just isn't an option.
What is possible is to
use the transit time to serve another goal. For instance:
- Do you wish you could find
the time to read the bestseller you bought months ago? Get
audio books the car.
- Do you find there just
isn't enough time in the day to respond to email or phone
calls? Answer email on the train.
- Long for some quality time
with your best galpal but just can't schedule a
lunch? Schedule a phone date, and chat all the way to work.
Forwarding another goal during
this "lost" commuting time can increase your quality of
life. Besides, who couldn't stand a few more hours in
their day?
5. Meals - without a
plan, odds are you either won't eat regularly or
nutritiously. Organization is key, when it comes to streamlining
meal planning, prep and production. Create a well-oiled
machine: set aside some time each week to create a meal
calendar, and make your grocery list from this menu. No "three
different meals for my finicky little eaters" either. "The
Chef" prepares the meal listed on the calendar, and then the
kitchen is closed!
With a little planning, you'll
not only feed your family more nutritiously, you'll probably
save money as well as you cut down on impulse buys and
take-out. And one additional bonus: you'll never again utter the
dreaded, "What am I going to make for dinner tonight?"
