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Eight top time tips

October 26th, 2010 by Robyn Pearce
It sometimes seems like there are more and more things to fit in a day - and fewer hours to do them in! Robyn Pearce offers her eight all-time best time-saving tips to help you keep tabs on where your time is going, and squeeze more into your available hours.
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  1. 'No' is your most powerful time management tool.
    When we know what our values are, and when we have a clear set of goals in all areas of our lives, we're in a much stronger position to politely and appropriately say 'no' to potential time-stealers and less relevant activities.
     
  2. Every week, block in a few important non-urgent actions.
    It's too easy to get caught up in everlasting deadlines. Change that emphasis by making appointments with yourself, written into your diary or organiser, to work on one or two activities per week of long-term and long-lasting value. Not sure what you could do? Think of the big tasks put off until you 'have time'. Almost certainly they can be broken down into small chunks.
     
  3. Constantly ask, 'What is my highest priority right now?'
    This is a great focusing question. When applied we find it easier to stay on task with activities that really make a difference. We're also less likely at the end of the day to find we've not dealt with our highest priorities.
     
  4. 'How can I do this task more efficiently?'
    Become a 'walking question mark'. There are always better ways to do things. Every time you do a task, look for a shortcut, a way to trim a few seconds or a minute off the task. They mount up to a surprising total over a week.

    How do you manage your paperwork? Do you put things away when finished with them? How many unnecessary steps do you take in a day? Notice how often you say in frustration, ‘Bother it. I forgot to get (or do) ..... '.

    Time-saving efficiencies are all around us, but most people don't go looking for them. Instead, they just complain about lack of time!
     

  5. Block in regular sanity gaps.
    Why be wonderfully efficient if we don't take time to enjoy life and the amazing world we live in? When did you last take a complete weekend off - no email, no business calls, no responsibilities other than the people you're with?

    Many of us know it's important to clean out old files and regularly defrag our computers - it's a house-keeping process that helps them run better. Think of taking regular time off as a defrag of your brain. You'll come back fresher and you'll also produce better results (just like the computer!) Give your conscious and sub-conscious time to talk to each other - you'll be amazed at the results.
     

  6. Manage your energy well and time looks after itself.
    Around the world I'm hearing the phrase 'energy management' more and more. Think of your energy levels as your filter or indicator as to whether you're doing the right things.

    Sluggish energy is a powerful clue - if something isn't flowing smoothly there are almost always ways to either change activity or improve things.

    A good filter question: 'What's blocking my energy here? What can I do about it?'
     

  7. Eliminate clutter in all areas of your life.
    This links in part with the previous point. When you walk into a clean tidy environment, how do you feel? The more you're connected to that environment, the more impact it will have on you. Someone else's messy and untidy space may or may not have an obvious effect on you, but I guarantee you'll virtually never want to linger.

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About the author

Robyn Pearce's picture
Robyn Pearce

Robyn Pearce is an International Time Management Specialist with offices in Auckland and Sydney. She confesses to being an expert in time management as a direct result of having made every mistake in the book (and survived). She's the author of "Getting a Grip on Time" and other time management books, and is a regular speaker on the Asian Pacific circuit.