“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” ~ Michael Altshuler
Need an extra hour (or more) each day? If it seems overwhelming and nearly impossible to check off everything on your to-do list each day, let alone reconnect with yourself AND those you love__you’re definitely not alone. We are covering tips 1-5 of 10 time saving tips to help manage your time.
Navigate to where you want to go:
There are tricks to working smarter, not harder. AND growing your ability to manage your time well can lead to a better understanding of what you really want to be doing.
Let’s start with creating an extra hour in our day by shifting how we view the time & tasks we have currently committed to.
My experience makes me quite positive that if you implement all ten time saving tips coming up in this series, you’ll have time to spare. You may even have to take up a new hobby!
Ten Time Saving Tips For Busy Women(1-5)
Time Saving Tips - 1. BORROW WISDOM
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Man can either buy his wisdom or borrow it. By buying it, he pays full price in personal time and treasure. But by borrowing it, he capitalizes on the lessons learned from the failures of others.”
I've made a few poor choices in my day. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, “we bought an education on that one.”
Sometimes that’s how it is, and experience is a great teacher, but when you can learn from the success and failures of others, you’re time and money ahead.
Rather than lose time and money through your own experience, copy the methods and ways of others.
Watch for those who live as you wish you were and who are successful in the areas you want to grow in. Do what they do. In the meantime, avoid the ways of those who don’t.
Time Saving Tips - 2. SAY NO
You can’t always say no, but often you can. Do you regularly end up saying yes because you feel bad? Why do we feel bad? It stands to reason that when you say yes to one thing, you’re saying no to something else, so truthfully you’re saying no all of the time, we just need to recognize it ahead of time. Most often, it turns out we’re saying no to our health and well-being. (check out How To Replace Your Should Mindset with Truth if you struggle with no’s)
Knowing how you want to spend your time and what you want to say yes to can help you say no.
Take a few moments to look at your schedule. Be honest with yourself. Are there things you can get rid of completely? What items could you do less frequently? What should you schedule right now so it will be easier to say no when something else comes up? It’s not selfish to protect your time. It’s wise. Know what matters most and schedule it first.
Time Saving Tips - 3. TRACK YOUR TIME FOR REGULAR TASKS
Learning the reality of how you spend your time can give you the tools needed to take control of your day. When you take control of your day, you take control of your life. A few years ago, I decided to track how long it took me to get ready. – Showering, washing, drying, curling my hair, makeup, and picking out my outfit – all the things.- I have to admit it was a little shocking. Since that moment, I have chopped up my process into much more manageable pieces. I changed my philosophy entirely on what it means to ‘be ready.’ It’s been a process, needless to say. (my favorite tool for tracking time? Momentum Dashboard you have to go check it out!)
I've eliminated quite a few time-wasting practices, and no one's the wiser except me.
Evaluate whether you’re spending your time wisely. Focus on your time-wasters one by one. As you check your progress, your steady improvement will motivate you to eliminate even more time-wasting practices. (if you’re interested in working on routines, start here…Make Your Day Powerful With This Morning Routine)
Time Saving Tips - 4. MULTITASK (when it works to do so)
I’m not a big fan of multitasking, so I don’t recommend it. (there’s so much data on how we are only fooling ourselves into believing we’re being productive, NOT true, it’s counterproductive, just google ‘switch cost’) BUT when it comes to using your commuting – hair drying – makeup applying time to bring yourself closer to the life you want to live…sign me up.
Here are a few items I knock out while I'm getting ready...
- Phone calls to friends and family.
- Listening to audiobooks. (also, listening rather than reading is a huge time saver.)
- Listening to my Bible app.
- Catching up with my Bible study or educational videos.
When we are able to do two things at a time that don’t tax the same part of our brain, it’s a win-win. (key point “two things that don’t tax the same part of our brain)
BONUS: I often listen at 1.25* speed. Not only does it feel more like a conversation, but you can also choose your speed according to your preference for the reader's voice & pace.
Try it out, and let me know your thoughts! This is one of the best time saving tips for moms and especially working moms!
Time Saving Tips - 5. DON'T PUT IT DOWN, PUT IT AWAY
Putting something down instead of putting it away will save you a little time in the short term. But creating the habit of putting everything away once you’ve finished with it will save you much more time and anxiety in the long run. Not only is it frustrating to go to find something, and it’s not where it should be, but clutter tends to accumulate when you don’t put things back.
Try applying this motto to your life and see what a difference it makes. Repeat after me ---"Don't put it down, put it away."
We won’t get it right every time. But the more often we do, the fewer items will be left out and the more time we save. (Want more tips on creating a routined life? Click here.)
Your time and energy are valuable, limited resources. And while we can’t control them, we can ensure we get the most out of what we have. Applying these first five time saving tips will surely create enough time for you and your family! Click here for 6-10 in this two part series covering five more time saving tips.
Happy GRO-ing!
