10 Things I Do Every Day to Save Time
As a busy working mom trying to change the world I am always trying to find extra time in my day. Here are 10 things I do every day to save time and increase my productivity. Some of them only save me 5-10 minutes, but 5 minutes ten times a day is 50 minutes a day, which is almost 6 hours a week, which is 13 days in a year! That’s a lot of time.
I plan out my outfit the night before – This one I’ve been doing for years. I usually pick out two outfits the night before. One outfit that I know I will be comfortable in no mater what, and a slightly fancier outfit if I wake up feeling more confident or adventurous. I hate mornings. Like, my alarm is my least favorite thing I own. When I pick out my clothes in the morning I spend at least 5 minutes staring at my closet thinking I have nothing to wear, or trying on several outfits. Setting out my outfit (all the way down to underwear and socks) the night before saves me time and energy.
I pre-plan my meals – Every Sunday morning I make a list of dinners for the week. It’s small, just a scrap of paper that I put on my fridge. But this helps me plan our grocery list (I also try to pick meals with similar ingredients so less waste), and then it’s one less decision to make each day. No more standing in front of the fridge at 5:00 when I’m hangry with a toddler running around my legs trying to decide what to make. Saves me tons of time, mental effort, and money each week (less wasted food, we only buy what we are going to eat).
I pretty much eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch each day – This saves my brain resources as I’m spending less time trying to decide what to eat for breakfast or lunch. Breakfast is Cheerios, or if I’m really adventurous Rice Krispies. Snack is cheese, crackers, and fruit, lunch is leftovers from the night before, and afternoon snack is usually trail mix, pretzels or cookies, and more fruit. Seriously when I eat the same things two meals a day and snacks I’m wasting less time deciding what to eat, and again saving money because I only buy what I know I will eat!
I shower at night – If I had to shower in the morning I would never get out the door. Just to wash, dry, and style my hair would add another at least 30 minutes to my day. I shower in the evening and let my hair air dry. As an extra bonus I find showering before bed helps me relax and it’s part of my sleep routine. I know there are those people who say they wouldn’t feel ready in the morning without a shower to wake them up. Try splashing some cold water on your face. Works for me and takes 30 seconds.
I put things in the same place all the time – Keys, wallet, phone, bag, shoes, coat, all have their places. Then I know where they are in the morning and I’m not wasting time trying to track them down. For real this helps! I spent years trying to train my husband to get into this routine. Now he always leaves his wallet and keys in the same place and I haven’t had to jump out of bed in a panic because he’s late and can’t find his keys in years.
I chunk tasks – Our brains are super inefficient at multitasking and switching between tasks. If I’m stopping work every 15 minutes to respond to another email I’m less efficient at both tasks. I schedule times to check my email, make phone calls, and write reports. I also dedicate days every week/month to work on broader goals like writing blogs or working on new work projects. I am much more efficient if I spend one afternoon writing 5 blog posts then I would be if I spent an hour each week just writing one post. Try it and you will see what I mean.
I make a daily to-do list every morning – The first thing I do every morning when I get to my desk is make a list of things I want to get done that day. I also plan out how long I’m going to spend on each task. Like from 8-9 I work on this project, from 9-10 I check emails etc. The tasks are different every day, but the to-do list works the same way. Our brains are way more efficient at staying on track if things are written down. And I find by setting a time limit for each task I can much more realistically estimate what I can accomplish in a day (it avoids the 40 item to-do list that never gets done). And it feels awesome to check things off the list. Our brains love that! And yes I totally put things like check my email, go to the gym, and make dinner on those lists! Those things count as items that take up your time. Don’t forget to add them.
I have weekly and monthly to-do list – I also have a list of tasks I want to accomplish each week, as well as overall monthly goals. It’s easy to get bogged down by the day to day and forget about the longer term goals. Having weekly and monthly lists helps me stay on track and I waste less time because I always know what’s my next priority.
I write out my long term goals daily – Every night before bed I write down 10 long term goals I have for my future. I write them as if they’ve already happened. Like “I read and exercise daily” is one on my list. There is evidence that if we write down our goals as if we’ve actually reached them our brain responds to those goals differently and we are more likely to achieve them. Keeping my long term goals in mind also helps me stay focused day to day. I know where I’m going so it’s easier to stay motivated when the daily grind gets tough.
I delegate and ask for help – This one is still a work in progress but I’m getting better at it. For every task on my plate I ask myself is this something I love to do, and if not, is it something that will move the needle towards my goals? If it’s not, then it gets taken off the list. Sometimes I have to be tough. Like maybe I have to say no to drinks after work because I only have so much family time before my daughter goes to sleep each night. And it can be hard to ask for help. Especially if you’re a type-A super micromanager like me. It’s hard to let anyone else take on tasks. But I know I only have 24 hours in every day, so in order to achieve my goals I have to learn to focus on priorities, and delegate the rest.
Pick on thing on this list and give it a try every day for a month. Mark each day you stick to this new time saving habit on your calendar (or download an app to keep track). Check how you feel at the end of 30 days. Are you finding more time or more mental energy with this new habit? I bet you will be surprised at just how much time you save, and how much mental energy you save with these tips.