Do you feel like you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them?
Do you find yourself saying “there aren’t enough hours in a day”?
Time is our most valuable resource, and while it is certainly limited, we often waste more time than we think we do.
Here are a few things in your that you can cut down, modify, or cut out in order to create more time to focus on what’s important to you.
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Stop Looking at Your Phone
We spend way, way too much time on our phones.
I find that when I’m bored, or looking for social connection, I reach for my phone and often spend minutes or hours mindlessly scrolling with no constructive results.
Here’s what you can do to free up some free time:
- Be conscious. A lot of times we turn to our phones out of habit rather than actually wanting to use them. Think twice the next time you reach for your phone and you may decide not to.
- Take the social media apps (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) off of your phone. Only look at these sites when you’re sitting at a computer.
- Don’t reach for your phone first thing in the morning. Set a period of time where you can either enjoy the morning tech-free or get something done on a project you care about.
- Set a period of time before bed where you totally stop looking at your phone.
- Choose engage in actual, face-to-face human interaction, it’s typically what you’re seeking through social media anyway – that connection.
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Turn Off the TV
I absolutely love TV and movies.
I have spent so many hours of my life binge-watching, and re-watching, my favorite shows.
While I genuinely enjoy this pastime, I realize that if I want more time in a day, I have to consume less.
Here’s what you can do:
- Set a schedule for TV. If there are certain shows you can’t miss, dedicate one hour a day to the pure entertainment of watching your show guilt-free.
- Set a time limit, and when it’s up turn off the TV for the night.
- Write down your most important goals. Come up with, and write down, ideas or activities that will further your progress towards those goals. This will be a list of things you can work on instead of grabbing the tv remote.
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Have a Plan
Not having set intentions or a plan for your day makes it far more likely that you will spend your time doing unproductive things.
Then you feel rushed to complete the things that are actually important to you.
Typically, during the work day you have set periods of time where you work and set periods of time where you have breaks.
If you’re a professional, your work day is usually scheduled out in your calendar.
Why not do the same with your “down time”?
Here’s what you can do:
- Pull out paper and pen, or a word doc on your computer, and write down, hour by hour (or half hour), what an ideal day for you would look like. Like this:
- Modify this template for each day, including specific tasks (e.g. “write blog article about student loans”).
- Get your calendar and write down important events and/or the big goals you want to accomplish each day.
- Keep both your daily schedule and calendar readily available so you are reminded to stay on track throughout the day.
Get Out of Bed When You’re Not Sleeping
This may not be applicable to everyone, but I have wasted a ridiculous amount of time in my life laying in bed at night or in the morning trying, and failing, to fall asleep.
Often, hours go by where I’m neither sleeping nor doing anything constructive.
Here’s what you can do:
- If you’re laying in bed at night or in the morning struggle to fall asleep or go back to sleep, get up and do another activity.
Stop Going All-Out On Meals
If you spend a lot of time cooking, preparing meals, and washing dishes this might free up some space.
Here’s what you can do:
- Eat more raw foods (vegetables, fruits, etc.). This is not only much quicker, but it’s likely healthier.
- Set aside time one day a week to meal prep for the week. Plan out what meals you want each day and prepare them all on Sunday so that when you’re ready to eat your food is ready too.
Eliminate Clutter and Disorganization
Research suggests that people spend an average of 60 hours (2.5 days) a year looking for misplaced things.
I am not an organized person by nature (at. all.), but forcing myself to reduce clutter and keep my spaces organized has saved me tons of time and frustration.
Here’s what you can do:
- Declutter. Get three bags or boxes and label them “keep,” “donate,” and “trash.” Go through each room in your house where there is mess or clutter and place objects into the designated boxes. Take everything in the donate and trash boxes and get them out of your house.
- Purge your clothing, bags, toys, etc. Only keep things that are useful or that make you happy.
- Give everything you have left a designated spot. This is an idea I learned from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. When every single object has it’s own place, you will never have to worry about losing or misplacing it.
Exercise More
Ok, this isn’t really creating more time.
But what working out does is to maximize the other time you have in the day.
When you work out you have more energy and motivation, and just a more positive outlook in general.
The extra 30 minutes or hour workout you carve out from your day will definitely make up for itself in the form of more productivity in your other tasks.
Here’s what you can do:
- Start small. You don’t have to run a marathon to get the benefits of exercise. Start with a small workout routine. For example, commit to doing 30 jumping jacks or 30 sit-ups before you shower each morning.
- Exercise while watching tv. It’s a win-win if you like to watch tv but feel like you’re wasting time while you do it.
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Final Thoughts
Time is precious and limited.
Look at your day and use some of the points above to create the time for the things that are the most important to you in life.