Busting time wasters
It's important to consider what you are going to do to change your worst time-wasting habits. If you can reduce the time-wasters in your day by just half an hour, it makes a major difference. Think of all the things you'd be able to do with the extra time...
Consider the following questions:
- What is your worst time-waster and how are you going to tackle it?
- What is your best suggestion for saving time?
Time-saving suggestions:
- Read email only at certain, limited times of the day - for example, 7am and 5pm
- Put your phone on an answer machine and ring people back during a limited time - for example, between 8 and 9pm
- Video-record all you favourite TV programs for later ad-free viewing
- Allow yourself one morning per week to sleep as long as you like - but only one morning
- Limit chat to regular 'tea-breaks' in a social space; practise saying 'I just need to finish this, can I catch up with you at 11? (or 3?)'
- Think: why am I reading this? Have I ascertained that it will be useful? Write a list of the information or details you want to get from your reading before you start
- Invest time in starting and maintaining a filing system and organising your papers
- Before a meeting, write yourself a list of points you want to discuss or have decided in the meeting
- Keep a journal or 'organiser' that can accommodate notes on ideas, references and meetings with a separate section for names and contact details
