10 Surprising Ways to Save Time

Imagine if you had an extra hour every day.

Would you use it to spend more time with your family, catch up on sleep, or just do what you love?

This may sound like a fantasy, but it isn’t.

Over the years, I’ve learned many ways to save time, but there are 10 methods that really stick — and my coaching clients will back me up. These methods have allowed them to make time for what they want to do, without sacrificing what’s important.

Best of all, you’ve never heard of, let alone used, most of these tips before, and three of them are pretty shocking. Just keep an open mind and you’ll find some serious time-saving gold.

Ready to work smarter, not harder and ramp up your productivity?

1. Start a time journal

A time journal is kind of like drawing out a treasure map for your time. It’s a way of asking: What are my “gold-nugget” goals and what must I do to achieve them?

Break your day into 20-minute increments. Record what you’re doing and how you’re feeling during each of these segments. Identify obstacles to greater productivity and recognize where you have your “magic time” — the window during the day when you’re more productive than at any other.

Before you close your time journal for the day, remind yourself that your time is valuable, and that there are ways you can be using it better. I’ll get to the specifics of that time management tip in a moment.

2. Cut your morning routine

Are you stressed out by 7am? You’re doing too much. Despite what clickbait articles on all the major websites claim, successful people don’t do 14 things before breakfast. They do just one — give themselves solitude and quiet time to accomplish one important task before the rest of the world wakes up.

3. Cut your exercise time

My philosophy here is simple: Every single minute of your exercise routine should be justified. Keep that in mind when you decide to drive to gym just to use fancy equipment instead of doing equally effective bodyweight exercises. You also need to justify every exercise, set, and repetition in your program.

If you’re not sure what’s worthwhile and what’s not, read up on the science (my book, “The Great Cardio Myth” is a good place to start). In most cases, a 15-minute workout at home will do as much for you as an hour at the gym.

4. Schedule your week in time blocks

Not every minute of your day can be scheduled, but you can create an outline with two-three-hour time blocks and fill these in with appropriate, goal-oriented activities. Keep in mind that you should include rewards for hard work — a quiet walk, a nice meal, or time reading.

I recommend picking one major priority for the morning, one for the afternoon, and one for the evening. Don’t make them too complicated, but be intentional about furthering your goals.

Whatever you schedule, make sure your tasks aren’t empty — do deep work on your goals so that you can say each and every day moves you forward.

5. No really — do deep work

I can’t stress this enough. You need to remove your distractions if you’re going to achieve results. Turn off your smartphone or put it into airplane mode. Work in a room that doesn’t have a TV or a computer. Ask a roommate or friend to hold you accountable and call you out when you slip up.

Sound rough? It might be at first, but you’ll build habits that allow you to focus on your top priorities and do the deep work that makes you ultimately successful.

6. Drop the guilt and give yourself permission to relax

You can’t do everything, so stop worrying about what you don’t do. Also, be sure you give yourself the chance to relax, unwind, and take care of your needs. Sure, there are chores to be done and those aren’t fun — who likes doing the laundry? — but this is part of self-care and critical to keeping yourself afloat.

And as intentional as you are about doing distraction-less deep work, do the same with your free time. Remove the tools and technologies that keep you connected with work so you can really unplug and relax.

7. Set realistic deadlines

The indisputable Law of Cutoff Times is reason enough to set deadlines: If you don’t have a deadline, projects will be pushed out by idle conversation and distractions.

For the projects that matter most, set deadlines.

8. Plan and prepare the night before

If you’re drafting your to-do list for the day in the morning, you’re already too late. Start the night before with a three-part planning process:

• Do a brain dump — write out everything that you’re working on and that’s on your mind
• Use your brain dump to create a realistic to-do list for the following day
• Roughly map out your day according to these to-dos

Be sure to set aside 15 minutes every morning for your number-one priority!

9. Remove obstacles

We all have temptations, but some are more common that others. Avoid the following pitfalls to productivity:

• Gossip
• Mindless Internet surfing
• Negativity
• TV binge-watching

Need help staying away from these distracting demons? Appoint an accountability buddy and set consequences for dabbling in meaningless activities.

And remember this: Every minute you waste is stealing a minute from your child, your love life, your health, and your wealth.

10. Sleep well, faster

We all want — and often need — more sleep. But the struggle to get a good night’s rest is real. There’s too much on your mind, too much to-do, too many incessant demands on your attention.

How do you get through it? Here are a few tricks that have worked for me:

Eliminate mental stimulants

• Stop caffeine intake 10 hours before bed
• Avoid heavy meals 2–3 hours before bed
• Avoid alcohol 3 hours before bed
• Stop work an hour before bed
• Stop using electronics an hour before bed
• Do a brain dump 2 hours before bed

Follow good sleep hygiene

• Go to bed at the same time each night, and get up at the same time each day
• Keep your bedroom at 65–67 degrees Fahrenheit
• Use blackout shades or an eye mask to block out light, plus earplugs to block out sound
• Buy a bottle of lavender oil ($10 at Whole Foods) and put a drop on your pillow right before bed
• Take melatonin an hour before bedtime

Proper sleep drives the rest of your day, so don’t sacrifice a good night’s sleep for anything.

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There you have it! These 10 methods have worked me — and my clients — for years, and I know they’ll work for you, too. You just have to commit to building the right habits and making the most of your time. Remember — it’s a valuable commodity, so don’t waste it.

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Need some more help building routines and making the most of your time? Or maybe you need to build the right habits and discipline to really achieve your goals?

I recommend getting a FREE copy of “The Perfect Day Formula”—it’s helped a lot of my coaching clients structure their days, save time, and take their productivity to the next level. Honestly, I’m more concerned about sharing this wisdom than I am about making money, so please, get a FREE copy now and starting building your Perfect Days!