Need to make more time in your day? Here’s how…

I’m too busy/I need more hours in the day/It’s on my list, I just haven’t got to it yet…

Be honest, have you said any of the above in the last week or so? I’m willing to bet you have.

We all want more hours in the day, but until scientists figure how to turn stop time, we’re just going to have to knuckle under and accept that 24 hours really is all we get each day.

Whilst it might not be possible to physically create more time in your day, it is possible to hack it, so that you can get everything done that you want to, and still have time to have something that resembles a personal life.

After all, that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day – presumably you’re working towards a goal that means you can spend less time at your desk, not more. So this week I’m sharing my top time-saving hacks, to help you make the most of your day!

Start your day right

I’m not saying that without a good morning routine your day will be hopeless, but starting it off right will make you so much more productive.

Wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to regulate your body clock. When you do this, your body learns to anticipate waking and begins preparing for it by adjusting your hormone levels and body temperature. This leads to a better quality of sleep and will means you’ll find it much easier to get up in the morning!

Don’t be tempted to check your emails or social media first thing; instead, use the time for personal development or planning. I like to wake early, make a coffee and spend some time with my journal before I work out or go for a run.

On a more practical level, prepare for your day the night before by laying out clothes, packing your bag, or prepping your breakfast. Anything that’s going to cut down on time you have to spending making decisions or not being able to find the one thing you need to have with you the following day.

Get strict

If you want more time in your day, you’re going to have to get tough.

Firstly, make sure you’re getting your critical stuff done first, before you start dealing with other peoples’: avoid looking at (or getting bogged down by) emails that aren’t priorities for you. Instead, identify your Big Rocks (per Steven Covey!) and make time for them.

If you do find that you spend more time in the day doing things for other people, learn to say no. You don’t have to be rude, but you do have to set boundaries about when you are available to help out other people, and when you aren’t.

Remember, saying no to one thing means saying yes to something else that matters more and gets you closer to your own goals.

This meeting could have been an email

If you find that you’re spending more and more time in meetings that feel like a waste of your time, question every meeting invitation you receive and ask if it’s really necessary for you to be there.

For essential meetings, request or create an agenda in advance, and make sure people stick to them. If it’s getting off topic, pull it back, and if it’s appropriate, try standing meetings to keep them brief and focused.

DON’T multi-task…

I’ll keep saying this till I’m blue in the face: multi-tasking is a myth. All you’re really doing is switching between tasks that require a different type of focus, and you’re doing them all half-arsed. Ultimately, you’re more likely to make a mistake, which you’ll then have to spend more time going back to fix later on.

Try the Pomodoro Technique to work in focused 25-minute blocks followed by short breaks, and get rid of distractions by closing any browser tabs that don’t really need to be open and silencing notifications (and your phone!).

…But DO task-batch

That said, it’s a great idea to batch similar tasks together and doing them in a dedicated block of time.

Categorise the jobs on your to-do list, such as communication, creative work, admin, etc. and then block time for each category. This means you’re more likely to maintain momentum on similar tasks and saves time that you’d lose by transitioning between different types of tasks.

Two birds, one stone

Now, it’s not quite multi-tasking, but take a look at whether there are things you can do at the same time. I often like to take calls while I’m out having a walk – it’s like I’m killing two birds with one stone, getting some exercise in whilst still getting my work done!

Obviously this won’t work if you need to be writing stuff down or similar, but for brainstorming calls or similar, it can be great to be doing them in a different than the office, and can often give me some great ideas!

Identify your peak performance times

It’s really important to work out when you you're naturally most alert and productive during the day. Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Try keeping a productivity journal for a week or so and track your energy levels, focus, and work quality at different times of the day. When do you tend to slump? When do you naturally tackle complex tasks, and when do you find yourself procrastinating?

Schedule your most important or challenging jobs during your peak hours and save less demanding tasks for your "off-peak" hours, where it won’t matter quite so much if you do find yourself getting distracted.

Schedule a Power Hour

A Power Hour is a great idea for cracking through your tasks. Choose a consistent time each day so that you’re more likely to build it into your routine, have a clear idea of what you want to achieve in the hour, and use a timer so you can commit to working without interruption until it goes off.

If you need some help putting it into practice, try working with an accountability buddy. Get on Zoom, tell each other what you need to achieve, then mute yourself and get on with your work, with your camera on. At the end of the hour, show each other what you’ve got done. It’s amazing how that accountability can stop you playing on Facebook when you should be working!

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep

Ignore all those people who say they only need 4 hours of sleep a night – they’re lying. ?Sleep experts recommend between 7 – 9 hours every night, to give your body (as well as your brain) the rest it needs to function at it’s best.

Cut down on or eliminate caffeine after midday and try to limit screen time for an hour or so before you go to bed, and remember that it’s important to prioritise sleep as a crucial part of your health and productivity – making mistakes because you’re exhausted is only going to make your day more difficult, not easier!

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At the end of the day, you have to be really clear on your personal goals so that you know what your priorities need to be each day – one you have that sorted, it’ll automatically give you some focus and clarity. ?

Remember, the goal with the above tips isn’t necessarily to cram more into your day, it’s to make the most of your time so you can be more efficient, more productive and, most importantly, more fulfilled in your everyday life. Good luck!