5 Top Tips to Give You More Time
Tuesday - 25 June 2013
Time matters. For every person reading this - barring an unprecedented scientific breakthrough - their time on earth is limited.
We all want to make the most of the time we have. That's why at Jura Watches, we only supply quality and luxury.
It's also why we've delved deep into the writings and minds of productivity experts to bring you some of the world's greatest time saving tips.
1. Try the Eisenhower Method
"What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important." ~ Dwight Eisenhower
Eisenhower, one of America's top Generals during WWII who later became President, said tasks should either be labelled important or urgent (if they're neither, you can strike them off your to do list).
"What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important." ~ Dwight Eisenhower
Urgent tasks he delegated to others, or set aside for later in the day. That way, he could focus on what really mattered: the important tasks.
2. Give Yourself 15 Seconds
An email pings in your inbox. Should you deal with it now, or add it to your to do list?
As journalist and TV host Sarah Wilson explains:
"If it can be solved, answered, stored in 15 seconds I do it straight away. If not I come back to it, and complete longer responses in batches."
3. Avoid Multi-Tasking
Multi-tasking used to be the buzzword of busy office managers, and anyone applying for a job. If you couldn't multi-task, you were seen as lazy or stupid.
However, research is stacking up against multi-tasking. Doing more than one thing at a time destroys your productivity. Bestselling author Robin Sharma writes:
"New research confirms that all the distractions invading our lives are rewiring the way our brains work (and drop our IQ by 5 points!). Be one of the rare-air few who develops the mental and physical discipline to have a mono-maniacal focus on one thing for many hours."
4. Eat Frogs for Breakfast
Often, the tasks that most need doing are the tasks you least want to do. According to Brian Tracy, you should do those tasks first. Getting them out of the way gives you the energy to smash through the rest of your to do list. That's why Brian's book is called Eat That Frog.
In his own words:
“The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.”
5. Drop What Doesn't Matter
Having a to-do list (or might-do list) as long as your arm is self-defeating, because you'll never get to the end of it. Plus, probably most of the items on your list don't really matter.
Personal development coach Steve Pavlina recommends getting rid of everything that wastes your time, even if that means you "fail" at some things.
"Remember that failure is your friend. So if a certain decision you've made in the past is no longer producing results that serve you, then be ruthless and dump it, so you can move onto something better. There is no honour in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you."
Over to You
What's your top time saving tip? How do you make sure every minute counts?
Image credit: Time is Free by Leland Francisco.
