You can do a lot in 24 hours. Except a day only lasts about 16 if you don’t count the time you spend sleeping. Yet there is so much to do! My plans, projects, goals and ambitions have grown beyond the size of ‘a list’ but take up entire notebooks. And on top of that, I’d like to still see my friends, spend time with my kid, see art and do a workout now and then.
Finding ways to ‘create more time’ and watching time so it doesn’t escape, is an essential condition to making things happen. So here is a chronological list of my time-editing-tips:
1. Get up early
At 6:00 you can be sure that your time won’t be snatched and taken away by any interruption. Get a head start on your priorities before the mailbox starts filling up, notifications start coming in and social media feeds start speeding up.
2. Outfit repeating
No shame in outfit repeating and focusing on favourites. Which when repeated long enough can become a personal uniform. I become obsessed with certain pieces or a silhouette that it is all I want to wear. For me it’s a light-version of a uniform though; it’s clothes that I wear on most days – not every single day and it is not something pre-decided that I’ve committed myself to wear forever. And it changes, slowly morphing into something different. It saves an extra 15 minutes in the morning – and helps against decision fatigue
3. Pinpoint time-wasters
Eliminate activities that suck up chunks of time, don’t contribute to any goal and are not a lot of fun. Examples include deleting games from your phone, ditching the TV and the last one that I have yet to do is deleting that Facebook account.
4. Two birds with one stone
Or ‘Two flies with in one hit’ if you’re Dutch. Batching things together but not multi tasking. Like cooking twice as much to cover for two meals. Getting your writing done while you travel, doing your make up in the taxi or inviting your kid into your workspace.
5. Set a timer
Working in time blocks has been proven to increase your productivity. Basically setting mini deadlines throughout the day. For example: giving yourself one hour, and one hour only to answer all emails. From 9:00 to 10:00, followed by a break, followed by a next high-intensity-get-it-done-time-chunk. Chances are that you’re going to do it quicker, more efficiently and you’re going to keep messages brief. Instead of knowing that you still have answering opportunities all day.
6. Work less hours
Continuing on the subject of setting an ‘end-time’… Research found that it more working hours, labour output per hour fell. So basically if we reduce the hours worked, we will still get the same job done.
7. Use a watch
Instead of your phone to keep track of your time. Distractions and interruptions are the biggest time wasters. To get back in the flow after an interruption can take up to 25 minutes. Very important not to get a glimpse of a notification or even the sight of that instagram or mail icon on your screen. I like to wear my watch to the inside, so that time doesn’t become a constant pressure but is available at a flip of the wrist.
8. Eat veggies
Yes. After dinner dips are real time killers guys. Give your body the most efficient fuel. I remember feeling tired and super slow after eating. Don’t want to sound like Captain Planet but since I’ve gone vegan 5 years ago, I feel like I can run a marathon instead of wanting to crash on the couch after having food. Oh yes and you’re also saving the planet.
9. Go to bed on time
You can’t make more time by sleeping less, I’ve learned the hard way. This is the department at which I used to think I could win more hours. If my work wasn’t finished at the end of the day, I would just continue into the night. But unfortunately you have to repay those gained hours the next day because you’ll be much slower and less focused.
By Ivania Carpio of Love Aesthetics