By: B. Tracy
Everyone
wants more free time to do the things they love. It can take hard effort to get
things done and save time when our schedules are packed with things to do. But
first, in order to save time, it’s important to examine how we spend our time.
What Happened to Our Free Time?
According
to time management specialist Michael Fortino, over an average lifetime, you
will spend seven years in the bathroom. You will spend six years eating. You
will spend five years waiting in lines. You will spend four years cleaning your
house. You will spend three years in meetings. You will spend one year
searching for things. You will spend eight months opening junk mail. You will
spend six months sitting at red lights. You will spend 120 days brushing your
teeth. And here’s the big surprise: You will spend four minutes per day
conversing with your spouse and thirty seconds per day conversing with your
children.
Here
are five ideas that you can use in your personal life to get things done more
efficiently and save time:
1. Save Time by Shopping All At Once
When
you go shopping, do it all at once. Don’t shop at one store one day, and
another store on a different day. Go out and do all of your shopping on a
single day in a single trip. By the way, the very best time to shop for
groceries is Tuesday afternoon and evenings. Why? Store shelves are restocked
on Monday after the weekend. By shopping on Tuesday, you can get in, get the
greatest selection, get out fast, and get more free time.
2. Save Time by Bunching Your Errands
When
you have several errands to do, bunch them and do them all at once, rather than
doing one today, one tomorrow, and so on through the week. If you get things
done all at once, you will significantly increase the amount of free time you
have to do the things you really want to do.
3. Don’t Waste the Time of Others
Ask
yourself, ‘‘What do I do that wastes the time of others?’’ Wasting the time of other
people is usually not deliberate. It comes from not thinking about how valuable
their time is. We often waste the time of others through lack of consideration.
If
you are a boss or manager with people reporting to you, avoid the tendency to
waste the time of your staff by keeping them waiting or being late for
meetings. The more respect you show for the time of your staff, the more
valuable and important they will feel. The same applies in your personal life.
Show the same respect in the same way with your family and friends.
Ask
yourself, ‘‘How do I waste the time of my boss? My coworkers? My subordinates?
My spouse? My children? And others?’’ And then make efforts to avoid doing it.
If you are curious, go and ask people. Say, ‘‘What do I do that wastes your
time? How could I change the way I use my time so that it would be more
efficient for you?’’ Don’t be surprised by what they tell you. By asking these
questions, you’ll be able to save time for both parties.
4. Get More Free Time by Being Punctual
Only
2 percent of people are punctual all the time, and these people are recognized
and respected by everyone. Punctuality is professional and courteous. Make a
habit of being on time. Remember if you’re not early, you’re late. There is no
such thing as being fashionably late. It is really just being inconsiderate and
disorganized.
5. Get Things Done Quickly
Get
things done by developing a fast tempo and picking up the pace. Remember, fast
tempo is essential to success. Move quickly in cleaning up your house, putting
things away, getting ready to go out—in all possible household tasks and
responsibilities. The more things you do, and the faster you work to get them
done, the more energy you have and the more you save time.
The
faster you work and the more you get done, the better you feel. Most successful
people work at a higher tempo of activity than unsuccessful people. They don’t
necessarily do different things, but they get things done more efficiently in a
given time than the average person. They produce more in less time, and as a
result, they get paid more and promoted faster. Fast tempo is essential to
success.
The
best advice is to always focus on your ability to save time. Continually look
for ways to save time by cutting down or eliminating the major time wasters
from your life at work or home. Only then will you have enough time to work on
the goals that are central to your success and happiness. Only then can you
become an excellent time manager.
No comments:
Post a Comment