Simple Hacks for Adding More Time to Your Day

Ever reached the end of the day, and wondered where on earth the time had gone? The clock doesn’t stop for nobody! Some days, the hours we need to accomplish all that needs doing seem to vanish. This can leave us feeling unproductive, and unaccomplished.

So, where is all our time going? Is it being sucked into an imaginary vortex, or are there simply moments during our day that we can become more aware of – rearranging them to free up even more time for the tasks that really do matter.

LIMIT TIME SPENT ON EMAIL

It’s so easy to get cosy with your inbox – clearing emails, following up, and firing lengthy emails off to instruct and direct colleagues, and staff. It sure feels productive! However, it may be time to give this a re-think. If you’ve ever read the 4-Hour Workweek, it suggests to check emails twice a day — responding to quick emails late morning for 30–60min, and closing out longer emails later in the afternoon.

Keeping emails concise, and to the point is also beneficial to gaining time back, whilst trying not to open unnecessary dialogue – think about how you can refine your email brand to free up time.

DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE

Outsourcing tasks can be a great way to claim back valuable time. List everything you do (or future tasks you need doing) throughout your day – now, highlight everything you think you could delegate to a team member, or something you think you could use some extra support on. Brainstorm how you could go about this, and go forth!

Don’t stop there! Start listing off what happens outside of work hours – maybe it’s time to consider an Airtasker for items you need doing around the house, or even things like having your groceries delivered. Win-win at both home, and in the workplace!

LIMIT INTERRUPTIONS

Don’t get us wrong – interactions with those closest to us can be one of the most fulfilling parts of our job. With simple adjustments – and without appearing to be the office grump – we can set ourselves up for uninterrupted success.

Simple solutions could be to start work an hour earlier (hello quiet office), or working from home or a nearby cafe from the first hour of your day. If these aren’t possible, Forbes suggests to tell your co-workers that the next hour will be free from interruptions, and “to hold all their questions, requests, roadblocks, etc. until the hour is up.” Think about the primary drivers of your productivity during this time? It’s likely to be because you have limited or no interuptions!