Have you ever wondered why some people accomplish so much more than others in the same 24 hours? What are they doing differently? We may not realize it, but there are blocks of time that we could be losing during the day. If added up, these blocks can return some serious time. Just to be clear, this advice isn’t geared towards everyone. There are absolutely people out there who are making the most of every day. And, to be fair, we all need a little down-time in our day. This is meant for those of us who admittedly waste time, then wonder where our day went. Here are some tips as to where we may “find” time: Limit social media browsing/posting to 10 minutes until you’ve accomplished what you set out to do today. Set a timer on your phone to hold yourself accountable to that time limit. Then reward yourself when you’ve completed your tasks with as much social media as you like! Make a list of items you need at the store before going shopping. If possible, list the items in order by location and stick to your list. If an unexpected personal call comes in, consider letting it go to voicemail (then check the message to make sure it’s not an emergency.) When you choose to answer the call, let the caller know that you only have (insert number of minutes of your choice) to speak and you’d be happy to call to speak again when you have more time. Consider making calls while you are commuting in your car (handsfree of course) or taking care of something at home, such as prepping dinner, that doesn’t require your full brain power and attention. Start with the tasks on your to-do list that require more energy and time. Save the “easier” tasks for when you’re tired and slowing down. We are tempted to handle the easy, no-brainer tasks first for a sense of accomplishment. However, this leaves us with the most difficult tasks to do when we least feel like doing them. Limit your “breaks” during the day to 10-15 minutes. Again, a timer is helpful in sticking to the limit. Utilizing these tips can give you anywhere from half an hour to many hours in a day, depending on your day and situation. What can you accomplish with that extra time? ...read more