Time-saving hacks for your private and professional life

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Do you usually have the feeling that there are not enough hours in the day? Do you feel like you do not get enough done in the time available? There are many things we can do throughout the day to save time. Let us have a look at some time-saving hacks.

Time-saving organisation hacks

Do you organise your day to day or do things as they arise? If you think you lack time, it is key to know how to organise and how to prioritise your affairs.

Write it down

Having a method to organise our errands, tasks and ideas that come to mind is essential in order to have a vision of what awaits us and to organise the day in the most effective way. That is why I recommend that you create a system with which you have control over your appointments, tasks, errands and ideas.

1. Agenda

Try whether an electronic or paper agenda works best for you to write down all your appointments and meetings. Be it as it may, keeping an agenda is essential to have a vision of what awaits us during the day, week and month. Because that helps you know which time slots you have for other tasks. If you use a digital calendar you can also quickly write down recurring appointments and take advantage of the reminders.

2. Task Lists

As for tasks you also have the option to install an app on your mobile phone or write them down on paper. Try which system works best for you. The electronic version can be very useful to create recurring tasks such as doing the laundry or watering the plants for example and to set up reminders.

The point is to control all your tasks and be able to easily write down new issues that arise. That way you will always have a vision of what comes next instead of wasting time trying to remember it.

3. List of ideas

I also suggest that you have a way to capture ideas that come to your mind. Have you ever had a fabulous idea but did not write it down and later had a hard time remembering what it was? Having somewhere to write down your ideas not only saves you time, it also prevents you from forgetting great ideas.

Writing down our commitments and tasks saves us the time of trying to remember them and makes us more productive. #timesaving #productivity Click To Tweet

Assess the importance of appointments and tasks

Having a vision of all your commitments and tasks allows you to better assess their importance and urgency. Are all the meetings on your agenda necessary and useful? What task should you tackle next? Is there any task that is no longer necessary? To make an effective use of our time, we should question things. That way we will dedicate time to what is worthwhile and productive.

«There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.» #PeterDrucker #timesaving #productivity Click To Tweet

Group errands and purchases

Are you one of those who go and buy bread or milk every day? Every time you think of something you go to the store? And the next day again, and the one after and after. If you add together the journeys, going through the aisles of the store, possibly waiting at checkout, how much time do you spend on those tasks? Time you need for other activities.

That is why I have lists of “purchases” and “errands” in which I write down whatever I lack and come up with. So, when I go to the store, I buy everything I need at once and reduce the likelihood of forgetting something. I also try to organise the journeys to run all errands in one same neighbourhood together.

Shop online

Shopping online can be another way to save you time. There are things, such as fruit and vegetables that I prefer to choose myself in the store. But in general there are more and more products that we can buy on the internet: food, clothing, books, electronic devices etc. Especially if you do not live in an area where you have stores nearby it can save you a lot of time.

Group tasks and errands at work

The same applies to the office. I send document after document to the printer. Then, when I go to the printer, I print out everything at once and take the opportunity to scan or copy documents. When it comes to taking documents to other departments I also organise my journey to do it all at once.

All these small gestures save minutes throughout the day that can turn into hours per week. So think about which tasks you can group together so that they take less time.

Do you lack time for all you need to do? How to save time with your tasks and errands. #timesaving #productivity Click To Tweet

Time-saving in communications

Both when managing work and personal issues, such as with the bank, insurance, medical appointments, we can save time if we look for the most effective way to carry out our actions.

Choose the right communication channel

Today we have a multitude of communication channels at our disposal. But do you know how to choose the most appropriate one according to the task or errand? Requesting the appointment with the doctor through an application or internet, if possible, will be faster than waiting to get through on the phone. Online-banking applications allow you to carry out many procedures without having to phone or go to the bank office.

At work we can waste a lot of valuable time if we do not choose the right communication channel: email, call, chat, project-management tool, meeting, go see the person. When you have a request, manage a project or need to communicate something, first consider the most effective way.

Will you clarify the matter faster with a phone call? Given the urgency of the matter and the time it may take to locate the person, may it be better to send an email?

If you need to communicate something, will an email clarify the issue or is it better to organise a meeting in order to avoid misunderstandings or email chains?

A project-management application is a great tool to not only keep control of your projects but also improve teamwork. All those involved can keep each other informed about the progress of the project and assign tasks to others.

Not choosing the appropriate #communication channel can waste precious time. #timesaving #productivity Click To Tweet

Limit the time spent on communications

With that I do not mean to stop communicating with people. I mean to limit the number of times a day you manage your email. Also think about how much time you spend with your mobile phone. How many times a day do you check social media? How many WhatsApp groups do you belong to? Consider if there are communication channels that waste more time than they actually help you and how to make a more rational use of them.

Time-saving with meetings

A meeting can be the most effective way to announce decisions, share information or solve problems. But the first thing should be to assess when it is necessary to organise a meeting or when it is better to resolve an issue in another way. Assuming that a meeting is the most practical and productive way, there are a number of things we can do to use our time more effectively.

Meetings outside the office

When you organise meetings outside the office, try to minimise the journeys and maximise the time spent in the office. There are several options for this. You can group several meetings in one day if it makes sense according to their location. In case of individual meetings I try to schedule them first thing in the morning, late in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Sometimes we feel tempted, especially with important clients, to accept the first option offered. But remember that they are also human beings and that they do not know your agenda. Therefore, be assertive and try to negotiate a time that suits you best depending on your commitments and the journey to their office.

Meeting duration

Remember that there are 60 minutes in an hour. So, consider the appropriate duration for the meeting. Do you know Parkinson’s Law? “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Well the same applies for meetings. If the meeting is scheduled for half an hour, it will last that or more. If you have summoned for an hour, then it will last that long even if the subject does not require it. Especially if the topic and objective of the meeting are not very clear. Therefore, consider ​​the appropriate duration.

Parkinson's Law also applies to the duration of meetings. #timemanagement #timesaving Click To Tweet

Meeting Preparation

When meetings become a waste of time it is usually because they do not have a clear objective and there is no agenda. Then the attendees are not prepared and the debates usually disperse. Therefore, make sure that you and the other participants are prepared in order to make the meeting as effective and concise as possible.

Do you consider #meetings a waste of time? They are very helpful #communication tools when organised and prepared well. #timesaving #productivity Click To Tweet

Time-saving with meal preparation

Especially if you have a family, preparing the different meals can take up a lot of time. When you tackle cooking, how about preparing meals for several days? You can prepare more quantity and freeze a part. Or think of recipes that you can prepare in parallel or whose ingredients serve you for different dishes.

Do you use your time well?

These are just some time-saving hacks for your day to day. Which are your hacks to earn some minutes throughout the day?

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