View from my office. London.
I am extremely busy in life. I have a hectic job with lots of stress, a big demanding family and I have quite an active social/volunteering/sporting life outside work. The weekend engagement question on time saving resonated with me as I spend so much time trying to optimise my hours. So how do I do it?
JFDI
They say if you want to get something done, then ask a busy person to do it.
It sounds counter-intuitive but my first time saving tip is JFDI - just fooking do it. We spend too much time putting things off and thinking about doing the thing that needs to be done.
If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.
Bruce Lee
I start my day by trying to plan what needs to be done for the day to be success and ensure that I just got on with it. Stop time wasting and procrastinating.
Do it just right
The next thing I try to do is do it right the first time so that I don't have to come back and fix it later. This is one of the biggest time wasters - not to finish something off properly.
However, you can also over do it. Why keep polishing something that is already good enough. If it is good enough - well, then it is good enough. Seems obvious right?
The key is to set yourself parameters that you are trying to achieve. Know what good looks like and then just go for it.
Do it just right - the Goldilocks' zone.
Prioritise
Paddington Station, London
Everyone is rushing around in life and everyone is busy doing something. This can be overwhelming when on the receiving end of things that people want. I find the key is to prioritise properly so that I don't waste time on things.
I start by thinking about what is appears to be urgent vs. those things that are really important.
Someone famous once said that if we spend all our time on those things which are urgent, we will never have time for the important things.
Don't get fooled by the person who shouts the loudest. It properly isn't the most important thing. Planning priorities is key.
One of my planning boards
Once planned then if something is important and urgent. Then JFDI. If is urgent but not important. Don't let it distract you from the things that are important - it's not important however urgent someone makes it sound. If it is neither important or urgent. It's trivial timewasting. Stop it.
Timebox it
Finally, have an plan of how long something should take before you start. I try to check my progress as I am going against how much time I intended to spend on something. It helps keep focus and sustain energy to deliver something on time. One of the key time saving tips is to be strict on how much time we spend on something in the first place.
This tip wraps the others ones up. Because once you have planned, you know it is important, you know what good looks like and you have a target of how long it will take. Just get on with it and hit your targets. Anything else is timewasting.
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.
Theophrastus
That's how I try to save time!