Time is a currency that will forever be limited. It is my most valued asset and I try not to take it for granted. To honor my time, I reduce the amount of time it takes to do things. I want to reserve enough of it to be able to enjoy. “Not having enough time” is the number one reason people fail to live out their lives to the fullest, achieve their dreams, or even partake in the little joys. There came a point in my life where I said to myself, “I don’t want that to be me.” So here are my top time-saving tips. I hope it helps regain control over some of the hours in your day.

10 Time-Saving Tips

Create habits.

It’s quicker to do something automatically than to have to think about what to do next. Eliminate the decision tree and get rid of decision fatigue. Simplify your life through habits. Stack them one by one, and you can get so much more done in a short amount of time. Here are 5 habits I do every single day.

Automate everything.

Turn on Auto-Pay for all recurring bills. Create response templates for your emails. Have a system for your life. Automation not only reduces stress and worry, but it also reduces my to-do list!

Get rid of distractions.

Distractions are so unhelpful. Get rid of the things that will instigate a distraction. That could include TVs, social media apps on your phone, or even access to email. One tactic that has helped me a lot is to keep a blank sheet of paper next to me when I work. Any distraction that enter my head get jotted down for later. I then look back on the sheet at the end of the day and intentionally choose which ones make it into my schedule and which distractions are tossed out.

Delegate as much as you can.

This is my weakest point. I try to do things myself, but am slowly learning that it isn’t always efficient. Ask for help. Look to experts. Or turn to friends and family. You don’t have to be the one to manage everyone else’s schedules or do the laundry. At first you may feel guilty, but just try to delegate one thing a week. See how much that helps you.

Declutter your to-do list.

Half of the things on my to do list are unnecessary. Truly! I love to re-evaluate in the middle of the day and cross off the tasks that really won’t get me towards where I want to go. I also declutter the things I don’t really want to do. Is there a point to menial tasks that don’t add value to your life?

Use a capsule wardrobe.

I never spend time thinking about what to wear. That’s because I use a capsule wardrobe. My make-up routine takes me less than 2 minutes. I wear scrubs to work every day. And I wear athleisure on my days off. When I was younger, I would spend at least thirty minutes getting ready every day. Today, I can roll out of bed and be ready in five! Plus there is no stress. With fewer options, there is less anxiety about whether or not you chose the “correct outfit”.

Time block the schedule.

You’ll get more done in a day if it’s time-blocked correctly. Why? Because you increase focus and flow, both of which increases efficiency. Just like buying things in bulk can save money, doing things in bulk saves time. It also reduces the amount of energy your brain is using switching from task to task. Multi-tasking is the biggest joke anyone ever told. Stop trying to do it, as it’s hindering your progress.

Outsource.

I know that it sound’s crazy coming from a finance blog space, but outsourcing could be your best friend. Think of it in terms of return. You could spend hours researching the nuances of student loan repayment options. But it could take you 50 hours to gain the information a professional has. Would it be worth it to book a consult for an hour and pay the fee? Perhaps. Especially if you can start putting into effect what you learned and earn that money back in the meantime. I highly recommend outsourcing things such as finance advice and I recommend speaking with a professional. Travis Hornsby from Student Loan Planner is a good one! Andrew Paulson from Student Loan Advice is an alternative. These are both my affiliate links.

Optimize tasks around energy levels.

In other words, optimize your timing in a day. Tackle your most difficult tasks when you have the most energy. For some that could be first thing in the morning. For night owls, it could be late into the night. Check out my post on how to optimize timing in a day.

Be intentional with incoming information.

We get tons of information day in and day out. It is our job to weed through that knowledge and pick and choose what we allow into our lives. This applies to everything, from who you choose to follow on social media to what emails you choose to open. I literally don’t listen to every voicemail on my phone. I certainly don’t open every email that enters my inbox. This life is now an attention economy and people, businesses, industries, corporations are fighting for your attention. Make sure it goes to the people who care about.

I hope this list helps you save time. Life isn’t meant to be spent checking off a to-do list all day long. Go out there and enjoy it!

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash