15 Ways to Save Time


By Lucy H. Hedrick
  1. Clutter can slow you down by distracting you from what you want to do. To take control, begin in one corner of one room and straighten it up. (No cheating! Don't just move the clutter to another corner!) Afterward, give yourself a reward for your good work. If you continue this pattern over time, you'll get the job done.


  2. Do you arrive at your office most mornings frazzled from too much rushing around before leaving the house? Prepare for your departure the night before. Put your coat, car keys, and briefcase by the door, ready to grab, and set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier. You'll start your day feeling more in command.


  3. The next time you pass a card store, stock up on a supply of "thank you," "congratulations," and "great job" cards. Keep a supply at the office and some at home. Remember how you feel when a good word is sent your way and be generous in your compliments to others.


  4. Do you keep "to do" lists that run on for pages? If you often feel discouraged by what's not crossed off your lists, make them shorter. The most effective managers identify only three top priorities each day. And their self-esteem is stroked repeatedly when they cross off all three tasks, day after day.


  5. Do you ever try something new — a hobby, sport, or lessons of some kind, but quickly abandon your new endeavor because of lack of time? Before you begin a new hobby or pastime, consider eliminating an old one you've outgrown. Better yet, get rid of two.


  6. Are you a chronic clipper of newspaper and magazine articles? Do your files bulge with information you've squirreled away in case you might need it some day? Professional organizers claim that 80 percent of what you file is never retrieved. Instead of clipping, visit your public library, which has, or will tell you where to find, the most up-to-date information.


  7. In today's world of so-called advance telecommunications, most people identify "telephone tag" as their biggest time waster. When you leave a phone message on someone's voice mail or answering machine, remember to cover the four Ws: who called, why you called, what you'd like the receiver to do, and when you're available to receive a return call. A specific request with detailed information increases your chances of a reply. Furthermore, on the incoming message of your answering machine, direct callers to leave you answers to the four Ws.


  8. My friend Lisa's job requires her to travel a great deal. For peace of mind while she's away, she's made a checklist of what precautions to take before she locks her house and departs on her next trip. Her list includes adjusting her thermostat and hot-water heater, putting a few lights on timers, emptying her refrigerator of any perishables, taking out the garbage, and leaving a note for her neighbor who collects her daily newspaper and mail.


  9. A CEO I know says that he answers his own phone, takes every call, and insists that his secretary interrupt him when a second call comes in. He argues that this reduces "telephone tag," piles of messages and time wasted making return calls.


  10. There are two reasons way you should group tasks by category (calls, errands, things to do and things to write) in your pocket notebook:
    1. When you sit down to make phone calls, for example, you make several calls and thereby create a sense of momentum.
    2. By looking at one list of all the calls you want to make, you're better able to decide which calls are most important and therefore which ones you should place first.


  11. It has been said that the two-letter word no is the single most effective time management tool there is.


  12. Are you a "morning person" or a "night person"? Each of us has a biological clock — that is, certain times of day when we are most alert and at peak energy and other times when we're not. You will save time if you do your most difficult or demanding work during your high-energy hours. Postpone your routine chores and low-priority tasks until your "down time."


  13. Are you bothered by those annoying telemarketing calls that always interrupt you when you're eating dinner? Buy an answering machine, screen your calls, and pick up the phone only when you feel like talking to the caller.


  14. When you attend an important seminar or conference and learn valuable information, how do you incorporate what you learned into your life? All too often seminar notes get stuck in a file "out of sight out of mind." During your return travel, or first thing back at the office, go over your notes and highlight actions you want to take. Write them on the appropriate page in your pocket notebook or calendar. If there is information you want to distribute to your staff or colleagues, put it in your tickler file so you remember to do so. Then throw away the rest.


  15. Think of six ways you can cut down on repeated errands. Unless it's an emergency, don't take only one item to the dry cleaners. Wait till you have two or more. Likewise, accumulate several reasons to visit the pharmacy, the shoe repair, or the hardware store.




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