These days, more and more of us live terribly busy and hectic lives. This can make completing that ever-lengthening to-do list a nearly impossible and certainly overwhelming task.
Once we add self-care time to the list – a must-do kind of task that is meant to help each individual reconnect with themselves to achieve peace, health, and happiness – there might not be any more time left in your day.
Needless to say, in these times when tasks are many and time is sparse, figuring out how to use your precious time effectively and healthily can be a difficult job.
Thankfully, if you learn how to complete all your daily tasks by working smarter and not harder, there is a lot you can accomplish with time to spare.
Working your day in this manner entails finding creative ways to complete your to-do list, get your tasks done at work, and attend to your personal needs while also simultaneously simplifying and improving the lives of others.
Thankfully, there are experts who specialize in the task of helping others organize their time effectively and with their peace of mind and health as a priority.
These specialists know how to meet all the needs of our daily tasks while also finding shortcuts so that we can invest our precious time into the things and people that matter most to us.
1. Stick to the Same Start Time
The first thing that many experts suggest is to find a start time for your day and stick to it. Not only does this rule help you begin your day on time and in a predictable manner, but it also means that your productivity can begin at the same time each day.
You would be surprised how introducing this small change to your daily routine can go a long way in establishing a productive flow that does not bring on any additional stress.
2. Plan Your Week on Monday Morning
Another great suggestion that experts offer up is to plan out your week on the first day of your workweek: Monday.
Experts suggest that ordering your week according to this suggestion will help you clearly establish what your tasks are for the week, and you can easily determine what needs to be prioritized, changed, or added.
To make this task even easier, consider color-coding this information by days of the week in a written journal or calendar – or alternatively, using a digital calendar to do the same thing. By structuring this task each week, you feel much more prepared and confident in the tasks ahead of you.
3. Break Your Day into 50/10-Minute Blocks
In this age of many distractions, people often find that their day is often disrupted by constant distractions – especially in the form of social media, phone texts, or chatting with real-life co-workers.
Experts recommend that in order to establish a better work-life balance between work and rest, it is best to structure your day into periods of 50 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest.
In the 50-minute period (which you are monitoring using a timer), you should make sure that you are working diligently in a comfortable environment that has zero (or very little) distractions. Once your timer goes off, you should then take a 10-minute break.
During this break period, you can check your phone and social media, stretch, go to the washroom, get a drink or even take a brisk walk around your work environment. Experts argue that this method allows people to remain quite productive with short bursts of rest.
4. Hire Virtual Assistant
If you are the kind of person who has far too many tasks to count, you may want to get the help of a virtual assistant. Not only will your assistant help you manage and complete mundane tasks, but the act of delegating will really help you prioritize which of your workday tasks can be passed off and which you must absolutely complete without the assistance of another.
These assistant-type tasks might include sending emails, coordinating your calendar, booking appointments, and data entry.
Don’t forget to have your virtual assistant get your grocery shopping done for you by ordering through JOW in order to have it sent to your home to save even more time.
5. Make Better Use of Your Dishwasher
Experts suggest that your dishwasher shouldn’t just be used for washing dishes! Surprised? Well, according to experts, there are many things that you can wash safely in your dishwasher to save time.
These items include canvas sneakers and rubber flip-flops, baseball caps, kids’ toys that are made out of rubber, makeup brushes, hairbrushes and combs, mouth guards, contact cases, showerheads, refrigerator shelves, and garden tools that are made out of plastic and metal. That said, do not combine these items with your regular kitchenware.
6. Focus on One Task at a Time
While many people assume that multitasking is a good way to save on time, it will actually cost you productivity and an entire 40 percent of your time.
Multitasking does not allow for saving time because the act of switching rapidly between activities adds up to a significant loss of time, leads to more errors, and it inhibits your creativity.
A better idea would be to concentrate on one task at a time for certain intervals of time or until that task has been completed.
7. Complete Things that are Almost Finished
Another great suggestion is to find the tasks you have – namely, those from an ongoing project – and complete them.
Working on tasks that are almost finished will lead to you finishing something almost immediately and give you a quick feeling of completion. The best time to feel this sense of completion on short assignments is at the end of the day.
8. Maximize Your Downtime
If you spend a portion of your day commuting, why not use that time productively? Experts recommend using commuting time or other moments of downtime to your advantage by completing easy and short daily tasks that do not require a lot of resources or brainpower.
