13 Daily Habits That Add Hours Back To Your Life

16 replies
Thought I'd share some really effective methods that helped me save a lot of time.

The Full Article: 13 Daily Habits That Add Hours Back To Your Life

Wake Up Earlier.
I get up early so I can do yoga and go to the gym. This gets me energized for the day, and if I go to the gym after work, this cuts into time for family and friends. Plus, it allows me to get to my day's work earlier.

Set Your Routine On Auto-Pilot.
Have you ever noticed how many highly successful Silicon Valley executives wear the same thing every day? There's a reason for that. They don't have to spend any time thinking about what to wear. Many also eat the same breakfast every day. There are many things you can set on auto-pilot. For instance, Wednesdays are lunch at noon at Mac's with my friend Gary. What things can you develop a routine for?

Have A Plan.
As a famous life coach, The Cheshire Cat, once told Alice in Wonderland, if you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter which road you take. At the end of each day, plan what you need to accomplish the next day. This way, when you reach your desk the next morning, you know where you are going. You are not dithering, wondering what needs to be done. You have a plan of attack and can hit the ground running on the right road, in the right direction.

First Things First.
As Roy T. Bennett said, "Life is short. Focus on what really matters." What are the core activities you must accomplish or your job falls apart? Most of the things you do during the day are tasks which could be left unattended for a while. But there are certain things that are must-dos. Figure those out and do them before you tackle the less important tasks, like checking email and making phone calls.

Write It Down.
Most people have terrible memories, me included. I'm old school and keep a pad on the desk to write things down when I think of them. Remember that plan for the day we talked about? It's on the pad, too. Feel free to use whatever tool - legal pad, Evernote, OneNote, SimpleNote, Google Keep - you want. Then, instead of losing time trying to remember what needs to happen, I know where to look during the day.

Get Chunky.
Find ways to break up your day into chunks of time and write it down in your day's plan. Place your core work activities into the day's first 90-minute chunk. This allows you to focus on the most important items, and to remain energized. Always take a break between chunks. This allows you to stay fresh and to make the mental switch between work activities. And during the chunks of time, don't do anything that is not scheduled for that time period.
#add #back #daily #habits #hours #life
  • Profile picture of the author filipina4friends
    Big help, thank you
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  • Profile picture of the author Risktaker89
    Very good information.

    Writing it down is particularly effective if you feel that you are not getting things done and you are all over the place.

    It helps you get focused on the task you need to do and once you complete it, just strike it off and that feeling is awesome
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    • Profile picture of the author miloz94
      True, I too have found that writing stuff down really does help you remember the things you need to do.
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    • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
      Makes the ideas concrete, which adds order to our minds. Orderly minds produce good feeling vibes.
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      Ryan Biddulph helps you to be a successful blogger with his courses, manuals and blog at Blogging From Paradise
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  • Profile picture of the author hardraysnight
    throw your alarm clock out the window, you will see time fly
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  • Great tips, thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author johncyne
    Your article is very good. Planned activities will make our lives less boring.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheMentorGuy
    Banned
    Some really good pointers here. Great post.
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  • Profile picture of the author brytespaklz
    I agree very much with R. T.Benett that focus is vital. Every day brings its own deluge of shiny objects. Lack of sharp focus will make one derail.
    Thanks for the post.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Focusing on what matters was the big difference maker for me. I trimmed the fat, let go what did not matter and here I am. Super list.
    Signature
    Ryan Biddulph helps you to be a successful blogger with his courses, manuals and blog at Blogging From Paradise
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  • Profile picture of the author Jessica Amboos
    I don't have a great memory myself so keeping tabs is an excellent way of accomplishing things and doing it in an organized manner. Most people get lost by thinking about a lot of things at any one point that they don't get anything done. Organizing our thoughts before working on it saves us a whole lot of energy and time. Not everyone is gifted with multitasking especially men but if we know how to organize, we could accomplish just about anything on any given day.
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  • Profile picture of the author Laksh
    On the Write It Down & Have A Plan ... You can also use apps like Trello which comes handy as a mobile app. Jot down ideas as they strike through in a board & then layout the plan wen you have some time. That way, we can avoid thoughts on what to do when the time comes ... Moovia is also on other Free platform (but lack the app ability)
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  • Profile picture of the author RichardThessen
    Awesome piece. This is just the perfect guide to have an awesome day. I have write this down too
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  • Profile picture of the author siimland
    "If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail" - Benjamin Franklin
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    • Profile picture of the author miloz94
      You have no idea how many times i've heard that this year
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  • Profile picture of the author Able Kinetic
    Thanks for the great post. Lots of great information.

    I find lists a great way to keep in mind what needs to be done. However, I find the longer the list is the more frustrated I get. I'm learning I'm more effective when there are only a maximum of three things on the list in front of me. This forces me to prioritize what actually makes it on the list. At times, I have to narrow it down even further to one or two things.
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