21 Ways to Create More Time...

Before Genesis 1:1 there was no sense of TIME, but “In the Beginning, God [not only] created the Heavens and the Earth,” He created TIME.  Before TIME God WAS; He IS; and He will always BE, which means God is neither defined by, nor needs TIME.  So if God created TIME, but does not need TIME, then it is logical to conclude that TIME was created by GOD, but for US.  We need TIME…in fact most, if not all of US would agree we need more TIME than we seem to have in order to accomplish all of the things we believe MUST be done in this “but a vapor” called LIFE.

The following list is an excerpt from an article entitled “20 Ways to Create More Time” (Awake ! April, 2010)*.  Obviously it is impossible to add one more second to the 86,400 seconds that already exist in a single day.  However, by following at least some of the suggestions listed below, I believe all of us can learn to not only make better use of the time we  do have, but that we can also accomplish a lot more than we ever thought possible.

                                                                                               

1. Keep a Daily To-Do List. Number items according to the order in which you will handled them.  Indicate items that are worth spending more time on.  Check off each item when it is completed.  Carry over unfinished task to tomorrow’s list.
2. Synchronize Your Calendars. Don’t risk missing an appointment because it is only in your other calendar.  If you have a calendar in your computer, and another in a handheld device, see if you can synchronize the two.
3. Write an “Action Plan” consisting of all the steps involved in a project, and put these in their proper sequence.
4. Generally, Schedule Your Most Important Tasks First. It will be easier to find time for the less important ones.
5. Set Goals Over Which You Have a Large Degree of Control.  You have more control over increasing your skill at a certain job than over becoming president over your company.
6. Acknowledge That You Will Not Have Time for Everything.  Favor activities that yield the most important results.  What about other tasks that are urgent or that simply have to be done?  If you cannot eliminate or delegate them, see if you can spend less time on them.  Some unimportant tasks can wait for months if necessary, or they may not need to be done at all.  Allocate as much time as possible to those activities that are related to what you feel is truly worthwhile in light of your goals.
7. Keep a Time Log.  To find out where your time is going, keep a time log for one or two weeks.  Is much time lost on unimportant activities?  Do most of your interruptions come from the same one or two individuals?  Are you most likely to be interrupted during a certain part of the day or week?  Eliminate activities that have crept in.
8. Schedule Less.  If you plan to shop for food, fix the car, entertain friends, see a movie, and catch up on reading – all in the same day – you will feel rushed and will likely enjoy nothing.
9. Minimize Interuptions.  Block off a portion of time each day during which you are not to be interrupted unless it is absolutely necessary.  If possible, turn off your phone during this time.  Also, turn off electronic pop-up alerts if they tend to interrupt your work.
10.  Schedule the Most Challenging Work for the Time of the Day when You are Most Engergetic and Alert.
11. Do the Most Unpleasant Task as Soon as Possible.  Once it is out of the way, you will feel more energized to work through the less-challenging activities.
12. Allow Time for the Unexpected.  If you feel that you can arrive at a place within about 15 minutes, promise to be there within 25.  If you believe an appointment will take an hour, allow an hour and 20 minutes.  Leave a portion of your day unscheduled.
13. Use Transition Time.  Listen to the news or a recording while you shave.  Read while waiting for a train or riding on it.  Of course, you can use that time to relax.  But don’t waste it and then later fret over lost time.
14. Apply the 80/20 Rule of Thumb**.  Are approximately 2 out of 10 items on your to-do list the most important?  Might a certain job be as good as finished after you give attention to just the most important aspects of it?

**This idea is roughly based on the work of the 19^th-century Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto and is also known as the Pareto principle.  It involves the observation that often 80 percent of the results come from It about 20 percent of the effort.  It has been applied to many things, but here is a simple example: When a carpet is vacuumed, about 80 percent of the dirt picked up is likely from 20 percent of the carpet, namely the high-traffic areas.

15. When You Feel Overwhelmed with Work, write each task on an index card.  Then divide the cards into two groups: “Action Today” and “Action Tomorrow.”  When tomorrow comes, do the same.
16. Periodically, Take Time Off To ‘Recharge Your Batteries.’  Returning to work with a refreshed mind and body might prove more productive than hours of overtime.
17. Think on Paper.  Write down a problem, describe why it is disturbing you, and list as many solutions as you can think of.
18. Don’t Be A Perfectionist.  Know when it is time to stop and move on to the next important activity.
19. Work Like A Professional.  Don’t wait for the right mood.  Just start working.
20. Be Flexible.  These are suggestions, not hard-fast rules.  Experiment, find out what works, and customize ideas to your circumstances and needs.

And if I had written the above, I would have added…

21. To be truly SUCCESSFUL in not only ACCOMPLISHING the above, but in LIFE…Say It and DO it…Say It and DO it BETTER…then REPEAT to Infinity and Beyond.

*Steps 1 to 20 were re-posted by Dance4One for the sole purpose of communicating solid, time-proven principles and are not an endorsement in any way of any person, ideology, religion, sect or group.  More Information regarding Dance4One can be found at http://www.dance4one.blogspot.com/, http://www.dance4one.com/, or by Tweeting @Dance4One.