The hectic pace of daily life can make it difficult to finish all of the tasks that you want to finish in a timely manner. The key to maintaining control of your daily routine involves effective time management and the ability to be flexible when necessary. The following tricks are simple ways to save time on tasks you perform daily.
Tips for Work
1. Create Prioritized Lists: Take a few minutes at the beginning of your work day to organize the day’s tasks according to their level of priority.
2. Learn and Use Computer Keyboard Shortcuts: Windows and Macintosh operating systems are both programmed with specialized keystrokes that allow you to perform regular tasks quickly. Using keystrokes to open programs, close programs, switch to your desktop, and format text can save a great deal of time.
3. Don’t Rush Through Projects: Take your time to do a good job on each project the first time. Not having to go back and fix mistakes can save time and lower frustration levels.
4. Organize Similar Tasks Together: Many projects have similar tasks. Keeping the similar tasks together keeps you from having to switch back and forth from one type of work to another.
Commuting Time Savers
5. Prepare Everything the Night Before: The easiest way to save time for your morning commute is to reduce the amount of time you need to get ready in the morning. Plan your clothing and breakfast the night before so that you don’t have to make those decisions when you wake up.
6. Listen to the Morning Traffic Report: Most local news stations provide detailed traffic reports. Take time to learn where there may be slowdowns and plan your route accordingly.
7. Establish Different Routes to the Office: Plan in advance for days when you will need to take an alternate route to the office. Look at all of the possible ways to get there quickly if one of the routes is blocked by traffic or an accident.
8. Vehicle Maintenance is Important: Keep your car in good running order. Make sure you fill up on gasoline on the weekends or evenings so that you don’t have to stop to do it on your way to work.
9. Purchase a Parking Pass: If possible, purchase a parking pass for a lot that is near your office. The time you save finding a parking space will be worth the extra expense.
Save Time Prepping Meals
10. Cook Large Meals in Advance: Choose a day of the week when you have plenty of time for cooking. Create the week’s meals on that day and freeze them for use later in the week.
11. Keep Drawers and Cabinets Organized: Cooking goes much faster when you can easily find the utensils, dishes, and pots that you need quickly. Always store things in the same place so that you can find them quickly while you cook.
12. Keep the Trash Can Readily Available: When the trash can is close enough to the stove or oven it is easy to toss out packaging or other trash without having to walk across the kitchen or open a cabinet.
13. Plan Your Menu in Advance: Spend some time before you go to the grocery store planning the menu for the entire week. Knowing exactly what you plan to cook for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can save you time during the busy weekdays.
Tips for Family Life
14. Sort Laundry Before Wash Day: Establish two bins for dirty laundry instead of just one. When people change clothes, they can put darks in one bin and lights in the other.
15. Establish Regular Routines: A steady routine can make daily tasks go by much more quickly. If everyone in the family knows the routine there will be less time lost in confusion because everyone knows what is supposed to be done and when.
16. Keep Things in the Same Place: Always store items in the same place in your home. Set aside a place for mail, keys, cups, magazines, and other commonly used items. You will reduce the amount of time spent searching for something.
17. Schedule TV Watching: Decide which television programs you want to watch and only turn on the TV for those programs.
18. Post a Family Calendar: A calendar with everyone’s schedule on it can help the family plan new activities or adjust the daily schedule to coincide with times when people will be home. The calendar can also give you advance warning when activities overlap so that you can make new plans to prepare for the potential problem instead of running into an emergency on the day of the events.
Note: This is a guest post by James Adams. James is a writer for an online supplier of printer ink where he covers technology news and writes about gadgets and products like the HP 351 ink cartridge.
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