3 Time Saving Habits That Will Save You 200 Hours Of Your Life This Year
Time is everything. It’s your most valuable asset and once it passes, you never get it back. So of course, everyone wants more of it.
But how? How can we get back hours of our time when we are already overextended, overbooked, and trying to juggle multiple tasks at once, and still not making headway on our to-do list?
OWN YOUR MORNING
“Either you run the day, or your day runs you.”
Jim Rohn
Just as cutting 100 calories a day can result in losing 5 lbs a year, creating tiny habits around your use of your time in the mornings, can result in big changes. Just 10 minutes a day adds up to more than 60 hours a year!
Otherwise known as a morning routine, having a plan around how you start your day will make a profound difference in how much time you save, and your overall happiness and stress levels.
And while 10 minutes a day doesn’t sound like a lot, 60 hours a year does. The goal of owning your morning is to eliminate the mindless decisions that eat away at your time.
What should I eat for breakfast?
What am I going to wear?
Where are my keys?
What am I doing today?
Oh! Look at those millions of pictures on Instagram (an hour later you realize you were sucked into the social media black hole).
Instead of falling into the same decision traps everyday, set RULES for yourself. And while that may sound restrictive, in fact, having guidelines and a plan around these daily tasks will help you make quicker decisions and save a lot of time.
Create a menu of options you can eat for a healthy breakfast and assign them to days of the week.
Set aside the outfit you are going to wear the night before.
Put your keys in a designated spot every time you come home.
Plan and review your schedule the night before, avoiding getting pulled into other people’s problems (otherwise known as being hijacked by emails first thing in the morning)
Never look at your phone for the first hour of every day. This is YOUR hour for self care and time efficiency.
2. DO IT NOW
“I’ll do it later” you tell yourself about a chore you have to do, a friend you said you would call back and don’t want to talk to, or a difficult task.
It’s called procrastination and it’s a time killer. According to research, we waste up to three hours of every day doing things other than the work we are supposed to be doing. The result? An ever-growing list of things that still need to be done, and a guilty, worried conscience that eats away at your focus and stress levels.
Creating a habit of “Do it now” eliminates the procrastination backlog. Inspired by productivity consultant David Allen, the rule is “If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.”
Take out the trash? Do it now.
Wash the dishes after dinner? Do it now.
Write that difficult email to your boss? Do it now.
While those seem like insignificant things, the habit of procrastination runs wide and deep. Procrastinating on taking out the trash can set you up for a personality of procrastination - delaying applying to the job you want, never going to the gym, and so much more.
The habit of “do it now” is an identity and self confidence builder. It will not only save you hours of your time each day, but help you be happier and more productive too.
3. OUTSOURCE YOUR CHORES
You just learned how to save 60 hours of your life a year, then how do you save the remaining 140 hours as promised in the title of this article?
It’s called outsourcing! We now live in a day and age where convenience is everywhere. You can have everything from your groceries to your laundry delivered, and everything you want is at the touch of a button.
The truth is, there is no excuse to feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day. The average person spends 3 hours a week on laundry. And it’s not even fun! Imagine pushing a button, then having someone come pick up your dirty clothes, wash them, fold them, then return them to your front doorstep in 24 hours?
“I'm a busy mom in need of her weekends back! I've been thinking about getting a laundry service for years, and I finally found one that I could trust. Their fast and seamless service just gave hours of my life back. ”
Mary
Three hours a week equates to 152 hours a year - not to mention the elimination of the dread and constant worry of doing your laundry, spending $300 a year on detergent, and the multitude of things you could be doing if you didn’t have to do it every week.
Better yet, use a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry service like OrangeBag. Save time, your health, and the planet with one small time saving habit.
TIME EQUALS FREEDOM
In a world where you can have almost anything, time is the most valuable thing you have. With more time you can spend more time with friends, have more time to start a business, learn a skill, spend time with your dog and family in nature, or actually just relax for a day of self care.
We hope you will give these time saving habits a try and see how they can improve your quality of life. We would love to hear what has worked for you! Tell us below in the comments (do it now!)