14 Ways to Save Time At Work and At Home

by Lucy MacDonald

If you are constantly in a hurried and harried frenzy you are not alone. Almost fifty percent of employees in the U.K. stated that their biggest problem was "having too much to do and not enough time to do it in" according to a 2003 study by Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow. Being time starved is not unique to the workplace; it also impacts our private lives. Eight in ten employees responded to a 2003 Survey by the Department of Trade and Industry's Work-Life Balance Campaign and said they would love to spend more time with friends and family.

When you learn to manage your time effectively, you experience better health, you will accomplish more of what is important to you, avoid time-wasters, enjoy the things that really matter, and focus on what makes your life meaningful. It is time to get off the "dreadmill" and you can do so by using some of these suggestions to create more time for what is important to you.

Save time at work

1. Manage the flow of paper at the office by deciding what to keep and what to throw away. Create four folders: Action (anything requiring your personal attention. Make sure to add it to your "to do" list); To Read (articles that you want or need to read); Pending, and To File.
2. If you want to create more time at work it is important that you have a system to deal with constant disruptions, especially when you are facing an important deadline. Record a voice mail message telling people when you are available to take and return calls. Shut down your email, switch off your pager and your mobile phone when you need to focus and get some work done. Keep your office door closed and post a "Do Not Disturb" note and include when you will be available.
3. Someone at the office monopolizing your time? Be straightforward and tell them "I honestly don't have time to talk right now." Then arrange a specific time to speak with them. "I'll be available at 4 o'clock for about ten minutes. Is that a good time for you?"
4. Plan for tomorrow the night before. At the end of your work day make a list of everything you would like to accomplish tomorrow. Number the six most important tasks one to six. Next day start with the first tasks and keep working on it until you've completed it or taken it as far as you possibly can. Approach the second and following tasks in the same way. At the end of the day revise your list for tomorrow.
5. Cluttered offices can be a source of stress, aggravation and lost time. Organize an annual purge at the office. Divide your clutter into four groups: To Keep, To Give Away, To Get Fixed and Anything Else (if it doesn't fit in any of the three groups, throw it away!). Rally your co-workers by assigning a special de-clutter day and arrange a potluck lunch. Designate the day as casual dress and give out some goofy prizes for the oldest document, the largest amount of clutter cleared and the most unusual thing found in a filing cabinet.
6. When attending a meeting outside the office, include your travel time (to and from) when you are listing appointments in your agenda. Including your travel time will help you to reduce the stress of getting to your meeting on time.

Save time at home

1. Keep a key basket near the front entrance and make a habit of dropping your keys into the basket when you come in the door.
2. De-clutter your make-up case by keeping in only those items that you use on a daily basis and avoid wasting time searching through things that you rarely use.
3. Keep a "to-do" basket in your front closet where you can put your clothes to be dry-cleaned, your movies to be returned, or any other items that need doing when you are out. Keep a small recycling bin near your front door and sort your mail, putting your junk mail right into recycling bin.
4. Book as many of your medical-related appointments as you can in one day by booking them six months in advance. Schedule your appointments for first thing in the morning or right after lunch to reduce the amount of waiting time.
5. Save time looking for the clothes that you routinely wear by clearing out your closet at the end of each season. Give away good clothes that you haven't worn that season to someone or an organization that can use them.
6. If you find yourself doing the same chore over and over again and worrying that you've forgotten something, create a checklist. Create a print a packing checklist if you travel frequently, or a grocery checklist, or a weekly errand checklist.
7. Save time in the kitchen by clearing off your countertops. Replace only those small appliances and items that you use on a daily basis. If you've not used an item in the past year, give it away.
8. No need to wait in line at the bank or ATM machine to pay your bills when you can pay them online. Most banks have online service where you can transfer funds, pay bills, and manage your money without leaving the convenience of your home or office.

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