Top 5 Tips for Squeezing Extra Time Out of Your Day!

Do you have things you want to do, but don’t have the time to do them?
Maybe you have the time, but find you waste it sat watching TV?

Last week I wrote about taking small steps, you can read that here: Small Steps into January. The jist is that if we want to reach our goals, then by taking even the smallest steps towards them every day, or at least frequently, then we will end up achieving them. I work this on the basis that I often don’t have the time to do big tasks all at once, or I find it daunting to look at the big picture and it causes me to freeze.

The thing is, if you’re planning to take these small steps as often as possible, when do you find the time?

Well, it obviously depends on just how small your small step is, and exactly what it is. The thing is though, there’s often so many opportunities that pass us by without realising and, by training ourselves to utilise these, we can be far more productive in our days. Not every opportunity presents itself to every person, but hopefully just by thinking about these windows of free time might help you find some of your own. Take it from a very, very lazy person… These help me! Remember though, these are just for utilising time you didn’t know you had spare, more robust tips would be things like ‘planning‘ or ‘being mindful of your goal‘… those tips are for a different, perhaps more helpful, list. But, without further ado, these are my Top 5 Tips for Squeezing Extra Time Out of Your Day!

At the Traffic Lights.

If you drive, how often do you spend at traffic lights and junctions? Now, I’m by no means suggesting you take your eyes off the road and spend time in day-dream land, but… some of my best ideas for my stories have happened whilst driving. If you have a goal which requires some internal cognition (using last weeks example of applying for jobs: perhaps you need to reflect on your CV and think about how to word things), the time you spend stuck at traffic lights can chance from merely waiting to become quite useful (not to mention you’ll form the habitual reminder of ‘Traffic Lights = Think about my goal’)

Commuting.

In a similar vein, if you’re someone who commutes each day then you’ve actually got a lot more time to spare. I drive these days, but in the past I used to get a train/bus to get to work and I found it invaluable for reading and writing. When you’re stuck in a moving vehicle that isn’t under your control, when you’re not with people you know, rather than spending time daydreaming or scrolling through Facebook this is the perfect time to hit some of your goals. You can use this time to type up ideas, to read through old things, or, again, using last weeks example, to apply to jobs online.

Lunch Time.

How many of us just see lunchtime as a quick break from work, a moment to eat food, before getting back to the grind. I know a lot of us will do, but your designated lunch time can actually become quite valuable. If you’re someone who’s goal is more physically based, perhaps you want to get healthy, or do more exercise, then you can use your lunch time very effectively. I’m lucky enough to be allowed to eat at my desk, which means my lunchtime can be spent getting some chores done (like my shopping) or by exercising (a long, purposeful walk in the park).

Going Mobile.

Our phones are incredible, honestly. The things we can do on our phones, the things that there’s ‘an app for’ is incredibly impressive. Nine times out of ten, if you need something, your phone has the ability to do it. The amount of times I jot down an idea whilst walking from my car into work, or I write some of my blog on a lunchtime, or I listen to an audiobook whilst driving to hit my Goodreads challenge. Working from your phone can help you utilise many spare minutes of your day that otherwise just get wasted; hell I once wrote an entire blog post whilst sat in my barbers waiting for my turn in the chair. If you’re not someone who feels comfy using their phone for anything other than a phone, then I urge you to try it out. Like with anything, practice makes perfect, and the more you use it the easier it gets. All being well, you’ll find you can quickly make a few notes, or read up on some ideas, and it will occur to you do to so the sooner the habit is formed.

Before you sit down.

This is my favourite. As a self-confessed procrastinator and lazy person I find that my evening disappears within one blink of me sitting down after work. I get home, I eat dinner, I sit down, and suddenly it’s bed time. Why? Because I waste that time watching Netflix, Playing Video Games, or mindlessly surfing Reddit and YouTube. I’m most productive, however, when I haven’t sat down. If you have something you want to achieve I strongly advise using the few moments you get upon first getting home. It’s all about inertia, it’s harder to start doing something (because you’ve sat down for the evening already), than it is to carry on being productive because you haven’t had chance to stop. Better yet, I sometimes stay in the office after hours to work on personal projects; that way I don’t even ‘get home’ and don’t allow my momentum to slow.

These are only five methods I use myself, there are many others out there that many other people use. I know a lot of people who wake up early to get their tasks done, they find themselves most productive in the early hours…. that isn’t me…. at all… but, it’s all about finding something that is you, something that works for you.

What tactics do you use to be productive even when you’re busy?
Do you currently utilise any of the ones listed here?
Let me know in the comments below!