While reading The Oprah Magazine I ran across a page that had a few time savers that I think could help all of us put some time back in our day. Julie Morgenstern, organizing and productivity expert and author of Time Management from the Inside Out, shares four ways to squeeze an extra hour (or more!) into your weekday.
Instead of wasting time digging through your messy makeup bag, limit yourself to the eight products you use most often and stash them in your medicine cabinet for instant access.
Cut out time spent wrestling with easily tangled wire hangers by replacing them with wooden, acrylic, or fabric versions, and end drawn-out wardrobe decisions by grouping clothes by occasion (dressy, weekend, work) and color.
To combat indecision – one of the most insidious time wasters – plan your schedule three day ahead, which is as far out as most of us can contemplate without feeling overwhelmed. If you’re waiting until the last minute to decide to cook breakfast or head to the gym, you won’t be prepared to do either.
Don’t stop to pick up a phone call, answer an email, or carry on a conversation if you’re in the middle of a task. Some research has found that it can take us 20 minutes or more to regain the same level of concentration after an interruption.
These are great time-saving ideas. Do you have any to share? Make sure to forward this post to your friends so we can all benefit from more ideas.