Do You Want to Gain Extra Hours Each Day?

Summary: You can easily waste hours each day surfing the internet and watching TV. By eliminating those distractions, you can get a lot more accomplished.

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If you are like me, there never seems to be enough time in a day. Our daily to-do lists never seem to get done. Just one more hour would make a huge difference. Luckily, there are things we can do to make better use of our time, which in a sense gives us extra time each day.

How much time do you spend browsing the internet for no reason? Think of how many times you logged into your Facebook account, Pinterest, or an online game? Even logging in for just five minutes several times a day adds up. The internet is a great tool, but we need to control our use of it. There are some great resources out there to help you maximize your time during each day like RescueTime or Momentum.




It may be worth it to you to hire someone to help with tasks that you never seem to have time for. This may be something as simple as someone to mow your lawn, clean your house, grocery shop, or be an assistant. The way to know if it is worth paying someone to do some of your work is by determining if what you pay them will be less than what you get paid per hour. If you get paid significantly more per hour, then it is a no-brainer to hire someone to help out.

Take advantage of your commute time. If you drive to work and back, use the time in the car to listen to the news or to learn something new through a podcast or audio book. If you use public transportation, then you can accomplish even more during your 20+ minute ride to work. You can make your to-do list, write, brainstorm, and many more things.

Make your time more efficient by finding a technique that works for you. The Pomodoro technique has you block out your time at work. "Swallowing the frog" is a process where you tackle your toughest task first, that way you aren't dragging your feet throughout the day. Exercising first thing each day helps some be more energized for the rest of the day.

Turn off the TV and forget the news. Watching the news everyday can actually be a big waste of time. Much of the news is full of fluff and filler things that really won't help you with your job. Often, the breaking news is full of inaccuracies as each company is rushing to be the first to break the story. Wait until the story becomes more accurate before spending time reading it ten times until it is at that point. You can always skim headlines for something new that pertains to your industry instead of sitting and watching an entire hour of things that mean nothing to you.

• See The Importance of Productivity, Focus, and Measurement for more information.

Photo: cafepress.co.uk



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