“Time is money”, especially when we talk about managing your work life and your daily life in a completely balanced environment. Whether you are a rich nomad or want to start being one, this article about time saver tools is for you.
Time saving is about making smart use of your time and doing efficient work and not hard work. This requires planning, patience and a lot of discipline. If you’re motivated but wondering where to start, don’t be afraid! Here I compiled a list of the 5 best time management tips to help you get started.
First Time Saver Tool: Set clear goals
When creating your daily plan for time saving, we recommend that you consider two very important aspects: designing a timeline and setting goals. While designing a timeline will give you an idea of how long it will take to achieve what you want, setting your goals will allow you to focus your energy on what you really want to achieve. These two actions will make you more productive and allow you to plan your time effectively. Think in parallel about your long-term plans and goals, as well as your short-term organization chart. Take a half hour out of your morning routine to go over your daily tasks. Challenge yourself by doing your hardest task first to get it out of the way as quickly as possible.
Avoid distractions
Life is full of wonderful distractions. Your favorite TV show, your pet, text messages, Facebook, and we could go on for years. But if you want to do the job right, planning is what will help you. Our advice for beginners is that they must convince themselves that the time scheduled in the plan is 100% dedicated to getting the job done. Close all browser tabs, put your phones away (and silence them). There are people who like to listen to music when they work and there are others who enjoy a meditation session to help them concentrate. If you work in a public space or at home, it is key to find a quiet place where you feel comfortable to get to work.
An incredible time saver app to keep on track with all your tasks and this one is definitely my favorite one to be honest, is Productive.
Leave a margin of time between tasks
It is not about becoming a work machine. It would be amazing, yes, but it doesn’t work. No exaggeration is good. The human brain can concentrate for around 90 minutes so it is vital to give your body and mind a break. This is just as important for productivity as sticking to routine. You can stretch your legs for 20 minutes, eat something light or brush the cat. Does not matter. The important thing is that you take some time for yourself to allow yourself to improve concentration. If you relax, you perform more. Learn to identify when you need a break.
One of my personal favorite tips I learned working from home in the mid 2020 with all the craziness of the covid 19 time and that helped me the most as a time saver tool, is to schedule your margins. This will help you to not negotiate any task because that way you won’t even negotiate your free time.
My favorite app to organize my day is Google Calendar, that way I can have it in all my devices and also see my day in a pretty clean and intuitive way.
Value your hours of sleep
The average human being needs about eight hours of sleep for their body and mind to function at their best. According to research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, people who have healthy sleep habits are healthier, more productive, and less stressed. What happens is that when you work, your brain accumulates a large amount of information that it collects throughout its day. And when you sleep, the brain switches to processing mode, taking all the collected information and organizing it in a way to make some sense of it all. Even your mind knows the value of organization!
As a time saver specialist, I’ll tell you: Listen to your body and respect the amount of sleep you need. Also, think that your friends prefer you more human than zombie.
Most Important Time Saver Tool: Set priorities
One of the most effective ways to stay focused on achieving your goals is to prioritize. Knowing how to prioritize your tasks affects the time you spend on them and your overall success. Start by creating a list of to-dos that you have to do and make sure you order them according to the effort they will take you. It’s time to start planning your time responsibly. By creating a list, you will improve the visualization of your goals and thus be able to determine what is really more important (or more urgent, which is not necessarily the same thing).
And as a bonus tip, that actually links to this one, I’ll tell you the best thing you should add to your daily routine and it is alone time.
Yes! Time for yourself is a time saver tool!
Having time for yourself, to think, to heal, will help you stay focus on your other tasks and also set your priorities. Learn more about it on this article.
To conclude, keep in mind that being productive doesn’t mean that you’ll finish everything at once, it means you’ll make the most out of your time to have your tasks done effectively.
