When you want to save time for yourself, there is one thing that can tremendously help you: it is about making things more simple.
It means that you need to create rules for yourself to remove things from your life instead of putting more things to do.
Here are two easy rules you can apply, right away.
Tool 1: Constrain yourself
The first one is about constraining yourself. There is a lot of science around constraint, because the human brain is not able to multitask. So if you really want to perform into something, then you need to constrain yourself to this one and only task.
That way, you can achieve it and then you can move to the next one.
It helps you free time, because you don’t waste time switching from a task to another and you dedicate a limited amount of time to it.
Switching task can take up to 45 minutes to come back to an appropriate focus. 45 minutes! Crazy right?
Go for it then. Have this task done, once for all so you don’t have to come back to it.
How to do it?
Define the time you need for the task. Put this time in your calendar.
Once it’s time to do it: commit and execute. Switch off notifications, make sure you will not be disturbed or distracted. Don’t stop until the task is done.
Don’t try to make it perfect either: make it good enough and get feedbacks if you need to enhance it. You might be surprised how people are happy, just with what you produced.
Tool 2: Clean up your non efficient tasks
There is another great tool that is called the 80/20 principle or the Pareto rule. It says 20% of your activities gives you 80% of your results.
When you realize that only 20% tasks creates most of your results, it will become really very important to clarify which ones for yourself.
How to do it?
Look at your calendar or your list of tasks and check the ones that gives you the results you want. Ask yourself:
- Which results this task gave me?
- Is it in line with my goals?
- Does it help me making progress towards my vision?
Anything that is not serving your objective must be removed. Get rid of it. You can stop and say no, you can delegate… Whatever you decide but declutter.
These two combined can create you some free time, and you can start right away.
What about starting to put these in place? Now? 😉
