Many of us think about the amount of money we are spending but rarely do we ever pause to think about the time we have and how we are really spending it. And with many of us spending half of our waking days working, it is imperative that we learn how to be more mindful of our time. After all, time is the only currency that you can never have more of.
“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” - Harvey Mackay
Here are seven ways that can help you become more productive at work without wasting away your time:
1. Automate
The world of technology and automation is continuously evolving, and if you aren’t making use of it then you will be left behind. And with such advancements, almost everything can be automated.
For instance, opt to install chatbots to help in customer support inquiries and sales generation. Whatever your business is, chances are there are ways to make use of automation and technology to save yourself and your employees some time!
2. Outsource
Great leaders know they cannot do it all.
This is where outsourcing comes into play. Try to outsource additional services that might be time consuming and not in your area of expertise. For instance, if you work in retail, it might be cheaper and easier to turn to third party logistics providers to take care of storage and transportation. This way you can save time and money on things you can easily outsource!
Not only that, but internal delegation is just as important as outsourcing from other businesses. Knowing that you need the support of teammates is essential to use your time wisely.
3. Say no to unnecessary meetings
Most of us have gone through the agony of sitting in long unnecessary meetings, and we all know how much time such meetings can take away from us!
Therefore, it is instrumental to say “no” to unnecessary and long meetings that do not provide any added benefits.
I have experienced many instances when meetings could have easily been replaced by emails. That is why it is crucial that you try to avoid meetings that you cannot contribute to or you will not learn from.
1) Avoid large meetings
— Liam (@LiamKircher) November 16, 2022
Large meetings waste valuable time and energy.
- They discourage debate
- People are more guarded than open
- There’s not enough time for everyone to contribute
Don’t schedule large meetings unless you’re certain they provide value to everyone.
4. Opt for virtual communications
The virtual world is gaining more popularity than ever before, and the need to have physical meetings is slowly becoming obsolete. In addition, so much time is spent commuting for meetings, and thus turning to virtual meetings can help save time.
Turning to instant messaging apps like Slack and MS Teams can also make communication easier and much faster.
5. Minimize interruptions
Whether you are working from home or the office, it is key to minimize interruptions.
Working at the office, particularly in an open space, can be chaotic and disturbing. Try to schedule your calls in meeting rooms and add tasks to your calendar clearly so that people know not to disturb you.
Whereas at home, it is pivotal to create a workspace that is quiet and suitable for work. Communicating that you are working to your family members or those living with you is also important to maintain boundaries and ensure that you are not interrupted.
6. Try task bundling
The concept of temptation bundling was first introduced by Professor Katherine Milkman in 2014, which talks about bundling things that you want to do with things you need to do.
This can be important to help you build positive and productive habits. By pairing a task you enjoy with one you need to do, you can become more productive and excited to finish both tasks.
7. Not all decisions are important
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that every single decision requires a great deal of thinking and time. However, that is not always true because not all decisions are big decisions.
Jeff Bezos says that there are two types of decisions referred to as Type 1 and Type 2 decisions. Type 1 decisions are decisions that need to be taken carefully. There is no coming back from Type 1 decisions.
Whereas Type 2 decisions are ones that do not hold much importance and can be changed later on.
The first step to saving time when making decisions is classifying the type of decision you are making. If it was a Type 2 decision then try to delegate or outsource it and make them quickly.
Time is money that cannot be returned and therefore it is imperative we deal with it wisely and not waste it!
“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” - Steve Jobs
