Time Tidbits: Guest Post

Creating Time – 5 Time-Saving Ideas That Will Change Your Life
If there is one asset that each of us has equal amounts of, it is time - we all have just 24 hours of it each day. But if that is true, then how is it that some of us seem to have more time than the others? Well, that’s because they are able to manage time better. You could do it too – all you need to do to virtually “create” time and have more of this precious commodity is to follow these time-saving ideas that are destined to change your life:
Be organized: When you’re a very busy person with not enough hours in a day to accomplish all that must be done, you’ll find that being organized saves you a lot of time. When you follow the policy of a place for everything and everything in its place, you’ll find that you save time, not just in finding objects that you need, but also in general maintenance tasks. When you make it a rule to replace things where they belong, you’re free from the hassles of cleaning up after yourself and scrambling to find things that “you know is somewhere here”.
Plan ahead: Plan for tomorrow today, in both the small and big things. Put out your clothes for the next day the night before; plan your menu for a week and ensure that your fridge is stocked with all the ingredients you need to prepare the meals every weekend when you go grocery shopping; plan the days you will do laundry and general chores; and plan for your plans to get derailed as well. If you get flustered every time a plan goes awry, you’re only going to stress yourself out and lose more time.
Do a little every day: This works especially when it comes to cleaning your space, be it your home or your cupboard. Instead of tackling it all at one go, do a little a day. This not only allows you time for other activities, it does not leave you exhausted as well. In general, it’s a good idea never to put off for tomorrow what can be done today. This saves you from the hassle of having to do it all one fine day when it can no longer be put off.
Stay focused: This is a simple rule but one that most of us have difficulty following. When you’re focused on the job at hand and not distracted by television, phone calls or other interruptions, you get your job completed faster. Learning to focus is a task for the mind – the stronger your will power, the better you’re able to concentrate on the task at hand.
Create time: No, you’re not God to increase the number of hours in a day, but you do have the power to increase the number of productive hours each day. Wake up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later than you usually do to take care of your pending work. Give up an hour of recreation to finish tasks that demand your immediate attention. Or finish your lunch in 30 minutes and get back to work for the remaining half hour of your break. The value of time depends on how we use it – so make every second count by counting every second as important.
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This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of physical therapy assistant schools. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com