Our Favorite Time-Saving Tips
Our Favorite Time-Saving Tips
Would you like some help managing your time? Does the day go by so quickly that you never finish your tasks? Some days can be more challenging than others. When you continually ask, “How do I get it all done?” it may be time to refine your time management skills.
The team at Basic Organization would like to share our favorite Time-Saving tips for completing our daily tasks. These tips may resonate with you and help you succeed. Share your comments below.
Janet
“The best thing I do to save time is write everything down. It sounds like one more thing to do, which wouldn’t save time, but it works for me. Writing things down helps me remember my to-dos and prioritize what’s important. A grocery list will save me time by ensuring I get everything I need at the store, so I won’t have to return the next day. My work-to-do list keeps me on track with all the moving parts of the business. I’m doing more life management for my mom these days, and a running list helps me make sure I don’t drop the ball on something important for her. Keeping lists helps me prioritize. List-making is my superpower!”
Lori
“Exercise is essential to me. I go to a local gym class during the week. I set out my gym clothes the night before to save time in the morning and leave the house on time. Preparing my food before I leave for the gym and placing it front and center in my fridge so I don’t have to hunt for it saves time. If it’s a breakfast bar, I place it in my purse to eat it on the way. I always keep my gym bag in the car, so I’ll never forget it.”
“Writing things down helps me remember my to-dos and prioritize what’s important.”
Patti
“At the end of each day, I like to spend some time organizing my desk and reviewing what I’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done. Having a clean desk in the morning helps me prioritize tasks and start the day on a positive note. It may take 10-20 minutes at the end of the workday, but it is a time-saving practice. It allows me to locate things easily and approach my work with a focused intention. Clutter, especially papers, can cloud my thoughts, so starting each day with an organized desk ultimately saves me time.”
Denene
“A huge timesaver for me is to prepare for my day’s appointments the night before. No matter what’s on my schedule the next day, whether it’s work, errands, or a doctor’s appointment, getting everything together the night before saves me time and calms my mornings.”
Michelle
“Unwrap and pitch packaging from bulk items like paper towels and other supplies, then store them in a basket or bin in your pantry or closet so you can easily take inventory of what you have.”
Sandy
“My tip is not only time-saving but stress-reducing. I like to prepare everything for the following day, the night before. This includes having my lunch either in the refrigerator or at least written down, including what I will make, the address and directions for where I am going, all supplies together, and any other items to go with me. If my car is in the garage, I also put things in it the night before; if not, I have them right at the door. I also leave a sticky note on the door for any items I might need to grab in the morning (lunch in the refrigerator). It only takes about ten focused minutes. It also reduces my stress in case life happens in the morning and I get behind schedule.”
“I like to prepare everything for the following day, the night before.”
Ann
My biggest time saver is when something needs to leave your house, put it in the car. Do you have a bag of things that needs to be donated? Put it in your car, and then drop it off when you happen to be near your favorite donation spot. No extra trip; you were already there. Need to return an item? Put it in your car, and when you are at that store or near the post office, do it then. It won’t get returned sitting on your dining room table. Need to drop something off with a friend? Put it in your car and when you drive by their house, drop it on their porch, and text them it’s there. No extra trip!”
Rouba
“Here are my tips that helped me a lot while moving two kids to college, one to an apartment and one to the dorms:
I had to have two lists, one for each kid, and each list had subcategories: Room essentials, kitchen essentials (shared with the other roommate off campus), and bathroom essentials. I also had lists of where to purchase, and I created a spreadsheet with all the items, including stores and prices, to keep track. When I bought everything, I did not delete them from my list; I checked and marked them so I remembered what I bought already. One week before, I started washing what needed to be cleaned and packed in a way that would be easy for unpacking.”
Sue
“Minimize distractions. I am most productive when I can minimize distractions, especially when working on my computer daily. I prefer to work in my quiet office as it helps me concentrate. Limiting phone calls and closing the door when I don’t want interruptions also helps. Having a to-do list is also helpful. I keep a wipe board in my kitchen to list home items I may need or appointment reminders.”
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Sue
These are all great, but I especially like Ann’s tips about putting items to be donated in the car. Not only are you prepared if you happen to be near a donation spot, but you greatly reduce the risk of changing your mind about any of it!
It’s always a good idea to get your donations out of the house. Glad you like the tips.
These are all great tips and I, myself, do most of them. My favorites are: preparing the night before (this includes tidying my desk, making my to-do list for the next day, and putting things in or near the car). I also like doing a brain dump periodically to make sure I haven’t fogotten something that’s lingering on my mind.
I tend to prepare ahead for work, but not for personal. I wonder why now.
What great strategies and insights! I like reading about how each person has a unique way of using their time most effectively. For me, it’s all about the list. Why keep things floating around my brain when I can use my “2Do” list to cue me on what needs to be done? What I like most about that app is I can schedule an item on a particular day.
My goal is to complete all the items that appear each day. However, at times, that’s not possible. Before the day ends, I shift what’s remaining to another day. That way, my list for the day is clear and feels “done.” This helps me move into the non-work, relaxing part of the evening.
I rely on my CRM as my to-do list. But whatever way you do it, I think writing things down is so important. I find it funny how I’m the only person in my family who uses a calendar and to-do list. I don’t know how they get anything done!
Oooh, all of these are so good! I do a lot of these, especially when time is tight. I put clothes out the night before, pack my lunch items in advance, get all my stuff for work into my car, etc.
Another timesaving tip around here is to check the traffic before I leave for work. I want to find the most efficient path before I leave.
I also try and do all my errands at one time, mapping them out to be efficient. (I guess driving is thing for me!)
Finally, I guess I would say communicating saves me time. I go over and above on this, sometimes annoying my family. But I feel like making sure everyone is clear on the plan does save time. 🙂
Seana, you are sooo organized!
Great tip to check the traffic early, before leaving, so you can plan ahead. I do this too, but didn’t think of it as my tip.
These are great tips. I do most of them. I prepare for my morning exercise, I have a list of to-dos and the night before I get everything ready for the next day. I think this habit started when I had kids at home. The only time to get ready was when they had gone to bed. In the morning there were always last minute things for them so I had to be ready to walk out the door. I still use the system and my mornings go smoothly.
Good idea for moms of young children. Sometimes it’s hard to find the energy to “do all the things” at night, but it’s such a time saver in the morning.
With the exception of Lori’s tip about the gym (I exercise at home), I follow all of this advice. My two favorites for keeping myself in order is preparing for everything the night before and writing everything down. I’m a night person, so I can literally plan my entire day and think through everything I need (and when and where I need it) at night, when I’m clear. In the morning, I’m sluggish and can only manage to eat and self-groom in those first hours of the morning, so this works best. And I write everything down because my brain works best when I process things in writing. I may not even need the list once it’s made, because just writing it enshrines it in my mind.
Great tips!
I live and die by my to-do list and calendar!