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If you feel like you’re always racing against a clock but never moving the needle on your goals, these tips will help you get more done and save time.
Your time and energy are precious. You have lots to do but never enough time. You have been told to hustle, but to what end?
Productivity and efficiency should never be the end goal, but they do serve a purpose in trying to achieve your goals.
Whether you’re looking to start an online business, a side hustle, or a project, there are always many things to do to make it a success, but often never enough time. I usually have a lot of ideas, but I wish I had more time to execute them.
Some of these ideas will move the needle. Other ideas are merely experiments that MIGHT work. But they still require me to invest time, money, or energy to see them through.
If you’re in a similar boat, where you have many ideas you think might work, but there is not enough time in your day to make them happen, here are some strategies to help you get more done in less time.
Get clear on your why
This is the number 1 tactic in making any process or system work, understanding why you want it to work.
The internet is full of tactics and ideas on how to get more done and save time. But no one can tell you whether you’re going in the right direction for yourself.
If you are confident in your direction, then the tactics will increase the odds of success. But you have first to get clear on your big goal to be successful, especially in a world of shiny object syndrome.
Tips to get clarity:
- Write it down – Writing it down on a piece of paper, or journaling your explanation to yourself will give you clarity of mind. And this exercise will also reinforce it for yourself.
- Make it known – whether you tell an accountability partner, your significant other, supportive friends, or write it on a sticky note to see every day, these reminders help make sure that you are focused on those high-value tasks to reach your goals.
Create a list of monthly goals
Once you know your big why make a list of 3-5 monthly goals to help guide you. These monthly goals are the action plans that will help meet your big goals. These are the goals that will move the needle in your business or projects.
Whether you decide that you will focus on multiple priorities within a single project, or multiple projects at the same time, having a set of monthly priorities will help guide your days.
Each goal or priority should have an action plan attached to it, so that you know how you will get to your big goals.
Tips:
- Make them SMART – this framework will give you a structure to get to your goals and motivate you to focus on your goals.
- Challenge yourself a little – stretch goals are good to keep you motivated. But if you are constantly not meeting your goals, you might start to feel defeated. Make sure the goals you set challenge you but are still realistic.
- Fit them into the rest of your life – work and other projects are important but should not come at the expense of your health (mental and physical). It is important not to stretch yourself too much and continue making time to rest, spend time with friends and family, or make time for your hobbies.
Manage your energy
We often talk about time and money as being interchangeable. You can buy time if you have money. If you don’t have money, you might find yourself spending more time on a particular task that is not in your wheelhouse. But critical to this discussion is your energy.
What I’ve learned in the last little while is that you need to manage your energy in a way that best suits you. Some people function better at certain times of days or in certain environments, which can really impact how productive you can be. You might have more time, but if your energy and focus don’t align then it is difficult. to get anything done. And there is no chance of getting more done even with the gift of time.
This is extremely important especially in creative pursuits, or in a business setting where you are responsible for driving to the finish line.
Tips to manage your energy:
- Follow your flow – Figure out when you do your best work – if you find that you are more productive at writing in the morning, then schedule it then, rather than get writing tasks done at night.
- Schedule time to rest – No rest is a recipe for burnout. Ensure that you are allowing yourself to rest regularly so that you’re energized and focused when you try to get something done.
Bucket and Batch your tasks
Once you find your flow and start to recognize when certain tasks are more appropriate for you, it’s time to start batching your tasks.
For example, I try to edit photos for multiple posts at the same time. Or batch creates pins for Pinterest. I find that I am more efficient this way, rather than trying to follow a process for each post from start to finish. I already have the tools ready to go, and it prevents me from task switching and losing my focus. This is the number one tactic I use to get more done, and save time.
Tips for batching:
- Figure out when you do your best work – if you find that you are more productive at writing in the morning, then schedule it then, rather than get writing tasks done at night.
- Categorize similar tasks – whether it’s because they use similar tools or require a similar type of workspace, being able to knock off
- Batch by day – Another tactic that can be useful is to batch by day – maybe Mondays are for writing, and Wednesdays are for social media. This type of structure allows you to start tasks faster rather than mulling over your to-do list.
Set time aside to plan
While working on multiple projects, it’s easy to get lost in lengthy to-do lists or have unrealistic expectations of how much time you really have.
I like to spend part of my weekend creating a plan for the week. This means that I know what my priorities are for each day when I sit at my desk. I know exactly what I need to focus on, and what will get me closer to the finish line!
Creating a plan can help you put a plan in place to get more done, and save time.
Tips for planning:
- Plan before you start – Plan your day the night before or your week before it starts. This helps with getting clarity on a day-to-day basis. It will also help you prioritize your tasks in a clear state of time.
- Planning as a key activity – Consider planning to be a key activity rather than an afterthought.
- Set a timer – As a planner at heart, it is easy to spend more time planning than executing. Setting a timer to plan helps me get through the task without
- Review – Figure out if you scheduled enough time for each task or too much time. The more you do this, the better you will estimate the time you need for each task. I love using this time-blocking method to plan my days and tasks.
Delegate if you can
Your time and energy are precious. As you grow, inevitably, there will be tasks that you do not enjoy. Or there might be tasks that are not your strengths.
This is something I need to work on myself, but I’m slowly starting to realize that I am only one person, and I am not the best person for every job.
Tips if you’re looking to delegate:
- Find your strengths – knowing what you don’t like, or are good at will help you decide where you need help.
- Figure out the time sucks – you might enjoy doing certain tasks, but if it’s taking time away from something more important, it can be a good candidate to delegate.
- Implement a process – having a process in place is good for you to get work done more efficiently. But also make it easier to delegate when that time comes so that work gets done the way you expect it to be done.
- Delegate other things in life – If you’re not ready to delegate things in your business or side hustle, can you delegate things in other parts of your life? Maybe it is feasible to get someone to clean your house or get meal kits to reduce time spent on cooking dinner. This can allow you to save time while getting more done towards your goals.
Create your idea and workflow system
For the longest time, I struggled with finding a method to organize the chaos of various projects.
Rarely is there a simple workflow or a simple line to draw to get from A to B. In those times, my current task set up in Notion has saved me.
There are several different tools for managing your tasks and workflows. Some of the ones I’ve tried are:
- Bullet Journal – a paper-based system, here is how to get started.
- Evernote – a great place to store all your ideas
- Trello – best if you prefer to work in a Kanban system
- Asana – great if you are process or workflow oriented
- Notion – this is one that I currently use, and it is a combination of a database, task management system that is highly flexible – but does take longer to set up!
It was important to have one space set up for all my ideas, workflows, projects, and Notion fit that bucket. I’ve set up my Notion dashboard in a way that allows me to organize but also leaves room for creativity and storing ideas.
While creating a process, workflow or learn a new system can take time, in the long run it can help you get more done and save time.
Tips for finding your system:
- Find a system that works for you, whether digital or paper-based or simply your calendar. Is it important for you to access it on your phone?
- Keep it all in one space – this is what works for me, having everything, including my cleaning chores, in one place rather than including other aspects of my life. I go overboard and even use Notion for my house chores, but it is important for me not to lose sight of other parts of my life.
- Keep it Simple – with all the choices available, it is easy to get caught up in trying all the options. The point of it is to make your life easier, so if you find yourself spending more time in the system, then maybe it’s not right for you.
Final Thoughts
Productivity and efficiency should never be the end goal, but there are tips and tactics that do work to get more done in less time.
No tactic will work for everyone, and more importantly, no tactic will work for you until you get clarity on your goals and their purpose.
Once you get this clarity, everything else will fall into place. And you will be able to get more done, and save time.