Chapter 24

Ten Time-Efficient Habits

Time management isn't a talent you're born with. You may need an amazing set of DNA to sing opera, win a triathlon, or get signed by the New York Giants, but with time management, you can work your way up to champion level without having the efficiency gene. Successful time management is a matter of habit. And in this chapter, I present you with the ten best habits to adopt for winning at time efficiency.

Start Your Day Early

Most people are more productive in the morning. That's logical: After sleep, you have more energy, you're more alert, and you've had less “day,” when everything that could go wrong does. No doubt, a half-hour first thing in the morning is easily worth two hours at the end of the day.

When I have deadlines to hit and projects to complete, I set my alarm clock for a couple of hours earlier than normal. That's much more effective for me than trying to squeeze in the time in the evening. I'm generally too tired to focus well. I may go to bed as early as 8:00 p.m. in order to get up at 3:00 a.m. to put in some dedicated time. The house is quiet. I'm refreshed. My mind is alert. And my productivity is at its peak.

You don't have to set your alarm for the crack of dawn. An extra hour can buy you plenty of bonus time to take a big bite off your to-do list. Even just a half-hour earlier a day adds 182.5 hours to your year — 23 additional workdays:

It really is the closest thing to buying more time.

Plan for the Next Day

Set aside time every day, at the end of the workday or before you wind down in the evening, to set up for the next day. Investing a half-hour, even as little as 10 or 15 minutes, can guarantee a higher return on productivity in as little as 24 hours.

As you confirm tomorrow's schedule and add to your to-do list, take your entire day into account — not just your work hours but your personal obligations, too. Think through all that you hope to accomplish, from the time the alarm clock goes off (need to take the cat to the vet or pick up dry cleaning?) through your workday (what meetings and presentations are scheduled?) and through the hours you have before your day concludes (time to return some phone calls to family and friends?). Then adjust your schedule accordingly.

As you set aside some uninterrupted planning time, do the following:

See Chapter 5 for advice on planning your days using time-blocking.

Take Care of Your Health

Taking steps to stay well is one of the best time investments you can make. After all, if you lose work time because of frequent illness or you just don't have the stamina to put in a full day of activity, you lose productivity and get behind at work and at home.

Eating for optimal performance

You don't have to fuel up like a mountain climber or marathon runner, but eating healthy is as important for desk jockeys as it is for anyone who requires his or her body to be in top shape. A proper diet ensures the physical and mental energy required for a productive day. Here are some eating tips:

Exercising for energy and stamina

I can't count how often I hear people say that physical activity helps their mental outlook as much as their physical well-being. Scientific evidence supports that exercise stimulates chemicals that send positive thoughts and increased energy to the brain, all sensations important for peak productivity.

So if you often talk yourself out of going to the gym because you don't have time, consider that you don't have time not to.

Carrying extra pounds is hard on your body, and it definitely slows you down — not the best condition for maximum time efficiency. But even folks who don't have a weight problem benefit from regular physical activity. To up your productivity, follow this advice:

Sleeping for rejuvenation

Getting enough rest to recharge is paramount. Going to bed early enough so you're well rested can improve your time management and energy level the next day. Know your amount of needed rest that your body craves. Establish your schedule to coincide with that amount.

One of the best techniques for helping yourself recharge with sleep is napping. I'm especially fond of afternoon naps on weekends. They help me to catch up on my rest and wake up really refreshed.

Set Aside Downtime

An issue that's gotten a lot of press in the world of parenting is overscheduling children. Child development experts point out that kids’ schedules are so packed with school, music lessons, sports activities, play dates, and other commitments that they have virtually no downtime in which to develop their creativity and imagination.

Whether you call it prayer, meditation, clearing your mind, quiet time, or goofing off, adults need these unstructured blocks of time, too. Extremely busy people may find it hard to justify doing nothing when so much work awaits them, but these periods of reflection stretch your thinking muscles, release built-up stress, and lead you to new insights and greater understanding. And that's hardly “nothing.”

I notice a significant improvement in my effectiveness, energy, and outlook when I adhere to a morning routine that starts with prayer and reading the Bible each day at 5 a.m. Here are some ways to find a quiet time that works best for you:

Plan Meals for the Week

My mother, one of the most efficient people I've ever known, demonstrated her organizational proficiency by deliberately planning our meals. She sat down each week with paper and pencil and mapped out our meals for the next seven days, considering our schedules, special occasions (birthdays, for example), and what items were on special at the grocery that week. She reviewed the cupboards and pantry to make sure she had all the ingredients she needed, and then she made her grocery list. When she hit the supermarket, she shopped with a plan: Not a superfluous minute was wasted on impulse. She was a mom on a mission — she knew what she wanted and where to find it. And she only had to do it once a week — no quick stops for a forgotten ingredient. My mom's extreme efficiency in meal planning paid off in time freed up to enjoy dinner and conversation with her husband and sons.

Make a habit of making a once-a-week meal plan so you don't have to waste time contemplating what to eat — no more frantic sweeps through a fast-food drive-through because you don't have anything in the house.

You can apply a weekly-plan habit to aspects of your life other than meals as well. For instance, plan what you're going to wear each day so you can be sure everything is washed, returned from the dry cleaner, shined, and repaired.

Delegate Almost Everything

Figure out what's most important to you, and delegate everything else. In Chapter 5, I walk you through the process of identifying your priorities. As soon as you have that list (and I suggest you write them down and keep them in front of you), you can better determine which activities support those priorities and which, though necessary to complete, can be handled by someone else.

Sometimes, what seems like an activity to be delegated is, in reality, one that's close to the heart of your most cherished values. I can't say that I'm big on playing tea party. But the joy I see in my daughter Annabelle's face when I join her on the floor with her dolls brings me joy and deep fulfillment. I wouldn't delegate doll-playing to anyone. On the other hand, I detest yard work. Of course, it's important to me — and my neighbors — to keep up with cutting the grass. But in my grand list of top priorities, spending time in my yard doesn't even make the top 100. So I delegate it, along with other manly responsibilities such as changing the oil in my car, repairing a leak in the sink, and other choice tasks. Faced with one of these activities, I join my daughter on the floor for a doll tea party and say, “Pass me the imaginary cream, please.”

Say No More Often

You've heard it said that if you want something done, then ask a busy person to do it. It's true that the most productive people seem to be able to juggle more responsibilities and activities. But what a too-busy person achieves in quantity often comes at the cost of quality. To get the most satisfaction out of the work you do and the pastimes you engage in, you need to protect them from getting swallowed up by other commitments.

The demands on your time are limitless. Time is a finite resource. Figure out how to recognize when the hourglass is almost out of sand, and protect your time by saying no. Return to your list of priorities and evaluate whether your plate is filled with unrelated commitments. If so, scrape them off as possible to make room for the things that really matter to you. And when the next wave of people serves up more requests for your time, politely put your hand over the plate and say, “No, thank you. I'm full.”

Always Use a Time-Management System

To best retain your time-management skills, adopt a system for managing your time. And stick to it. With regular use, such a system gets easier to use and brings a greater return with time. In Chapter 5, I show you how to use time-blocking, a system I stand by because I've seen how it yields success time and again.

Simplify Your Life

Just as material possessions take up space in your home and office, they also clutter up your time. I have a client who lived in Manhattan for several years and decided he needed to buy a car. He kept it for less than a year before he realized it was costing him money and time: filling it up, maintaining it, parking it, insuring it. He initially bought the car because he thought it'd simplify his life, but he quickly realized it added complexity that he hadn't imagined. Life was much simpler when he relied on taxis and subways.

Most people have too much stuff. There are 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage, translating to 7 square feet for every man, woman, and child in the United States. Storing stuff has moved from transitional storage to permanent storage, and more than one in ten households rent a storage unit. Imagine the amount of time and money spent to store things no one is using.

Having and caring for possessions takes a lot of time. The fewer you have, the simpler life becomes. I'm not suggesting you return to Walden Pond or join a commune. Nothing's wrong with having things that bring you happiness and pleasure. If you love getting in your daily laps and spending time sunning yourself by your in-ground swimming pool, savor the joy it brings you whenever you can. But the more you can divest yourself of your other leisure toys, the more you're able to focus on your time enjoying the pool.

Return to your priorities list and take stock of how your material wealth aligns with your goals. Identify what relates, and get rid of as much of the rest as you can. Having fewer material burdens is one of the most liberating feelings you can experience.

Begin Every Day at Zero

Leave all your baggage from the day before where it belongs: in the past. Whatever mistakes, disappointments, losses, embarrassments, and failures you suffered yesterday don't have to affect the outcome of today.

As the saying goes, the past is history. The future is a mystery. Today is a gift; that's why they call it the present. Unwrap each day with the anticipation and expectation of unfolding a wonderful day of production, success, fulfillment, service to others, results, and relationship-building. Use your time to create the largest, best, most significant return on your time as possible.