Ten Habits That Promote Time Efficiency
1. Start the day early. Since most people are more productive in the morning, Zeller recommends getting up a half hour to an hour earlier than usual.
2. Plan for the next day. Allocate time each evening to set up for the next day. Planning should incorporate both personal and work obligations.
3. Pay attention to health issues. Eat a healthy diet and have small frequent meals throughout the day to maintain energy. Exercise is also important. Scientific research proves that exercise stimulates chemicals that promote positive thoughts. Also be sure to get enough sleep each night.
4. Set aside downtime. Like children, adults also need unstructured blocks of time.
5. Plan meals for the week. Consider planning meals just once a week. This prevents wasting time each day deciding what to eat.
6. Delegate almost everything. Determine which tasks are most important and then delegate everything else.
7. Say no more often. There are countless demands on people’s time. It is essential to protect work and pastimes from other less important tasks. Say no when asked to take on activities that do not align with your goals.
8. Always use a time management system. The best way to retain time management skills is to adopt a system for managing time.
9. Simplify life. Owning and maintaining possessions is time consuming. Zeller recommends that people consider how their material items align with their goals. Objects that do not support one’s goals should be discarded.
10. Begin every day at zero. Leave mistakes, disappointments, and failures in the past. Things that happened yesterday need not affect the outcome of today.
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