Quick Tips: Get More Done

Life isn't always easy, and sometimes it isn't even productive. There's so much to do and so little time to do it, we never really get it all done. In fact, we sabotage ourselves by procrastinating, hemming and hawing, and imagining that we have very much to do that we shouldn't even bother with the small stuff. Sometimes, we really shouldn't bother with the small stuff, but most of the time, we should forge onward and get it done.

The smaller our "to do" list is, the better that we will actually feel. Think about it for a minute. Whether you are a mental list maker or a die-hard pen and pad list maker, the shorter your list is, the happier you are. As soon as you cross off even just a single task, you instantly feel better.

The truth of the matter is that we could accomplish much more throughout our day if we simply tried a new plan of attack. Instead of bemoaning the fact that we don't have enough time to get anything done, let's try to get more done by rearranging the way that we do things. Instead of allowing minutes to slip by simply because there aren't enough of them to actually accomplish any task, even a simple one, let's rearrange our tasks to fit into these small timeframes so that we can clear up a larger bulk of time for the bigger things.

Where can we find these single minutes, five-minute blocks, or ten-minute blocks of time? Think about it long enough, and you will discover so many, that you'll open up a whole new world of possibilities for yourself. In fact, many of us experience the locked in time" moments when we are simply waiting for something and sit there doing nothing. The rebooting of the computer, commercial breaks during television shows, holding on the telephone waiting for our tum, waiting for the delivery man to finish jotting down his arrival time and arrive at our door, or
waiting for the microwave to finish heating our beverage or snack are all prime examples.

Things to Do in One Minute

• file a hangnail
• water a houseplant
• make one bed
• empty the trash or spam folder in your e-mail account.
• clip some coupons 
• bring the laundry downstairs
• write out a check for a bill payment

Things to Do in Five Minutes

• make an appointment or cancel an appointment
• sort the mail and toss anything that's not worth looking at
• clean out your purse or wallet
• trim your child's bangs
• make all of the beds
• vacuum one room
• clean a mirror
• clean a window
• wipe down the kitchen countertop
• wipe off the microwave
• clean the can opener
• return an e-mail or quick phone call
• delete your spam
• take out the household trash, garbage, or recycles
• sort the laundry or begin a load of laundry
• empty the dishwasher
• clean a toilet or the bathroom sink
• floss
• do some Kegel exercises
• toss expired products in the medicine cabinet or kitchen cupboard
• complete a quick darning task or sew on a button
• clean a few framed photographs
• look over your credit card bill for accuracy
• make a quick pick up of one or more rooms
• sweep the floor
• clean the grill
• check the pool status
• stretch

Things to Do in Ten Minutes

• write a thank-you note
• vacuum two rooms
• change the sheets
• takedown the curtains for cleaning
• fold the laundry and put it away
• scrub the bathtub
• straighten out a bedroom or kitchen drawer
• brush your cat or dog
• rinse your silk flowers
• go through a magazine

Filling in those small bits of waiting time throughout our day with small tasks can free up some time for us. Rework your list of things to do and arrange it by the amount of time necessary to complete a task. Realize more time in your day with the simple strategy presented in this article. See a related article, "Productivity Killing Mistakes to Stop Making".