A day well spent isn’t about 24 hours, or 1440 minutes or 86400 seconds. It’s about what you choose to do with the time and what you choose not to.
If you are filling your day with mundane chores and mindless activities that erode your bank of time (and energy), you’ll never get to do the things you love, pursue your passion, be more productive at work or enjoy priceless moments with the family.
Time lost is, well, time lost.
So, what’s your relationship with time? Are you utilising it? Maximising it? Customising it?
Learn by watching 10 typical time-wasting archetypes!
What really eats into time is a “starting problem”.
It’s always better to hunker down and just get on with the job instead of finding ways to push it to the farthest corner of the mind. Also, there are some things that typically waste valuable minutes. One of them is getting overwhelmed by the list of things to complete. Instead of getting all befuddled, a good habit would be to do just one thing at a time.
Pro Tip: Focus, finish, knock it off the list, move on to the next.
Then there are those who hop from one thing to another and nothing quite gets finished.
While multitasking is a virtue, so is being thorough. Revisiting what’s already been done to fix issues only drains time and energy. It’s the reason why documents don’t get saved or dishes get burnt or cars run out of gas.
Pro Tip: It’s best to do it once and do it right. It leads to a lot more confidence and a lot less stress.
Armchair experts think that if they wait and watch long enough the problem will either go away or be done by others.
News flash: it doesn’t, most of the time. What’s left then, after this rather convenient amnesia, is a heap of undone jobs, mounting workload and a haphazard scenario. Accountability helps in efficiency and an end-of-the-day feeling of triumph.
Pro Tip: Own the task. It becomes easier and more satisfying to roll up the sleeves and attack it with vigour.
On the flipside, there are those who play it so tight to the vest, it hurts.
Not being smart in delegating or assigning tasks, not utilising the talents and skills of others leads to a weariness that will begin to tell. Staying on top of things while entrusting those around with responsibilities is the way forward.
Pro Tip: Leverage, outsource, apportion work into bite-sized parts while leading the process.
One of the biggest mistakes is to take on loads that are simply unrealistic.
Being a people pleaser also means agreeing to jobs over and above the limit. This put a
heavy burden on the mind and ends up draining energy resources. The daily schedule and overall wellbeing both take a beating. After all, there’s only so much that can humanly be done with utmost efficiency in a fixed time frame.
Pro Tip: Saying no is a sign not of weakness but of strength.
Ever wondered why some people seem to be moving in slow motion in an otherwise hectic world?
Razor-sharp responses and thinking on the feet often are the hallmarks of those who take on tasks as juicy challenges and not as burdens to carry. Probably why daily chores become a drudgery – they don’t stimulate the mind. The right attitude to the day is waking up eager to do the things you set out to do.
Pro Tip: A positive approach gets the mind ticking and can be just the adrenalin rush to outperform.
We’ve all witnessed the classic pattern of indecision. Could it be this… or that? Or maybe even the other?
Which way is the right way? What is to be done next? What if there’s something else? Not having a clear direction and fixity of purpose can turn chunks of the to-do list into squandered time. It also makes for very predictable, last-minute outcomes lacking in thought and imagination.
Pro Tip: Take a beat to point the compass before you just go headfirst into navigating unknown waters.
Creativity seems to be its best when a job’s not done or even totally forgotten. It’s the dog-ate-my-homework syndrome.
The only way to not explain things is to get them done in the first place. For this, advance planning is really helpful – even overnight if possible. Then the day is clearly outlined and the steps seem logical and handleable. Working in a distraction-free area and first completing jobs that are already half-finished are two good practices.
Pro Tip: Keeping track of time also gives a better sense of what has been accomplished.
Refusing to adopt newer methods and technologies is neither smart nor savvy. There’s always a better way.
Going online, asking for help, googling options, chatting with communities. These are invaluable knowledge banks. It’s amazing how much information is readily available and how many time-saving hacks can be found. Speed of turnaround is a key factor, so is quality of output. Buying gadgets that are time-savers and efficiency-boosters makes practical sense.
Pro Tip: Use the online space. It’s ready with solutions and lightning quick to respond.
It’s so easy to let the mind wander to less pressing things as an escape from the actual task at hand.
Getting up to the eyeballs in emails, gathering for totally avoidable meetings, segueing to unscheduled activities, having extra-long lunch hours. These are typical coping mechanisms but they won’t get the job off the list. Instead, working on time management skills, prioritising jobs and scheduling more work around peak proficiency hours will close things out.
Pro Tip #10: Address the real and present jobs not the mundane or mindless activities.
At LaundryMate, whether you are home or at work, we respect and value your time. We know how busy you are and how much you pack into a day. We believe that we can help by getting rid of dull and dreary chore for you and replacing it with a smart and savvy way to do daily laundry.
Our online laundry services ensure pickup and delivery at your doorstep in 24-hours, unfailingly, reliably. Ask for wash and fold, wash and iron, steam iron or dry clean – we’ve got it all covered.
Our technology both at our facilities and on the laundry services app, make booking orders and getting fresh, clean clothes back a breeze. We’ve also put in some sustainable measures – processes to save water, e-vans to save fuel, compostable plastics and recycled packaging material.
We’re all about time-saving, effort-saving laundry, not just for occasions but for everyday needs get the LaundryMate app and get started pronto.
P.S.: Now that’s going to leave a big gap in your daily routine. So … what are your plans for making the most of the time you’ve snatched right back?