Time, why do you punish me? Like a wave crashing into the shore, you wash away my dreams.

Hootie and the Blowfish

I remember listening to this song for the first time, circa 1995, and thinking to myself, “What garbage.” Wasted time, at least for me as an undergrad, didn’t really mean that much at the time. I don’t really know the exact moment that time became precious, but it seemed to happen overnight. In one instant, that which was plenty all of a sudden became scarce. Work, family, friends, and that little selfish individual inside were all conveniently requesting a share. In a second, I was left with just an empty pie tray and no pie. Hootie’s words came ringing in my ear, “An hour only lasts for one second, one second”…damn them!!! I decided¹ that I will respect time and make it a friend. After much thought and meditation², I began exploring all things productivity.

Here are a few simple things that I implemented³ immediately, some of which I still do:

I carried post-it notes wherever I went to capture any ideas, tasks, appointments, and reminders⁴. For about 5-10 minutes every day, I would organize those notes into a journal to keep track of what I needed to do that day or the following day. Once the journal started becoming a hassle to maintain, I upgraded to a software tool. Eventually, I found GTD. For those who don’t know what GTD is, it is a bestselling book by David Allen called “Getting Things Done,” and it can help you organize and manage your life. It’s one of the best books on productivity that I’ve ever read.

This was a great start, but eventually I came up with three things that MUST be done—in addition to the above suggestions—to really become productive day in and day out. I call them the three Hows. The three Hows are very basic: How do I create more time, How do I keep more time, and How do I grow more time?

How to create more time

This is, of course, not an all-inclusive list, but it’s a good start to reclaiming⁵ some time back. These were some of my biggest time-wasters:

1. Television – just stop it. Besides the occasional news, a movie every once in a while, some documentaries, and Shark Week, I found it to be a huge time-waster. That’s not to say that there aren’t some quality programs out there, it’s just that you’re not watching those programs. You’re watching a rerun of Wipeout. Let me spoil it for you: they all wipe out.

2. Internet/web – It’s really become the new television, and as such, an equivalent waste of time. Ask yourself this, “Do I really need to see another cat video?”

3. Email – This was a more difficult one for me since responding to emails made me believe that I was being more productive. However, responding to emails all day was actually making me less productive by taking my focus off things that I really needed to get done. I now limit my time and frequency of responding to emails.

Seven Ways to Create More Time In Your Day

1. Get Up Earlier

Okay, this one's not exactly genius (or even genie) level. Get up fifteen minutes earlier. If you're like most folk, your morning probably feels rushed: you drag yourself out of bed at the last possible minute, grab a hasty shower, maybe get some breakfast if you're lucky, sort out the kids/cat/partner and dash off to work.

Getting up just a bit earlier can give you some breathing space. Perhaps it'll give you time to actually sit down and enjoy your breakfast for once. Maybe you can use that fifteen minutes a day to read through that book or stack of journals that you keep meaning to get to.

2. Create a Plan

At the start of your workday, before you even check your emails, make a plan. Jot⁶ down the three most important tasks you want to accomplish that day. Put a big star next to the most important. Now, before you get into the busy work of emails and photocopying⁷ and tidying your desk, start on that important task and see it through to the end.

Surprisingly few people take the time to plan their workday, and end up spinning their wheels on a number of low-priority tasks without really accomplishing anything big.

3. Batch⁸ Tasks Together

When you're going through the workday, try to keep similar tasks together. When you switch from one thing to another, your brain takes a few minutes to catch up and settle in: constantly jumping between answering emails and writing a report and tidying up your desk just means you'll lose track of where you'd got to. You might feel like you're working super-efficiently (because your mind is buzzing all over the place), but you'll actually be wasting a lot of time.

If you need to answer a number of emails, do them all at once. The same goes for phone calls, filing, photocopying and other similar tasks.

4. Block Out Chunks⁹ of Time

Do you have some big project that you'd love to get round to? Maybe it's writing a novel, starting a business, training for a marathon, decluttering your home ... whatever your particular venture or goal, you never get around to making progress.

The best way to tackle big projects like this is to force them into your schedule. Spare time doesn't just appear from nowhere – you need to make a conscious effort to create it. Block out a weekend afternoon, for instance: tell family and friends you have another engagement that day. Then storm on ahead with that project. Trust me, you'll feel great for having made a start.

5. Don't Multitask

Although multitasking feels efficient – because it feels busy – it actually loses you time. By sticking to doing one thing at a time, you'll be much more focused and able to produce your best work: there's nothing efficient about rushing a job which you then end up having to redo.

If you want some more advice on this one, read The Death of Multitasking and Rebirth of Unitasking, or Mono-Task And Work More Effectively.

6. Stay Focused

When you are working on a task, make a conscious effort to remain focused. Sure, you'll have intrusive¹⁰ thoughts like maybe I should check my email or this desk could really do with tidying. Just recognize that those thoughts are impulses which you don't need to give into. If you think of something while you're working on your task like I really must phone Joe, then just make a note on a bit of paper or in your diary so you don't forget – and get on with the task at hand.

You'll accomplish much more by working in a deliberately¹¹ focused way than if you let yourself jump around from task to task as things come to mind.

7. Finish Work On Time

Finally, one of the best ways to make more time in your life is to finish your work on time! If you work for an employer, make an effort to leave the office on time – at least a couple of days each week. (I know this is difficult if your workplace has a long-hours culture).

If you work for yourself, you need to be even more self-disciplined, as your work is likely to be very easily accessible when you're at home! Some good ways to create a boundary at the end of the day are to keep your work separate from the rooms in your house where you relax. You could also schedule something social in the evening (perhaps meeting friends for a drink) so that you can't get caught up in "just one more email"...

What could you do with an extra ten hours every week? How could you create more time in your day?

How to keep more time

1. Outsourcing – Pay someone else to do something that will take you more time to do. Your time is precious, so if you can afford to pay someone to do the gardening or house-cleaning, do it. Using virtual assistants to accomplish certain tasks like research can also be an invaluable¹² tool to save time.

2. Time management system – It’s a must. Get yourself some type of time management system that will help organize tasks. There are a lot out there to choose from with many different features that range in price, so try a few and decide which one will match your needs. A good task management system will save you hours every week.

How to grow more time

I have no idea. Obviously, nothing you do will add a second more time to your day or your life, so I would be remiss¹³ here if I provided any advice on that. What I really mean is how do I ensure the quality of the time that I have just worked hard to create and keep? I have found that being surrounded with great people who are smarter and more productive than me always helps.

Also, there is something that is intrinsically mystical about being around those you love and respect, and those that love and respect you. It’s indescribable. Those moments seem to transcend¹⁴ time and just stand still, in all excitement and in full clarity. Those moments never seem to be affected¹⁵ by time.

Teach yourself to be aware of time and remember that time is not your enemy – so don’t fight against it, but use it wisely.