If time equals money, how can you get more?
It is the motto of our era. ‘If only I had more time’. It resonates from the halls, walls and byways, as we bustle about our day to day, always feeling like we could do so much more if we just had a little more time.
But is it any wonder we feel as if we have no time?
For starters, half of us seem to spend the best part of our day on a road, either on public transport or stuck in traffic.
If I could spend the amount of time exercising as I spend on Parramatta Road, I would be the skinniest thing walking around Sydney. For some reason, two incomes doesn’t seem to feel like twice the money, but it does feel like twice the work when you get home from your 9 to 5 to be confronted with your second (full-time) job of child-rearing, cooking and clearing.
So should we just accept it as the curse of modern age? Is this something that must determine our lives? Apparently not. Here are a few tips to make each hour count.
Get up the same time every morning
Simple. Set your alarm for the same time every day and get up when it goes off. Go to bed when you’re sleepy and not before. According to Stave Pavlina (admittedly a blogger, not a sleep specialist), patterns such as these improve your sleeping patterns and actually free up time.
Improve your diet and exercise
I know how frustrating this advice is. We get it already! Diet and exercise make you feel better! Lay off with the constant emphasis on it. Seriously though, it’ll make you feel better. There, I’m done. That’s all I’m going to say on the issue.
Know when to multi-task and when to really concentrate
Doing the dishes? I hate being bored, so I’ll always call someone when I’m walking home or doing the laundry. I think this is a relatively banal form of multitasking. Writing a thesis and your Tweetdeck continually rings out? Get rid of it for the time being. You can’t concentrate when you’re expecting a message, so shut down email, IPhone, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and whatever else crazy techie tricks the kids are up to these days. The ability to concentrate on the task at hand means you’ll get things done more quickly, and to a better quality.
Say no as a default
I’m not saying it would work for me, but it certainly would free up some time. Try saying no at least part of the time. Acknowledge that if you say yes, something else will have to go. And sleeping two hours a night is not a sensible solution.
So not wanting to be a hypocrite, I decided to practice what I preach and trial these tips for a couple of days. Instead of getting six hours sleep a night, I got eight. I started my day by going for a walk. I ate breakfast, and cut my TV hours. I thought I’d feel no different and would be able to smugly return to my indolent ways.
I was wrong.
I hate it when those annoying holier than thou types are onto something.
Do you feel like you have enough time?
What would you do to get more of it?
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