Save time and do more of what you love

The phone beeps and you come running! It’s hard to resist the temptation to check your phone for messages, emails and social media updates all the time! If this sounds like you, try turning off your devices for a while and get on with your day-to-day, you’ll find yourself with a surprising amount of free time to do more of the things you love.

No matter how early you get up and how organised you think you are, mornings inevitably descend into a mad dash to get out of the door and to work / school / gym / dentist appointment etc. on time. Make the mornings a little less hectic and try preparing your lunch the night before. Even better double up on your evening meals and portion some of for lunch, pop into a storage container and you’re all done.

Getting your work-out done and dusted before work is a great way to start the day. And there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing it’s already in the bag, especially if life has a habit of getting in the way of your attempts to hit the gym later in the day. That said, early morning work-outs are easier said than done, but if you’re already wearing your gym gear your half way there! So, why not give sleeping in your gym gear a go, when the alarm goes off all that’s left to do is roll out of bed, have a quick wash, brush your teeth and off you go. Sorted!

Whenever something comes up that can be completed in less than two-minutes (like replying to an email, small daily chores, putting stuff away) do it straightway, don’t postpone it. Planning it for later, remembering it, doing in in the future will take more time than if you just do it. Chances are you may forget it too!

An oldie but a goodie. A to-do list prepared before you go to bed works wonders. You don’t have to spend time in the morning thinking about what you must do that day – it’s all sorted, leaving you free to get stuck into the day. You’ll probably find that you sleep better too, as you mind isn’t going through all the things you need to remember. Plenty of sleep is also known to contribute to a more productive day.

OK, this might be a bit extreme, but turning off the TV for just one or two nights a week will have a massive impact of your productivity and generate hours of free time. Use this free time to try a new hobby, or just do those jobs around the house that you never have time for.

Rather than spending your evenings and weekends running your kids to and from hobbies and sports clubs, find something that you can all do together. Head out on your bikes, go to the park for a run, learn to sail together…there’s so much you can do. You’ll be getting fit, having fun and sharing memories as well as making the best use of your precious time.

The temptation may be to lie in and enjoy a lazy start to your weekend. But research has shown that the most productive and successful people stick to the same routine all week. So, if your working weeks sees you up at 06:00, try to keep at close to this as possible at the weekend. Your body will be in a rhythm and those nice, early starts will mean there’s loads more of the day to enjoy.

Pet lovers, you know how it is. Finding time before or after work to walk the dog, and maybe fit in a bit of exercise. Kill two birds with one stone and take the dog for a run on your bike! Get yourself a hands-free dog walker that attaches to your bike and you’ll be able to exercise your dog in half the time.

Combine your social life with exercise. Next time you’re planning a lunch date, dinner or drinks, think instead of meeting your friends at a yoga class, or going for a walk or bike ride – you can catch up and get some exercise on at the same time.