Grandma Knows Best (Productivity Tips That Stand The Test of Time)

grandma-3Coastal grandma style is trending this summer. But there’s more that grandmas can teach you besides how to dress. Whether your grandma was an expert coupon-er or kept all her coupons in a repurposed can, you can learn a lot from their ability to save money (and time).

Here are few ways being more like your grandma could help you save time and money:

Check Email in Batches: My husband’s grandmother only checks her email a few times a week. She doesn’t do it in between other activities, but sees it as a daily task, much like reading the mail. Grandparents I know also tend to respond to each email right away rather than saving it for later. The younger generation tends check emails constantly, often as a way of procrastination. Checking your email once a day like your grandma allows you to be more focused on your other tasks. Read more

Turn on the TV to Get More Done

redWatching too much television can be bad for your productivity. I’ve come up with a few ways to avoid the black hole of Netflix, but I’ve been caught out a few times. Let’s face it we’ve all had that moment where you’ve sat down to watch one episode, and before you know it hours have past and you still haven’t started that thing you where going to do. It’s normal to feel guilty about your binge, but seeing as you’ve used companies similar to Crestron UK to install a home automation system, which has improved the sound quality of audio on your TV, what is there to feel guilty about? You don’t have to anymore, especially if you’re enjoying your favorite shows.

Think of your time spent watching as ‘research’ – there are plenty of productive characters on television, and you can easily pick up a few tips.

Here are a few from some of my favorite shows:

Keep your eye out for new opportunities – When your incarcerated in a women’s penitentiary you always have to be on toes. Red from Orange is the New Black may run the prison, but that doesn’t stop her from always being on the lookout. Whether is a new inmate she can exploit or a run down greenhouse she can fix up – Red takes advantage of everything.

Real Life Use: When you think you’ve run out of options, look around you and you might find some opportunities that you’ve overlooked. Read more

How to Have a Four Day Work Week

Business Man With Nowhere To Go

(Photo credit: FábioMakesMistakes)

We’ve all been told that working harder is the obvious path to earning more. However a recent survey found that most millionaires believe that the four day work week is a ‘valid idea’.  Who wouldn’t want Fridays off? I know I’d love that.  But the key to securing your own four day week is not to endlessly pester your boss, but to get more done during those other four days.

Here are five tips to help you get all your work done by Friday.

1.  Schedule important tasks earlier in the week

As tempting as it is to ease yourself into the week, getting your critical tasks out of the way early will save you time. This way you’re not cramming everything in at the last minute and you have time to follow up on tasks if need be.  Plus once you get through the really tough stuff you’ll feel motivated to get more done. Read more

7 Ways To Eliminate Time Wasters

hourglass_cropped

(Photo credit: openDemocracy)

When you think about how much time you waste, you tend to think of the big things, like the hours wasted binging on Netflix (I’m obsessed with Orange Is The New Black,) paging through social media or wandering
aimlessly around the mall. When something only wastes a minute or so we don’t think about it as much. But when you add all those things together you could potentially be throwing away hours of your day.

I’ve come up with a list to help you combat the small time sucks in your life: Read more

Never Miss an Appointment Again!

1:22 at Grand Central

(Photo credit: nixter)

A few months ago I wondered when it became acceptable for people to be late to everything. Poor timekeeping is such a pet peeve for me, probably because I work in an industry where time is extremely important.

With that in mind here are some tips to help you always be on time for your appointments: Read more