Tag Archive for: how to be more productive

6 Productivity Shortcuts To Save You Time

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Recently, a friend told me she heard a statistic that claimed that the average American living in suburbia can spend up to 3 years of their life waiting at traffic lights. I live in NYC so this time-waster doesn’t apply to me directly, but it really got me thinking about how I might be wasting time even in my very productive life. I’ve written before on the basics – laying out your clothes the night before, having a plan for the morning, etc – but I believe that just like goals are achieved by focusing on the small steps, maximum productivity is achieved through shortcuts.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Using keyboard shortcuts – The tech experts at brainwave.com estimate that you save 2 seconds per minute when you use keyboard shortcuts (vs. reaching for the mouse). If that doesn’t seem like a lot of time – that 2 seconds per minute adds up to 8 workdays per year – that’s an extra vacation!

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Throw Away Your New Year’s Resolution

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Resolutions 2012

Resolutions 2012 (Photo credit: simplyla)

Happy New Year to all of you.  I hope 2014 brings you everything you desire!  But if you have a New Year’s Resolution — I urge you to throw it away.  Yep — that’s right.  I think there is a much better way to get organized, be healthier, become more productive etc. etc.

Get Rid of that Resolution

It Really Works

This tactic really works.  And the reason I know is because I used it last year.  I’ve been into yoga here and there but really wanted to incorporate it into my life.  So instead of resolving to “do yoga” — I made a goal for myself to “practice yoga for 10 minutes a day.”

This very specific goal turned out to be the best approach for me.  It’s not overwhelming — I’m not intimidated by 10 minutes a day like I might be to commit to an hour long class a few times a week.

So since last year — every day (ok, most days…but I don’t beat myself up if I don’t do it) I do yoga for 10 minutes in the morning.

What’s your goal for this year?

Never Be Late Again

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Blue alarm clock

Blue alarm clock (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When did it become okay for people to be late to everything? I consider being on time really important because it shows respect for others when you show that you value your time – not to mention, it’s just good manners! It seems to me like society has decided that certain situations (job interviews, movies, etc) warrant showing up exactly on time, but for everything else the time is just a guideline.

I had a close friend who was always late to everything and it drove me nuts! I would tolerate it because she was my friend but I really hated it. I think it’s inconsiderate – and it’s totally just not how I operate! If I say I’m going to call you at 11, I will call you at 11 on the dot!

If you’re someone who can never seem to do things on time, try one of these tricks: Read more

Fab Find: TalkTo App Is A Free Assistant

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talkto copyA lot of people think that in order to save time they need to completely reorganize their schedule or give up doing one thing to make time to do another. What most people don’t realize, though, is how much time is wasted each week on hold with a customer service rep, searching for your size at the shoe store, and figuring out if the convenience store down the street sells your favorite paper soap.  Add that up over the course of a week or a month, and suddenly you’ll realize that you do have time to clean your apartment or take a yoga class. Read more

3 Times Procrastination Is Good For You

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The Passage of Time

The Passage of Time (Photo credit: ToniVC)

Believe it or not, I’m a huge procrastinator. I’m better these days than I used to be, but I believe the idea of a pending deadline looming over your head is real motivation. List making is about reducing stress by helping us remember what we need to do, but it’s like that old saying, you can lead a list-maker to a Post-it, but you can’t make her complete a task.

1. Write creatively.

Writer’s block often comes from over-thinking. When I have an entire day to write a post, I always struggle to come up with the perfect first line. But if I wait until later in the day, it forces me to just write anything and that usually gets the creative juices flowing – just make sure to leave enough time for an edit!

2. Making tough personal choices.

I’ve heard that when you can’t decide something you should toss a coin in the air – not to decide for you, but because the second the coin takes flight you’ll realize what you really wanted. When we have the time to sit with a difficult decision, we can second guess our gut. While you can still take time early on to think things through, waiting until the last minute to actually decide will allow you to be more instinctive.

3. Saying you’re sorry.

Some mistakes require immediate reconciliation, but in a situation where you may have hurt a friend’s feelings or get in an argument with a loved out, take a day before you apologize. Even if you realize you messed up right away, waiting will take the emotion out of the situation and allow you to reflect in an unbiased way. The more able you are to see from the other person’s perspective, the more genuine your apology is likely to be.