Is it possible to actually ask, "how to save time" since time is always moving forward?  We are all given the same 24 hours per day to do what we need to do, yet some get much more done than others.  Some people let days, weeks, months and years pass without anything being accomplished because they didn't learn the basics of saving more time.

What I mean by saving time is that the day to day activities you do and the thoughts and actions you take all takes time.  You can save time by being more productive with your time and how you choose to use the 24hrs given to you.  Here are some tips to help save you some time.

GETTING THINGS DONE

We all have "things" we need to do, both big and small on a daily basis.  We can save more time by planning these things out and setting a schedule for the routine things.  What I do is keep a "to do list" as well as a calendar that synchronizes with my smart phone.  I usually put the big important items on my calendar and break them up with different steps so that I work toward accomplishing them as well as set a date for completion.  The smaller less important items, I put in my to do list.  This is a way to manage your action items into manageable pieces versus having a few scattered unmanaged projects flying around.  Having a system to manage your projects helps to get things done and saves time by reducing the time you need to always think about what you need to do.  It will work if you make it a habit to enter in items when the need comes up.  If it is a recurring item, then make it so on your calendar.  If you spend hours thinking of what you need to get accomplished, that hour has been wasted each time you use up that time, have it managed and set from the beginning and you can free up your mind to get more done and have that extra time.

PROCRASTINATION

The P word that we all have dealt with in one way or another.  Most people simply say, "just do it" but to defeat procrastination which is basically a time killer, you MUST make it habit to start upon what you set out to do.  What I usually do is that after I plan out my projects, I take on the smaller easier tasks that leads to a completed project.  In doing this, I create momentum and once you get started and going on something, the great MO sets into place and you usually complete a lot more than if you didn't start at all.  Finding ways to overcome procrastination will help you save time by doing things when they need to be done versus wasting the time doing something else, even though eventually you need to do the initial item.

DO THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

We sometimes try to find the easy route around doing things or give a quick fix to something.  Yes, sometimes a quick fix is the best solution but if everything you do is just a quick fix, something is gonna give.  If you do things right the first time, you don't have to go back and redo it again, thus wasting time.

GETTING WHAT YOU TRULY WANT

If you have your heart settled on something and you settle for the second or third choice, you will not be as happy as if you went the first route.  You usually end up wasting more time by revisiting your initial thoughts, thus wasting time and possibly money because you will go with what your initial intentions tell you.  Get what you truly want the first time, and don't settle.  If money is an issue, set in place a savings plan to purchase what you truly want versus settling for another alternative.  Alternatives sometimes can be great, but if we have our heart set on something, it is then important enough to budget for.  Time will come, and time will pass.  If you truly value something that you want, then give it time to come and plan accordingly.

BALANCE

Balance in life is everything.  If you do not balance your life, you are placing things that need to be done on the back-burner, yet they will eventually need to be done.  Time is wasted because without balance you have less control of your time and your life.

GET ORGANIZED

Having a disorganized life filled with clutter can complicate things and waste lots of time to get to what you need to do.  For example, if you have to pay your bills on a monthly basis, if you have bills scattered everywhere around the house versus having it at a central location, you will waste a lot more time just putting everything you need together.  Being organized and having set places for you to get things done will help save you lots of valuable time.

INNOVATE

You must innovate the way you do things and improve upon the process.  The example I gave earlier about paying bills can also be enhanced and made a lot more efficient if you schedule automatic payments, thus saving you time.  If you get organized and then set automated processes into place, you can incrementally save time, which adds up to more free time for yourself, your family and friends.