Ways to save your time

As time gets more and more precious, I wondered how else I can do to squeeze more time. Everyone gets 24 hours a day, but some people wasted a good part of their time doing things that are not aligned to their goals or not pleasurable to themselves – in order words, their time got ‘robbed’ by others.

Here’s a few ways for me to squeeze more time to really do the things I want to do:


1. Blog my articles in Microsoft words first, then cut and paste it straight to blogger.

I’m currently doing that now because my internet connection was down, so I’m using the time now to type it out in the words form so that later I can just copy and paste it to post the article up. This is a great time saver because by blogging the articles when my thoughts are the most lucid and fluid, I can save a lot of time thinking about what and how to write the articles.


2. Give yourself 5 minutes to read through the snail mails and decide what to do with them straight away

I used to keep a pile of snail mails on my desk, waiting for the day when I’m finally free to sort them out. It takes a great deal of time just reading the mails again then following up the actions required. These days, I give myself 5 minutes to read through, decide and follow up the action immediately. These grant me two advantages – firstly, my desk is clutter free and secondly, I do not have to sit through the piles of mails to follow up the actions required. I either throw them straight away or file them up if needed. This ‘no-second-look’ philosophy must have saved me a few hours per month, which is substantial savings in the long run.

I think this rule applies to emails too. If I didn’t follow up my emails immediately, chances are that I would not do it anymore. So I make it a point to apply my ‘no-second-look’ philosophy to that too.




3. I always bring a book whenever I go

It never fails to amaze me how a well-planned schedule for a day can go horribly wrong. I might end up waiting a few hours for events to happen, and I dread having nothing to do while waiting. Thus, I always bring a book whenever I go in case I have to end up waiting for people longer than I should be. I also kicked the habit of sleeping on trains and use the time to read while standing/sitting. I can’t read on buses (it makes me dizzy), so I nap a while or just think about stuff.


4. Use of the SBS-Iris online before I go out

As I take buses most of the time, I detest waiting the long waiting time at bus-stops. Since last month, I’ve been using the SBS Iris website to determine the waiting time I need for my bus to arrive at the bus stop and plan my trip accordingly. This is such a time saver that I make it a point to check whenever I’m going out, if it happens that I’m taking a bus.

Use your time wisely. It’s the only resource that you have!