3 Simple Ways To Save An Hour A Day

Frustrated by the many log-ins and passwords in your life? The 74 messages in your in-box or your mounting To-Do list? Read these three simple steps to organize and save an hour a day.

#1 - Use the address book method to keep all of your many online passwords and log-ins organized and easily accessible. Start fresh with each account as a "new contact" in your book. Accounts like frequent flier miles, banking and loan logins and your multiple email accounts all need organization! Under each account, in the notes section, list the URL, password and username and any other important information. For added security, create a code where only you can decipher your own passwords. Add two numbers or letters to the end of every password. That way your real password is what is in front of the last digits or letters.

#2 - Simplify Your Email Inbox! There are three types of email: 1. Junk mail. 2. Emails that require an immediate response or action. 3. Emails you want to read or are interesting in content (but do not require immediate action).

Delete the junk and respond to action items immediately, if you can. Store the ones you want to read in a "To Read" folder. Make additional folders for "Reference" items. Make it your goal to clear out your inbox at the end of every business day when possible. Do important or urgent action items immediately (when possible). Don't feel obligated to respond to forwards, or to even read them. If you are interested in reading it but don't have time at the moment, simply store it in a "To Read" folder. Never put any emails that require an action or response in your "To Read" folder. Respond to personalized emails right away and stop responding when an interchange has served its purpose. Schedule time each week to go through your "To Read" folder so it doesn't get out of control.

#3 - Make the next two weeks a trial period to schedule your to-do list into your daily calendar. Say there is an item on your To-Do list that requires you to "find a party equipment rental service." So schedule that task into your week-day schedule: "Wednesday, 11:00am-11:15am, find party equipment rental service." You'd be surprised to find that many things on your To-Do list will take less than 15 minutes, but make a point to schedule each such item for 15 minutes anyway. This leaves you with about 12 "to do" items scheduled in a 3-hour time block. You will most likely accomplish everything on the list early and will have had time to handle unexpected interruptions, like bad traffic and family issues. As a rule, the time frame in which you allow yourself to complete a task is usually how much time it will take. Give yourself two hours for your To-Do list and you will probably get the list done in two hours. Plan it to take you all day and it will most likely take you all day.

Remember how in college you figured out how to get research papers done in one night? When you get focused and give yourself a little pressure, you will get more done in less time and usually do it better.

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