10 Tips for Time

1. Identify your highest values (such as health, family, career, spirituality, finances, leisure, learning, creativity) and form specific goals based on your values. Maintain balanced numbers of short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. By focusing on the big picture, each day will be more productive and meaningful.
   
   
2. Practice prioritizing one daily urgent goal before working on secondary goals. Make a list and stick to it. Projects like washing the car or weeding the garden can be refreshing breaks (not substitutes) from working on deadline-oriented goals.
   
   
3. Maintain steady energy and optimum clarity by filling a water bottle and keeping it in a convenient place so you can easily refresh yourself throughout the day. Drink at least 1 liter of water daily.
   
   
4. Buy healthy ready-to-eat meals or prepare your own meals in advance to control the quality of your nutrition and allow you to eat where you like, when you are ready. Limit caffeine, processed sugar, salt, and excessive fat to maintain steady energy and long-term health.
   
   
5. An efficient workout (20 minutes or more) will encourage a good mood, steady metabolism, and clear thinking that will save you from time-consuming challenges such as working in a bad mood with digestive problems, low blood sugar, and confusion.
   
   
6. Fresh air and sunshine boost energy, allowing you to make the most of your time. Breathe deeply for ten seconds at least three times a day. Schedule fresh-air breaks in the sunshine instead of cigarette/snack breaks in the shadows.
   
   
7. Whether your trips are to the gym, school, or faraway places, never unpack your toiletries bag. Buy duplicates of items for use at home. Pack a few complete exercise outfits in your gym bag so you can unpack your dirty clothes without thinking about repacking a clean outfit.
   
   
8. When you come home, instead of rushing to take care of home-related business, reestablish your connection to home-base. Create a short "welcome home" ritual that gives you a strong sense of being firmly grounded on familiar turf. This brief pause can help sharpen your perception of what is truly important for the rest of the day. You can create a similar ritual when you arrive at work; drop your personal problems and focus on work related issues.
   
   
9. Hire help or set up a "trade". When your time is limited and your budget can stretch, take your laundry to the cleaners and hire a cleaning service. You can also offer a service to a friend in return for help in an area you find challenging and time consuming. Laundry, cleaning, cooking, and childcare responsibilities can be exchanged among friends and family members.
   
   
10. Consider dropping a voluntary responsibility in order to design a clutter-free schedule. Read more about the challenges of "closing doors" of opportunities.

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