7.5 Ways to Find More Time in Your Day

Everyone has the same 24 hours during the day, but everyone does not use their 24 hours the same way. How many people go through their day wishing they had more time? The day passes and by the end, they begin to wonder where the day went. They realize that they didn’t accomplish half of the things they wanted to, so they add the day’s activities onto the next day. A couple days of this and they just become overwhelmed by the amount of things that are not getting completed. What’s a person to do?

For everyone who is looking for more “day” in their day, here are seven ways to increase productivity and get more accomplished.

1. Plan the day

There are many people who just “know” that they will remember everything they have to get done, so they don’t need to write it down. Are you one of them? These people realize at the end of the day that they were wrong and some items fell through the cracks. Even people who have a few short things to do should still write it down and plan it out. It is amazing how easily the distractions start and the items are forgotten.

2. Group like things together

When you have to go to the grocery store, stop at the post office, and reschedule your dentist appointment, it saves time if you realize that the post office and the dentist are close together so these items can be done around the same time. How much time is wasted during the day circling back to an area because something else on the “to-do” list was in close proximity to an earlier task?

3. Delegate tasks

Now is the time to ask yourself if you really have to be the one to accomplish everything. Do you need to go to the grocery store or could you shop online and have the groceries delivered? Do you have a friend who will be going to or going past the post office? Could they drop your packages off for you? People carpool when they go to the office, so why can’t you “carpool” your activities? If they are going to be in the area anyway (and they have the time) then why not let them do this for you? You could cook dinner for them or handle a task for them when you are out.

4. Wake up earlier or stay up later

This does not mean having to walk around like a zombie for the day, but you could wake up 30 minutes earlier and see what more you can accomplish during this time. If you planned your day out (number 1 of this list) then you can determine what can be accomplished during this extra time. Staying up later by 30 minutes can also be beneficial.

5. Set up electronic alerts

By setting up alerts on the various devices you own, you can ensure that you will accomplish what you set out to do. You can even use this method to remind yourself what other activities are in close proximity. You can remind yourself several hours or minutes before the task should be done.

6. Focus on one task at a time.

In a world where it seems that everyone tries to do five things at once, it is best to focus on one task at a time. When you are writing your school paper, listening to your messages, and trying to eat; you realize that you have typed your messages into your school paper and developed a stomach ache because you ate too fast. Or worse, you become distracted and stick something in your mouth that isn’t food. Your level of concentration diminishes when you add tasks and then whether they get completed or not, you cannot guarantee that they were completed correctly.

7. Work with an activity/goal buddy

How easy would it be during the day to text your friend quickly to ask them if they picked up the dry cleaning like they said they were going to? They will either text back “yes” or they will thank you for reminding them. This is a way to keep in touch with your friends and hold each other accountable.


The .5 of this list is to review your day before you go to bed. Did you accomplish all of your goals? What worked and what didn’t? What could be adjusted to increase your productivity for the next day? Any and all of the steps can be implemented, but it is important to not skip the evaluation at the end of the day.

With a little thought and planning you can increase your effectiveness and get more accomplished.