18 ways to be more efficient

I found this article while browsing magazines in a fish & chip shop. I asked the owner if I could rip it out and he kindly let me have the whole magazine (seen as it was a 2007 edition and all.) Anyway I found them such good ideas that I began implementing them last night and wow what a difference today has been.

Let me share because if you are like me you are always clawing for enough hours in the day.

1. Get offline.

Stop checking your email, texts, twitter, Facebook, news sites so often. If anything important happens, you'll find out soon enough.

2. Set a timer.

Set the alarm clock or oven buzzer when you clean or do chores- it'll make you hustle. See how much you can get done before the bell.

3. Combine chores and exercise with socialising.

Marcus laughed at this one but I still reckon it's a goodie. Invite like-minded friends over for a baking day or a sewing circle, or go for power walks or jogs together. My friend Hayley and I do this once a week when we can. We combine a good catch up with a walk up the peak. That's 2 things ticked off the to do list at once.

4. Make early appointments. 

Request doctor/dentist appointments for first thing in the morning. They won't have had time to get behind schedule so you won't be kept waiting.  (I did this this morning for the dentist, I was ushered into the dentist chair the minute I arrived, hardly had the time to check my nose for boogies!)

5. Fold sheets in the pillowcase.

Fold matching sheet sets and slide inside one of the pillowcases. When it's time to change the bed, you can grab a whole set of flat sheets, fitted sheets and pillowcases at once.

6. Make  shorter lists.

Think about what you add to your to-do list- do you really need to write it down or can you take a few minutes to do the task straight away?

7. Breakfast for dinner.

Kids love this fun meal idea, and it's super quick too on those crazy days. Scramble some eggs, pop some toast in the toaster and grill a few rashers of bacon and you're done. Fruit for pudding.

8. Keep your inbox empty.

Deal with emails as you read them. Action it, delete it, file it. If necessary, have a 'temporary ' folder for those things you need to hang onto for a short while 'just in case.' Empty it out every few weeks.

9. Meal plan and shop smarter.

Keep a list of all meals and all relevant ingredients. It avoids that 'what shall we have for dinner?" panic and makes grocery list writing a breeze. Make shopping day even more efficient by scoping out your local supermarket and arranging a master shopping list in the same order as the aisles: fruit. veges, meat and so on.

10. Take a day off.

Annual leave doesn't always have to be for a holiday. A few days a year are worth their weight in gold when you can have the house to yourself to spring clean, reorganise or make repairs- then take a nap!

11. Say no.

There's only so much you can commit to each week, so don't overextend yourself. Leave time for the more important things in life.

12. Delegate.

Housework, babysitting, ironing, lawn mowing, weeding, window-washing and dog walking can all be handed over once in a while (or in my case often!) Even if it's just to the hubby or the mother in law. Let your kids help. Show them how to mop the floor or chop veges. It's a great learning experience. Or you can advertise ongoing or one off jobs on student job search.

13.Prepare ahead. 

Shower at night and do lunches the night before. This one seriously shaves an hour off the morning rush and makes for a happy, calm household come school run time. I did this last night, and was up this morning before Oliver woke. ("Wow Mum, look at you!"he exclaimed as he staggered out into the lounge at 6.30 this morning. He usually gets a angry morning face from me when he pulls the blankets off me in the wee hours of dawn. A dressed, one cup of tea down and scripture read Mum was obviously quite a difference for him).

14. Get ready for bed before you switch on the TV.

It's late, but you can't face getting off the couch to change into pyjamas, brush your teeth and take off your makeup. So you procrastinate, watching show after show or browsing the web. If everything is done, hopping into bed on time doesn't seem such a hurdle.

This one was that one that screamed at me when I read the list.  I have been getting to bed so late, and I think having our bedroom upstairs is a big factor too in why I procrastinator at night. Just the other week I was googling a hymn on you tube to use in my Sunday school planning, Sounds productive so far right? But then I saw the hymn played at Prince William and Kate's wedding on the side bar. I watched their wedding, then saw something about Lady Diana which got me curious, this was a 4 part watch..... the next time I looked at the clock it was 1.10am. Was I tired the next morning? YES! Did I regret it? YES. I'm sure if I was in bed when I started my Sunday school planning on my laptop I would have shut it down after I found what I was looking for and gained those precious hours of sleep. Procrastination and me have a long history. Which leads to the next one.....

15. Stop Procrastinating.

In the time you've spent dwelling on how bad you feel for not writing that thank you card or returning the phone call  you could have completed the task.

16. Relax your standards.

Not everything has to perfect. Skimp once in a while.

17. Make minutes count.

While waiting for toast to pop or the jug to boil, find a quick task. Check expiry dates in your spice rack, toss leftovers out of the fridge, wipe down a shelf or two. Ditto in the bathroom: while running the kids' baths, check the first aid kit or get rid of old cosmetics and medications.

18. Oldies but goodies.

The old cliche's - keep a calendar, pack the night before, have a place for everything and everything in it's place, a tidy room is a tidy mind. They're all cliches for a reason.