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Health & Fitness

BLOG: The Frugal Writer: Saving Time So I Can Sleep

The Frugal Writer shares six tips for getting more done easier and faster.

It's been about two weeks since my last post and for the most part, I'm doing pretty well with keeping my .  There have been challenges however, and I've had to adjust and reprioritize things.  As promised, I'll be sharing three techniques I've used save time so I can get to sleep earlier.  Maybe they will inspire you to get a bit more done so you can get more shut-eye yourself.

Using a Timer

The Industrial Engineer in me just loves a timer.  (Yes, I was a Time-Study Engineer at one point, using a stopwatch to balance assembly line work).  However, this nifty tool is a great way to motivate yourself to start something, keep focused and get an accurate picture of how long things take.  With three young kids, I don't have big chunks of time available. 

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So, when I get a chance, I set a timer for 10 minutes and get cracking.  After the timer is finished, I can either move on to another task or assess if I need more time. I can also breath a sigh of relief and play Connect Four with my kids when the timer is done. 

Think a timer is for mundane tasks?  Think again.  I built both of my websites, www.TheFrugalWriter.com and www.StartSchoolLater.net, using 15 minute chunks of time.  (And, yes, I work on this blog in timed bits until it's done).

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Head-Body Tasks

In his book, "The Other 8 Hours", author Robert Pagliarini talks about good and bad multi-tasking.  He very eloquently describes head-body tasks, meaning that if you are doing something that requires thought (head task), you can multi-task with a mundane motor skill (body task).  Multi-tasking becomes ineffective if you are trying to combine two head tasks or two body tasks.  This is why you can drink coffee while you are driving, but you can't text while driving.

With modern day convenience, I have accelerated this process. With my earphones, I can call a friend handsfree and have a nice conversation while I fold laundry or do dishes.  In fact, when I see a sink full of dishes, I make a phone call!

Other common ways people have combined tasks are: riding a stationary bike while reading something, or listening to a podcast while running.  The effectiveness of head-body tasks is that you can do both things really well and enjoy a task you might otherwise put off.

Sparking

Pagliarini gets the credit for this concept as well, but it is so simple.  Unlike head-body tasks, where things are done simultaneously, sparking is a way to remind yourself of another task when you complete one.  For you Electrical Engineers, this is like a serial connection instead of the parallel series of head-body tasking.  An example of sparking could be:  When I toss in a load of laundry, I take the meat out of the freezer to defrost. Another one is, after I check my son's backpack for homework, I clear out his lunch box and pack his snack for the next day.

Sparking is successful with tasks that you have to repeat often.  With practice, the "reminder" task becomes automatic.  You could even add to the spark, which could then be a mini-checklist.

I have three more time saving ideas that I'll share in my next post.  In the meantime, please share any tips or tricks you have for saving time.  

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