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Posted over 6 years ago

​Easy Ways to Add More Hours to Your Day

Ask any real estate investor and they’ll tell you: sometimes, 24 hours just isn’t enough time in the day. We’ve all had those moments where it seemed like the day just flew by, and we barely got halfway through our to-do list. If only there were an extra hour or two, right?!

Well, what if I told you that adding time to your day was a possibility? No, I’m not talking about using a time machine or altering the laws of physics or anything. I’m talking about making some simple changes to how you use the 24 hours you’ve got each day, that would result in more effective time management and improved productivity.

Sounds pretty cool, huh?

Here are some easy ways you can add more hours to your day:

Avoid the Time Sucks

Everyone has something that operates as sort of a time black hole for them. For some people, it’s Facebook, for others, it’s the ability to binge a show on Netflix. For me, it’s certain real estate websites. I can get on BiggerPockets and very quickly lose myself in blog posts, and before I know it, two hours have gone by. Yeah, I’m usually gaining some pretty useful information, so it’s not a total waste, but it definitely isn’t productive. My advice? Avoid these things during working hours. Don’t even go to the website or turn on the TV, because the temptation will be too great. Save that stuff for the end of the day, once you’ve accomplished everything you needed to for the day.

Make Some Email Cutbacks

Obsessive email checking seems to be problem for many people. It’s just so easy to do, what with smartphones providing real time updates to our inbox 24/7. The problem is, it’s a big time-waster to be constantly checking for new messages. Limit yourself to checking email once an hour, or if you want to get really crazy, just once or twice a day. Usually, there’s nothing so urgent it can’t wait a few hours. You can also save time by changing how you respond to emails. Make sure your responses are concise and to the point, and avoid long, multi-paragraph emails that usually lose people’s attention anyway.

Outsource Tasks

There are certain jobs that are just better left to others. Take web design, for instance. Not every investor I know has a website, but some do. And not a single one of them is what I would call “tech savvy.” They can open a browser and send email, but there’s no way they’re writing code and designing their own site. So they outsource it, and they save loads of time in the process. Think about the things that you do each and every day. Are you the best person for the job, or would you actually save time by letting someone else handle it?

Use “Gap Time” Wisely

Gap times are those minutes (or hours) when you’re in between tasks, but there’s not really enough time to tackle something major. Commuting, waiting in lines, taking your kids to soccer practice, waiting for a large file to download, etc. This is the perfect time to complete small tasks or do things like check email or read the latest post from your favorite real estate blogger (those time-sucks I mentioned earlier). You’d be surprised at how much more effective you can be with your time when you shift little tasks like these to be completed during gap time. At any rate, it’s WAY more productive than playing Candy Crush or scrolling mindlessly through Twitter.

These are just a few of the easy things you can do to add time to your day. It doesn’t seem like much, but I promise, it really does add up. To make the most out of it, you have to be focused and self-disciplined. Eliminate distractions where you can and stay on task! And then, at the end of the day, reward yourself with some well-deserved leisure time - you’ve got an extra hour or two now anyway, don’t you? 



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