My 15 All-time Favorite Time Saving Hacks

Today I’m excited to share with you 15-time saving hacks (and techniques) I use to help structure my day, eliminate distractions all to GDS 🙂

I’m sharing everything from strategies to apps that you can start using immediately to get time back on your side.

Let’s dive in!

Video Speed Controller
First and foremost, if you watch videos; webinars, Youtube, clips, whatever it is, online and assuming you’re watching them via Chrome then you must install Video Speed Controller. This plugin allows you to increase the speed in which you watch videos…it is AMAZING. I can cut a 60 minute webinar down to 30 minutes. When I watch content at 2X the speed it forces me to pay attention and doesn’t allow for distractions.
Listen 1.5X or 2X Speed
Which leads me to my next hack, listen to podcasts at least 1.5 if not 2X the speed to cut your time in half. Or, I know sometimes I can talk fast so maybe you want to slow it down to .5 speed. Either way, again, podcasts that are 60 minutes long, now become 45 minutes or 30 minutes long.
Email templates.
This is a game changer. I created an email template for when people would email me directly about being a guest on the podcast show since I would get so many each week. Now I don’t even need to respond because I’ve outsourced that task to Kim. Can you create at least 1 email template this week and save it?
Change coffee meetings to phone calls.
There’s a difference between grabbing coffee with someone you know and haven’t seen in a long time vs someone you’ve never met or is an acquaintance that may want to pick your brain. I encourage you to proceed with caution when you meet someone in person when it is for the latter example. Here’s why, your time is precious and so is your energy. Really take into account the amount of travel time, getting ready for the coffee meeting will take. Let’s say the travel time and actual coffee meeting takes 90 minutes what about the residual effect. Are you productive post meeting or maybe feeling more drained? It could honestly depend on the coffee meeting you had.
Know Your Outcome
Leads me to my next time hack, for any phone call/meeting, always know your outcome of the meeting. It is easy to set up virtual meetings or phone calls but know your WHY. And don’t be afraid to ask the person who wants to have a virtual meeting/phone call with you, what they want to achieve from the meeting. Ask this up front and filter it. Does it make sense for you to have this phone call right now? Does it align with what you’re working on? If it doesn’t, it is okay to turn it down. You are a business owner and you must protect your time.
Create boundaries with your time
Airplane Mode
Place your phone onto airplane mode and don’t take it off before lunch unless you absolutely need to. Putting yourself on airplane mode puts you in a mindset that you’re cut off from the rest of the world which is good, especially when you need to get your work done. Try it out. See how many times you reach for your phone as a distraction. When I started doing this, I would reach/crave it every 30 minutes or so and go to pick it up.
15 or 5 Minutes?
For those unexpected calls or emails asking you for if “you’ve got a minute” challenge them and ask if it is going to be a 15 minute or 5-minute conversation. It sets the precedent of how long the call with take and the other person will respect your time more.
Newsfeed Eradicator
Install “newsfeed eradicator” for Facebook. Every time you go onto Facebook you won’t be able to see your timeline and get distracted.
Calendar Planning
Schedule your day down to the minute on your calendar (even if you’re in a corporate job right now), include travel time, working out, meditating, breaks, everything.
Schedule What You’re Going to Produce (not do)
When you schedule work-related activities instead of scheduling what you are going to do, schedule what you want to produce. For example, when I schedule a task, instead of saying “work on September’s solecists” I would write, “Complete 4 outlines for each solocast in September with intro, body and outro.”
Schedule Social Media Breaks
This includes my 11th time-saving hack, schedule your social media breaks/responding/whatever it is related to SM. I schedule all SM time both Facebook group interactions and IG. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes I get distracted and break it every now and again but scheduling helps you be mindful of how much time you’re spending on the networks.
Identify Triggers
When you find yourself not making good use of your time, go back and identify if there is a trigger for that. For example, it is a no brainer that after scrolling through Instagram or social media, I’d become more distracted, I mean come on we’re human right? Which is why I wait until after I’ve gotten some work done before jumping on to respond to messages and comments because I know that I run the risk of being distracted. Another example is, if afternoon comes and you tend to hit a lull, which by the way is biologically normal (more on that from the book written by Daniel Pink - WHEN) but schedule tasks that align with your energy. The tasks and calls I schedule on a Friday are WAY different than a Monday.
Inbox Pause
Speaking of triggers and distractions…EMAILS. AMIRITE? If you use Gmail, you can install Inbox Pause, which allows you to work on your emails in your inbox without emails coming in at the same time. So you can stay focused working on the ones you are working on vs getting distracted.
Proven Process Leads to Predictable Results
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Go straight the source. And what I mean by that, whatever it is that you want to do, find the person, coaching, mentor who is doing it and figure out HOW they’re doing it. For example, if you want to start a Youtube channel, find someone who is successful at it and consume their content.