29 Of My Favorite Time-Saving Tips
1. Learn to use waiting time. Take along something to read, something to write, something to listen to.
2. When eating out, ask for the check before you finish the meal.
3. Avoid making trips to do just one errand. Bunch them.
4. Practice geographical economy: Arrange errands in geographical order; write errands on a Post-It; place the Post-It on the dashboard of your car.
5. Make a cold call in the neighborhood of your scheduled appointment.
6. Attach a deadline to delegated tasks.
7. Do forward-thinking exercises. Anticipate roadblocks and problems. If you're going to make a speech or even make a comment, know how you will end as well as start.
8. Put all your tools back where you found them.
9. Type the phone and fax numbers and email address beside the inside address of a letter. (You won't have to look them up when you make a follow-up contact.)
10. Learn how to say "No".
11. If at all possible, finish the task when you have it out.
12. Treat voice mail like you would a letter.
13. Arrange to meet people in pleasant, productive places. That way, discomfort is minimized if one of you is detained.
14. Make the unpleasant phone call first.
15. Open your mail over the garbage can. Then you will need to handle most of it only once.
16. If you need to get in and out of a restaurant in a hurry, tip in advance.
17. Use 3" x 5" cards to write down ideas. Only one idea per card.
18. If you're sluggish mentally, get your motor turning with a lower-priority item.
19. Learn how to make a decision.
20. Call early. Call late.
21. Adjust a complaint ASAP.
22. Know the magic question to ask when someone complains.
23. Discover audio cassettes.
24. Be a contrarian.
25. Create a Must List. Apply the ROI test.
26. Make an appointment with yourself.
27. Piggyback in order to achieve balance.
28. Spend more time "in the moment".
29. Write down your dreams.
