Time Optimization Methods

We all have 24 hours a day at our disposal and there is nothing we could do to increase their number.  However, we can “buy” more time by doing things more efficiently, stimulating our brains to work better and not wasting unnecessary time in unnecessary activities. Just like a long-distance trip can take us several hours by plane, but whole days by car, in our daily lives, we can save time and optimize its use, thus earning whole hours per day for ourselves.

The thing is that it is not the number of hours that is crucial, but above all, the way our brain works during those hours. The human brain has the power of a supercomputer and, under certain conditions, it can be much more operational. It has probably happened to all of us to spend an hour at work without actually doing anything much. And other times, we can do miracles for a very short time. This is a proof that it is not the number of working hours that matters, but those periods in which our brains work at a rapid pace.

I myself, besides writing articles for this interesting and useful magazine, develop two companies I own in the field of Internet, I take part in several other start-up projects, as well as in non-governmental organizations. I manage to do all this because I approach every minute of my life in a very responsible way and strive to minimize its waste. Here are some ways to do this.

A Simplified Lifestyle

Nowadays, there is a whole movement that promotes a simplified lifestyle, and among its most famous followers are Mark Zuckerberg, a number of technology entrepreneurs, actors and more. Their mantra is simple: fewer different things in our daily lives mean fewer choices every day and less time wasted in thinking about things that are not essential to our lives.

What to wear today? Zuckerberg’s answer to this question is easy – he always wears the same grey t-shirts and jeans, does not wear costumes from famous designers or expensive fashion accessories. The supporters of the simplified lifestyle treat all aspects of their daily lives in a similar way – clothes, household items, digital devices, etc. Some even go to the extreme of not using shoe laces, so they won’t have to be tied and loosened every day. At a time when practically everything can be found in the shops, buying new things and using them after that becomes a major time killer for people in the developed world, and it seems that more and more of us are beginning to realize this. Remove the things that distract you and make time for the really important things in your life.

More Sleep

You probably didn’t expect me to advise you to sleep more in this article, but the truth is that a sound sleep is key to effective work and thinking when we are awake. Among the supporters of this theory is Arianna Huffington, founder of the modern news media Huffington Post, who, in 2011, sold the site to AOL for the impressive amount of USD 315 million. She then continued to manage the publication and started giving lectures on the topic of... the importance of sleep. Huffington is convinced that the lack of enough sleep, which is an integral part of the American corporate lifestyle, makes us much less efficient at work. And vice versa, if we get a good night’s sleep, our brains will work much more efficiently in the hours afterwards, achieving impressive results.

Let’s Learn to Say No

In today’s dynamic everyday life, we can participate in so many exciting projects, start new businesses, support causes, learn new things, or just have fun. But we cannot do all these things at the same time. That is why it is important to properly evaluate our resources and time and sift out the opportunities by choosing the best among them.

Automate Things

Nowadays, technologies provide us with great opportunities to automate processes and daily tasks. From small free mobile applications to large-scale ERP systems, we can make the software to perform a huge number of tasks that took us minutes or hours to complete. Use connector type applications, such as IFTTT that can connect your devices and online accounts. Automate as many regular daily or monthly tasks as possible – both in your household and in your work and that of your team.

Work in the Morning and Study in the Afternoon

The human brain is created in such a way that in the morning it is much more creative, while in the evening, before sleep, it is able to store more information. Use this characteristic of the human body as an advantage and do more work in the morning. And the sooner you start in the morning, the more time you will have without someone interrupting you with calls or annoying messages.

Nourish Your Brain

Our supercomputer can work much faster if we nourish it with the right foods. Acetylcholine is an important neurotransmitter in our body that helps improve concentration, memory and other thought processes, as well as coordinate muscles. To synthesize it in our body, we need chlorine, as well as vitamins C and B5. That is why it is important to consume more whole grains, egg yolks, soybeans and wheat germ. Other foods that are important for stimulating the thought process are walnuts and other types of nuts, dried fruits, salmon, blueberries, currants, avocados and tomatoes.