I don't know about you, but every minute of every day counts for me. And now that the New Year is coming upon us, I bet everyone is making resolutions. One if mine is to be even more efficient daily so that I can run my business smoothly, care for my family, and get in the time I need to take care of my health. Life can feel like a full time job with how much stuff is going on. And if I don't manage my time properly in an efficient manner, my life is harder than it has to be. Don't you agree? I'm the kind of person that likes things to be organized and structured. That may not be for you but when I feel organized, I am able to function more streamline. I hear alot of people whine about how they struggle to do this and that, how they can't get anything done, how everything seems like a chore, blah, blah, blah..... So I have to ask, do they need a teeny bit more structure in their lives or understand how efficiency in their lives too may be the answer they are looking for? We all have the same amount of hours in our days and days in our months, right? So why is it that some people are really great at managing and some people flat out suck? Are the people that aren't getting their sh*t together going through their lives mindlessly doing this and that with not much forethought or structure? I'm not quite sure. And though it is really nice to feel free at times (I don't structure anything on weekends or holidays), it would drive me absolutely nuts to operate like that during the week. I absolutely would not be able to be productive and run my business and the rest of my life with the operation and speed it needs from me. So, what happens when you aren't like me, when you struggle immensely with efficiency? How can you get good at efficency when you are not a double type A? When you have a more chill approach to life, but your own chillness is preventing you from what you'd like to accomplish this year? 1). FIND OUT HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO DO THINGS If you don't know how long things take you, find out how long it takes you do things. It used to take me 15 min to wake up and get out of the house. For some reason, as I got older and had kids, I still thought I could do it in 30. LOL. Now I know I need a full 60-90 minutes, depending on how much I need to do at my desk before we leave in the morning. How much time does it take to help them do their homework when they come home from school, prepare dinner, throw a load of laundry in? How much time are you going to allow yourself to return emails in the evening? You make the rules. But first you need to have a realistic approach of how long things take. Once you have gathered this information, think about the ways you can save yourself time or the best way to structure the evening so you don't feel 5 steps behind yourself or put your kids to bed an hour late because you're running behind. Is there anything you can multi-task? I do a lot of my conference calls while I'm grocery shopping, cleaning my house and preparing meals. Once you understand what needs to be done and what you do it will be easier for you to structure it. You don't have to become a crazy person and micro manage time. This is not about becoming uptight or a freak, it's about make the time work for you, by understanding what needs to be done and how to best use your time. If you are one of those types that feels like you never have enough time, you have to get your priorities straight and make a plan. A plan will help you train your mind to be more efficient so that you are the one in control of time and time is not in control of you. 2). SCHEDULE IT The hardest thing that most people struggle with is sticking to a schedule. You might make the schedule and feel better about yourself that did so, but if you don't stick to it, it's worthless. If at 9 am GO TO THE GYM is on your schedule, don't do anything else. GO. If you're still mussing around the house or sitting at your desk at 9am, you're not holding yourself accountable. By scheduling things you are making time for what matters to you and if you use that time to do what you actually want to do rather than live in excuse land then you will feel better and the things you want to do will get done. When you are efficient you are using time wisely. Every minute, every hour counts. Think of it this way, it's your time, your life, you have to choose wisely and consciously how you want your time to be utilized. Making a schedule will help you get in the habit and awareness of how valuable time is. 3). THINK IN SYSTEMS When it comes to life, using the systems that make your life easier makes you more efficient. A lot of time gets wasted on doing stupid stuff or not knowing how to utilizes systems that make your life work. One system I love and use is EVERNOTE. It is a free app you can download. Evernote allows you to write things down and keep track of your notebooks. If you find an article you love, a recipe, a quote, or you want to share your system with someone else you can do this all through EVERNOTE with just the click of a button. Evernote keeps my life organized and allows me to see what I need to do, create to do lists, and keep track of all the important info I need. Whether it is grocery shopping, cooking, getting your workout in, or going through your work tasks, when you use systems and think in systems you are thinking about the best possible way to execute what you need. The more and more you think in systems (which are efficient) the more and more how you move through the world will be second nature and not a pain in the bum. I have just given you 3 ways to be more efficient. How do you struggle to be efficient? I would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments in the box below. If you found this post informative, please share it with others. Post it on FB, Pinterest or Tweet it. XO, Hayley