How To Pack 48 Hours Into Your Day

Too much to do, too little time, constant stress. Most of us have been there. Not too long ago this is how I lived my life. I had deadlines to meet but I would constantly come up with excuses not to do the work that needed to be done. "I'll start after watching this TV show." or "I don't have time to complete this tonight. I'll start on it first thing in the morning." are some of the things I'd tell myself.

Of course the result would be that I was always rushing to finish things at the last minute and I'd produce poor quality work.

Usually, there's not much you can do about the amount of work that needs to be done. But there's a way you can increase the time you have to do it in. A recent time management study by the University of Leicester, in England, found that for every hour we spend working only 30 minutes are actually productive work. The rest of the time, we waste on little or no value tasks. The study also found that most people worked in short bursts followed by periods of waiting, distraction or mini-breaks. Just think: If you could do an hour's worth of work every hour, you'd be able to pack 48 hours into each day!

Bad work habits usually result from some form of fear of failure or procrastination. You learn over time to protect yourself from the hurt of failing by making excuses. "I would have done better if I had more time" becomes a self fulfilling reality. In order to have that excuse you unconsciously leave things to the last minute. Watching a show you always hated suddenly becomes very appealing when you have work to do.

So how can you learn to pack 48 hours into each day? Surprisingly, it's not that difficult. Most bad work habits tend to be sub-conscious. To avoid them, you first need to be aware of them. Try these five tips to a more productive way of working.

  • Break tasks down. It's much easier to get motivated to start and finish a small task than a large one. For example if you need to do yard work tomorrow, chances are that tomorrow will come and you'll find a dozen excuses why you can't work on the yard. However, if you break the task down into smaller pieces: (a)Rake the leaves. (b)Mow the lawn. (c)Trim the edges. (d)Mulch the flower beds. Then tell yourself that tomorrow, you'll start by raking the leaves. Chances are pretty good that when tomorrow comes, you will rake the leaves because you know exactly what to do and it's not a big job. If you do that, then guess what, you just started on your goal of doing the yard work.

  • Set achievable goals. Break tasks into bite-sized pieces. Don't say I'll tidy the lawn because that's too vague and too big. You'll find a dozen excuses not to get started on that. Far better to say rake, mow, edge the lawn instead.

  • Reward your successes. It's very important to give yourself a mini-reward for achieving your mini-goals. For example, if you tell yourself "I'll start by raking the leaves but I'll have a can of coke after I finish edging the lawn." You'll be amazed at how fast you finish edging.

  • Start on the best tasks first. The hardest thing is to make a start so if you schedule your favorite tasks first then it's much more likely that you'll start on them. Once you make a start, the momentum will carry you over into the other tasks.

  • Keep records. I use 5 x 3 index cards to list all the things I want to do on any day. In the top left corner of each card I write the date in red ink. Everything else, I write in pencil. At the start of a day, the card usually has three or four high level items listed in order of priority. Then I expand each of them into sub-tasks (here's where using pencil becomes important). Some days, I might reprioritize tasks onto the next day's card. The point of the cards is to train myself to be more disciplined. I never remove a high level task from a card. I may only write down a few sub-tasks under it but it's important that I make at least a start on each high level task. As I work, I jot down task related notes on the card itself. By the end of the day, not only have I used the card to pack more into my day, the card itself becomes a record of what I did that day. I use the date in the top left corner to file the card.

    Technology can also help in your quest for the 48 hour day.

    The most underrated piece of technology for managing your time is your watch. It's very easy to spend way too much time on tasks that you enjoy and too little on ones you don't. A glance at your watch or clock every now and then will give you a balanced sense of time. It's OK in the beginning to be way off on your time estimates. You may write down too many or too few items on your 5 x 3 card. Eventually, you'll gain an instinctive feel for how long tasks will take you and what you write on your card will exactly fit your 48 hour day!

    PDAs are really useful for 48 hour dayers. They can be used to store all your to do lists and almost all have schedulers and clocks built in. When shopping for one, be sure to get the lightest, slimmest one that has the features you want. I can speak from personal experience that once the novelty wears off, you won't want to carry around that bulky PDA. Which kind of defeats the purpose of owning it.

    Another invaluable time management tool, if you work in an office is the online group calendar. In our office, we rely on our web calendar as a centralized office notice board. We've set up sub-headings for each person in the office and use them to communicate with the group on our schedules, our vacations, important deadlines, whose turn to make the coffee etc. Another really useful feature, for when I'm away from the office, is that our group calendar can also be accessed from a cell phone or a PDA.

    It's not difficult to gain control over your work habits. It is mostly being aware of the excuses you make to yourself and countering them. If you start saying to yourself: "I may not be able to finish this today but I'll start now and see how far I get." You'll be surprised how many times you actually do finish today.

    About The Author

    Ayesha Dean has helped 1000's of people find time to do the things important to them. She's CEO of Web Software Firm ManagedTime.com Visit http://www.managedtime.com and signup for E2Cal, the only FREE wireless enabled group calendar.

    http://www.managedtime.com

    house refresh service Morton Grove ..
    In The News:

    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts. Instead of relying only on a password, MFA requires you to verify your identity using two or more methods.
    Scientists from Duke, Harvard, and the University of Otago have unveiled a game-changing tool called DunedinPACNI. It uses a single AI brain scan to reveal how fast a person is biologically aging.
    A disturbing wave of fake agent phone scams is sweeping across the United States, catching people off guard and draining their savings.
    Emojis aren't just playful add-ons; they're powerful tools for building stronger connections in our increasingly digital world.
    Google has taken a major step toward the future of clean energy by partnering with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), an MIT spin-out working to build one of the world’s first commercial fusion reactors.
    If you create and share art online, you might have seen messages warning that Facebook's parent company, Meta, claims the right to use or even sell anything you post, whether it's pictures, poems, or artwork.
    Cybercriminals hit Qantas in a major data breach that exposed information from up to six million customers.
    Having reliable, loud, and timely emergency alerts on your phone or device is important because when severe weather strikes, every second counts.
    Here's how your daily brew is becoming the foundation for greener buildings.
    Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, are transforming how we learn. But what does this mean for AI and learning retention?
    Modern AI data centers use much more electricity than traditional cloud servers. In many cases, the existing power grid cannot keep up. One innovative solution is gaining traction: repurposed EV batteries for AI data centers.
    Microsoft 365 and Outlook users are being targeted by a tactic that injects fake billing alerts directly into their calendars.
    Researchers are now showing us that old smartphones as data centers could be the next big thing in sustainable tech.
    Scientists have created micro-robots for sinus infection treatment that can enter the nasal cavity, eliminate bacteria directly at the source, and exit without harming surrounding tissue.
    Let's examine how your data is collected in everyday life, who is buying and selling it, what happens to it afterward, and, most importantly, what you can do to protect yourself.
    Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. developed small robots called "Pipebots" that can travel inside water pipes to find and potentially repair leaks, all without any excavation.
    A groundbreaking new study has uncovered disturbing AI blackmail behavior that many people are unaware of yet.
    Four teams of autonomous humanoid robots competed in China's first AI soccer tournament, demonstrating advanced capabilities in ball detection and independent decision-making.
    The ID. Buzz autonomous van features self-driving technology with 13 cameras, nine LiDAR units and five radars after Volkswagen partnered with Hamburg and Uber for 2026 deployments.
    Social Security phishing scams use urgency and impersonation to steal personal data. Learn how to spot fake SSA emails and implement 10 protective measures.
    French startup Pazzi Robotics created an AI-powered pizza robot that made pies in under five minutes without human help, but it closed in 2022 despite patents and expert partnerships.
    Reclaim your time from big tech with effective screen time reduction strategies for iPhone and Android, featuring steps to limit app usage and create phone-free zones.
    Amazon Prime Day shoppers face threats from 120,000-plus scam websites as cybercriminals prepare phishing traps and malware ahead of the July sales event.
    Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.
    The AEON humanoid robot tackles labor challenges with Nvidia AI, Microsoft Azure cloud and advanced spatial awareness, working alongside industry leaders Schaeffler and Pilatus.
  • Time Mastery vs. Time Management - Knowing the Difference

    How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More

    Creative Leadership; Inspirational Power ( Part 2 )

    Time management is absolute crucial nowadays where business decisions have... Read More

    Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it?

    Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is... Read More

    Simple Strategies for Home Based Business Owners to Reduce Stress and be More Satisfied

    Handle small emergencies fast: When a small emergency does pop... Read More

    Time is Money?

    Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money... Read More

    Benefits of Speed Reading

    In this digital age, the importance of being able to... Read More

    Too Much to Do? Too Little Time?

    Hey - Did someone press the FFW button?Have you ever... Read More

    5 Result-Getting Time Management Tips

    How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More

    Talkin About Chicken

    Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More

    7 Tips for Being Your Best Time Master

    It is not enough if you are busy. The question... Read More

    Top 10 Ways to Manage Yourself - Time Wise

    "Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More

    Tips to Save One Hour Per Day

    At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More

    How to Define a Successful Time Management Strategy

    One of the most challenging aspect in life is time... Read More

    Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life

    Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More

    How To Better Handle Your Mail

    Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More

    The WIT to WIN

    What are the most important things you should accomplish today?... Read More

    Making the Best Use of Your Time

    Time - it is the one thing that we are... Read More

    Keeping Time

    What keeping time really means is...being on time!You know, there... Read More

    What Would Save You Time?

    We all get overwhelmed from time to time, and sometimes... Read More

    Realistic Time Budgeting Tips

    I'm sure we've all had the experience of having a... Read More

    Time Management for Sales Pros

    According to a Miller Heiman 2003 Sales Effectiveness Study, over... Read More

    Time is on Your Side ? Manage it Wisely

    How do you manage your time? Or is the more... Read More

    The 3 Biggest Priority Busters

    As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come... Read More

    Beyond Time Management ? Seven Ways to Leverage Your Time for Greater Results

    Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More

    The Ultimate Time Management Tips: 5 Steps To Reaching Your Goals With Minimum Work

    Would you like to know how to get 10 times... Read More

    cleaning service near Mundelein ..