Imagine getting $86,400 every morning in your bank account and being able to spend it as you see fit.
The only condition is that any remaining amount at the end of the day would get reset to zero.
How would you go about spending all that money? How would you ensure that not even a single dollar gets wasted?
Well, in a way, this already happens to all of us.
Every day, we are given 24 hours (or 86,400 seconds). And we can all spend these seconds as we see fit. However, unlike money, we don’t really value time, do we? If you look around, you will find that most people waste a lot of their valuable time. They have no idea just how precious it really is until it is too late.
So, how will you use your 86,400 seconds?
If you act wisely, you would spend this time on things that really matter to you. It could be on ensuring good health, nurturing your relationships, building a meaningful career, growing your finances, tending to your hobbies, making happy memories, helping other people, and so on.
In this article, I am going to talk about how you can make better use of your time.
But before I get there, I would like to talk about why your time is precious. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you a whole list of reasons or give you a whole speech.
But I do want to give you one example that will illustrate my point.
Why Time Is A Precious Commodity
You see, I have talked to a lot of elderly people.
And do you know the most common thing they say? A lot of them say that they watched their lives pass them by while they were busy doing things that they “had” to do, instead of doing things that they “wanted” to do.
A lot of them are filled with regret about not having made better use of their time. They only wish they had been wiser or that they had more time left.
Unfortunately, not even money can solve this situation.
Can you imagine this happening to you? How would you feel if you were in the last stage of your life and you still had a long list of things you never managed to get to?
You would feel heartbroken, wouldn’t you?
I think this alone should prove that time is a precious commodity and usually, we don’t understand this fact until it is too late.
20 Tips To Better Utilize Your Time
Now that we have established that time is as important as money, let’s take a look at some of the best ways you can better utilize it.
1) Look After Your Health
Wise people always say that health is the greatest wealth.
If your health is not good, you won’t be able to do anything else in life. ( teeth, eyes etc…..)
We only realize this when we fall ill and aren’t able to do even the most basic tasks. So, make sure that you spend some time every day looking after your health.
This could involve exercising, meditating, eating a healthy diet, hydrating, staying away from toxic substances, getting enough sunlight, getting enough sleep, and so on.
This might sound like a long list of things, but if you make them a part of your daily routine, you won’t even realize that you are taking good care of your mind and body on a daily basis.
2) Spend Time With People That Matter
Throughout our lives, we meet thousands of people.
But there are only a few people that you really connect to.
These are the people that truly matter in your life. These are the people whom you can turn to during times of need. However, due to the fast-paced nature of modern-day lives, you don’t really get to spend as much time with them as you would like.
Well, let me tell you that you can change that.
All it takes is a little bit of initiative and you can make sure that you spend quality time with all your loved ones. This could involve hanging out with them at the park, going to a movie together, spending time together at home, going on a vacation, playing online games, taking lessons together, talking over the phone, etc.
3) Dream Big
If you really want to make proper use of your time, you should spend some of it dreaming big.
Now, I am sure that a lot of people will tell you not to do that. They will even say that it is an utter waste of time.
But let me tell you this – all the amazing things that you see around you were just dreams in someone’s mind at one point in time. If they hadn’t dreamt those things, they would never exist!
Who knows what you may bring to this world by being courageous and dreaming big? Who knows what great heights you could reach in life!
All it takes is a little bit of courage. So, spend some time with yourself every day and think about what matters to you in life. Think about your purpose and what you want your life to stand for.
4) Make A Plan For Things That Matter
Every person has a few things that really matter to them.
It could be something as trivial as video games or something much larger like making a difference in other people’s lives.
Now, it only makes sense that you should get to spend time on the things that matter to you. After all, it’s “your” life! I know that you might have other obligations in your life, but proper time management will allow you to devote time to things that bring you joy.
So, you could get started with a good old daily routine.
You could craft it in such a way that you are able to divide your time across various obligations and tasks and still manage to do things that matter. It could be your hobbies, your friends, your health, doing something for other people, doing something for the environment, etc.
5) Plan Your Finances
A great way to use your time is to plan your finances.
We all know how important money is in our lives. Sure, it might not buy you real happiness, but you need it for your basic needs and also to fulfill a large number of your dreams.
So, you should treat your money with respect and work out a plan to grow it in the years to come.
So, how do you do that? Well, you could minimize spending on things that you don’t really need and try to save more money. You could also figure out ways you can earn more and increase your stash! You could also figure out the best investment strategies so that your money grows without much risk.
6) When You Don’t Want To Do Anything, Own It!
Sometimes, you just don’t want to do anything. yeah that happens sometimes hahah.
There are days when you don’t even want to get out of bed.
Usually, this is considered a bad thing and your friends or family might look down on you if you do absolutely nothing.
But let me set the record straight. If your body is telling you that it doesn’t want to budge, it is a sign that you need rest and it is perfectly Okay.
So, take some days off from time to time and be a couch potato if you want to. And don’t feel like you are doing something wrong no matter what others tell you. Own this downtime and use it to relax your body and mind. You have earned it!
7) Use Downtimes Wisely
Every day, there are times when you are just waiting for stuff to happen and you are basically doing nothing during that time.
Let me explain.
During commuting, whether you are driving or traveling in a bus/metro, you just sit around waiting to reach your destination. When you are waiting in line, you are again doing nothing. The same goes for when you are waiting for your food at the restaurant.
Now, these downtimes can be used to do something more productive. For example, you could listen to a podcast while commuting, or you could plan your calendar while you are waiting in a queue. You could also reply to messages or emails during such times.
8) Multitask When Possible
Usually, I tell people not to multitask.
This is because it reduces the quality of your work.
However, this applies to only those tasks that require your conscious attention. There are many other activities you can pair that don’t require your full attention and you can certainly multitask in these cases.
For example, you could listen to a podcast or talk to a friend while cleaning your house, doing your laundry, taking out trash, cooking food, and so on. You could watch TV while eating, listen to music while decluttering your home, cook dinner while texting with your best friend, etc. You can also set up a conference call with 2 or 3 friends so you don’t have to talk to each one separately.
9) Help Other People Whenever You Can
This is one of the best uses of your time.
I mean, we all do so much for our own selves.
But we seldom think about doing something meaningful for other people. Well, if you make a conscious effort, you can make this a regular part of your life.
Whether it is your friends, family members, colleagues, or even random strangers, you should be of service to them in any way possible.
For example, you could volunteer for a local charity, donate some of your old stuff, donate money to charity, feed a homeless person, help a friend with their relationship issue, encourage your loved ones to be healthier, motivate someone to leave bad habits, and so on. It doesn’t matter whether you are doing something big or small… what matters is the intention behind it.
10) Stop Dwelling On The Past
As human beings, we all dwell on the past from time to time.
We remind ourselves of our past mistakes, the betrayals we have faced, the hardships we have had to endure, the dreams we have had to let go of, and so on. I understand why we do this.
But here’s the thing – thinking about the past won’t change it. No matter how hard you try.
I know you know this already.
But if you can’t stop yourself from thinking about the past, you might need to take concrete steps. One such step could be practicing mindfulness. It is a great spiritual practice that will slowly train you to keep your attention in the present moment. It will help you focus on the task at hand and help you realize that the present moment is the only place where you can make a difference.
11) Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
This might not sound too appealing to you.
And I understand why.
Nobody likes to constantly put themselves in an uncomfortable position. But I’m sure you are also aware that trying out new things and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is a great way to develop yourself personally. It is a great way to learn new skills and become a better version of yourself.
So, if you can’t do this often, at least do it once a week.
For instance, you could talk to an old friend whom you haven’t spoken to for years, you could share something private with your family member or friends, you could try singing at a karaoke party, you could join a dance class if you have always wanted to, and so on.
12) Give Up On Being A Perfectionist
If you want to save valuable time, you need to tone down on being a perfectionist. I mean, if you are one.
You see, being a perfectionist might sound like a great thing. It might even impress people and you might deliver the highest level of work.
But, here’s the thing. Trying to make things as perfect as possible can be a waste of time most of the time. ( trust my experience haha)
That is because you will endlessly keep trying to improve something even if it is already great. This will keep you busy on one task and your other tasks might suffer. This will lead you to waste even more time trying to catch up on those tasks. So, stop trying to make everything perfect and realize when you have done your job well.
13) Enjoy The Immense Beauty Around You
Have you ever stopped to look at the beautiful evening sky? Have you ever taken a pause to enjoy the cool breeze at night? Do you appreciate sunsets or sunrises? Do you enjoy it when it rains and thunders and everything becomes so fresh?
Well, the world is filled with immense beauty, but we seldom recognize and enjoy that thanks to our fast-paced lives.
So, obviously, a great way to use your time is to just take a pause and appreciate all the beauty that you are surrounded by at all times.
It could be the laughter of a child, the bright blue sky, people helping each other out, a remarkable painting, the swaying of the trees due to wind, the motion of the ocean waves, a butterfly flapping its wings, and much more!
14) Spend More Time With Mother Nature
I am sure you already know the incredible effect that mother nature has on us.
When you spend a day on a hilltop or hike through a forest, you can’t help but feel like you have come back home.
When you are at the beach and the ocean waves keep engulfing you, you can’t help but want to remain there forever! Such is the soothing effect of nature’s elements.
In our modern-day lives, we live in concrete jungles and are quite disconnected from nature. This is also one of the reasons why peace and happiness elude so many people. So, you should make it a point to spend some time in nature every day. If that’s not possible, you should do it at least once a week. You don’t necessarily have to go on a vacation. Just being around some trees will suffice.
15) Delegate Tasks To Others When Possible
Sometimes, you just have too much on your plate.
And you find yourself juggling tasks anxiously. This obviously stresses you out and is not a good thing for your mental health. What you can do is delegate tasks to other people whenever possible.
At the office, for example, you could ask your colleague for help or assign a task to an employee who is capable of doing it well.
At home, you could ask your family members to do some chores for you while you are busy handling other important things. You have to realize that you don’t need to do everything by yourself. There are people around you who are ready and willing to help you if you just approach them!
16) Minimize Distractions
Distractions are the biggest killers of your time.
And to make matters worse, they are all around us. The social media tabs on your browser, random notifications on your phone, colleagues that love to gossip, telemarketing calls, and many other things constantly take your attention away from important tasks.
The result is that you waste hours upon hours without even realizing it.
This is why it is important to minimize distractions as much as possible. For example, you could close the social media tabs when you are working, you could put your phone on silent mode, you could ask your gossiping colleagues to let you work in peace, and you can even wear earplugs to concentrate better on your task.
17) Set Aside Time For Self-Care
Self-Care is extremely crucial in a person’s life, especially in the modern world. This is because modern lives are extremely complex and we are busy all the time.
We also use a lot of chemicals and processed stuff in our day-to-day lives. All of this has a negative impact on your physical and mental health. This is where self-care comes in.
When you take care of yourself, you ensure that your physical and mental health remain at their optimal levels. You also ensure that life doesn’t become all about work.
So, how do you take care of yourself?
Well, you could have a nighttime beauty routine for your skin, take bubble baths, eat a nutritional diet, exercise regularly, watch your favorite shows, spend time in nature, spend time with friends, meditate, get enough sleep, take naps from time to time, practice gratitude, etc.
18) Tend To Your Hobbies
We all have things we love doing in our free time.
It could be playing a musical instrument, learning a new language, playing video games, gardening, cooking, taking photographs of animals, and so on. It is important to spend time doing these activities from time to time because these make you happy.
They help you plug out from the mundane daily routine and have a good time for once.
So, do not hesitate to include your beloved hobbies in your day-to-day life. It could be in the evenings after work, or right before you go to bed. If you don’t get enough time during the weekdays, you could tend to them during the weekends.
19) Use Your Peak Energy Times To Tackle The Most Challenging Tasks
Your energy and attention keep fluctuating throughout the day.
And this differs from person to person. Some people are really active during the early morning, while some people feel energetic during the evening.
Well, you need to understand when your energy and attention peak during the day. And then, you need to tackle the most challenging tasks during this time.
This will help you complete potentially time-taking tasks in a short duration and will also have less of an impact on your mental faculties. It will also free up time for other easier activities that you can easily deal with even when you are not at peak energy.
20) Learn To Automate Repetitive Tasks
There are many tasks that we do on a daily basis that could easily be automated. These days there are so many tools and technologies that can make your life easier and help you save precious time.
For example, at home, you could get a robot floor cleaner that would automatically sweep and wipe the floors for you.
When replying to emails, you could save some generic templates and use them to reply to the same types of emails.
You could also outsource some of your tasks to free up more time for higher-value activities.
For example, you could outsource the cleaning, laundry, and repair jobs at home to professionals. You could also use smart home devices so that you can control things like lights, thermostats, garage doors, curtains, coffee makers, and so on without having to do it manually. This, too, can make your life easier and save you time.
