6 Ways to Save Time in the New Year

Last year challenged our ability to manage time effectively. If you are like me, you were having flashbacks to the “newborn” days, when each hour had so many interruptions that it was hard to think clearly. I tend to thrive when I have large blocks of time to focus, and this past year threw me off my game completely. Life has felt like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole.

There are a few tools that have helped me manage my life lately, and now that these systems are in place, I can breathe a little easier. As we move into a new year, I think you might find them helpful, too.

Here are 6 ways to save time for greater peace, less stress, and more meaningful moments with the people you love most.

1. Design or Revise Your Drop Zone

Every time we enter and exit the home, there tends to be a collection of “stuff.” After even just a couple days, it can get overwhelming. Clutter & daily essentials need a place to live, and unless we devise a system, it’s going to live wherever it gets thrown… & that doesn’t feel good!

We recommend taking note of what comes into the house with you every time you enter. Bags? Mail? Shoes? Make a list, then start planning where each item can go. A well-designed mudroom, or even a mudroom closet, can go a long way toward taming the mess of life.

Nothing feels better than knowing where everything goes — and where it is. No more lost keys or missing sunglasses.

2. Save Time with Toggl Tracking

There is a business saying that goes “what gets measured gets managed” and this is also true of our time. How can you begin to effectively manage your life if you have no idea how you spend it?

My team has implemented Toggl time tracker and gosh, has it been enlightening. Not only do I track my time (on my iphone app, or desktop app) but I look where it’s spent–personally and professionally. The simple act of starting new timers on my tasks has opened my eyes to just how much my focus has begun to bounce. Analyzing this has changed how I batch schedule my work, and my life.

3. Use “Plan to Eat” to Save Time on Meals

Planning meals and grocery shopping are my most dreaded weekly tasks. With a full-time job and kids who are always hungry, meal prep and cooking exhausts me. I have looked for every shortcut in the book. Plan to Eat is helping.

This platform helps store and organize recipes (clipped from the internet!), then helps you schedule and shop efficiently. You can drag and drop your meals into the calendar, then the ingredients automatically populate your shopping list. So smart.

The only thing it doesn’t do for you is cook… darn it!

4. Find Creative Ways to Outsource

It takes time and skill to learn the art of outsourcing, and I am fulling embracing growing out of a DIY mindset. Just as managing a company requires strategic delegation and teamwork, so does managing a home.

Little tasks can add up to huge amounts of time, and at home, kids can help us a LOT… if we learn to let go of perfection. From laundry to grocery hauling, trash, yard maintenance and meal prep, learning to outsource and coach kids to be solid helpers can save a ton of time at home.

Hiring the right people to help with the lawn and household responsibilities is a game-changer. Outsourcing tasks in my household creates jobs for other people and frees up my time to work on my passion (Styleberry) or be with my family.

5. Save Time with a Donation Station

If there is one single thing that you can do to save time, it’s have less stuff. So much of our life is spent managing, cleaning, and arranging STUFF. I have a designated space in our home that is our “Donation Station.” Every time I find something that no longer serves me, I drop it there for the next trip to donate to our local thrift shop.

My favorite question to ask myself is “Would I buy this today?” If the answer is no, out it goes.

6. Try the Task Management App, Asana

Any fellow Type-A, or Enneagram 1s, can relate to my enthusiasm over a solid to-do list. You know, the kind that actually gets done. It feels so good when you complete a task.

My personal favorite is Asana. I use it to manage my life personally and professionally, and it takes task management to the next level. Knowing that tasks will appear when I am ready to do them helps me find mental peace in the present (insert of that little ferris wheel of to-dos that rotates in my brain) and in the ability to be productive in the future. Reminders are LIFE. 

I hope these 6 tips help you enjoy more of your time in 2021. Wishing you all a smart start to the New Year!

xoxo,
Shawna

P.S. For more smart investing (and not just your time investment), download our Guide to Investing in Your Living Room Furnishings below!

Styleberry Creative Interiors specializes in fresh, relaxed design crafted in a meaningful way. With a team and process you can trust, we’ll help you create soul-soothing spaces that inspire you to unwind, connect, and finally… exhale.

Styleberry Creative Interiors is based in downtown San Antonio, Texas and serves clients in the Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, greater San Antonio Metropolitan area and Nationwide.