Time is the MOST precious commodity. Toss a child (or two) into the mix and this becomes even more real. To get more out of my day, I’ve had to really figure out where I was spending my time and come up with solutions that help me find/make MORE time. Not easy but doable with some attention.

Here are five life hacks that genuinely work when it comes to finding time:

Time block
When I had more time, I checked email, texts, dm’s, etc. as they came in, scheduled conference calls throughout the day and got to things on an as-needed basis. Then timing got tight and I had to take a hard look at where I was spending my time. What I realized was that all this bouncing around wasn’t efficient. Now instead of checking email all day long, I check it twice a day (with the VIP exception which means that anyone whose email addresses are marked VIP appear on my lock screen), respond to texts/dm’s in batches, conference calls are always the same time of day (when I’m in the car unless it’s a video conf call). etc. I try to apply this philosophy for everything in my life like handle all groceries/online shopping at one seating, go to multiple events on one day, be 100% present when I’m on mom duty, etc.

Take a nail polish hiatus
Some people can’t live without a manicure and I get that. I used to be one of those people and then I took a nail polish hiatus when we started thinking about having kids and I realized how liberating it was. To give you a sense of HOW much time it saves, I’m now on year four of seldomly wearing polish. Don’t get me wrong, I still get mani/pedis but basically have cut that time down from 2-3 times a month to once.

Use timers for apps
Endlessly scrolling is a life suck and you can never get that time back. With that said, social media is fun and you should enjoy it! Just do it within reason by forcing yourself to not overdo it. Use the timers provided by the app themselves or on your phone (my personal preference).

Invest in a capsule wardrobe, uniform or outfit plan
Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day to limit the decisions he was making daily (decision fatigue is REAL) and to save time. Investing in either a capsule wardrobe, meaning 10-20 items that all work well together, a uniform or planning outfits in advance will save more time than you realize. Same applies to a makeup routine. Have a daily go-to and stick with it – you’ll be out the door faster.

Make to-do lists
I wasn’t a huge to-do list girl outside of goal setting until recently and it has made such a difference! Mostly because it helps me figure out the best way to time block my day. I like to write a to-do list every morning but sometimes I start it the night before if there is a lot on my plate/mind.

What time management tips work for you?