Part II
[Ed.: You'll love these. They make so much sense. How about
45 and 47 — one for the body, one for the soul. Read
them ALL in sequence!]
Another year has come, and gone, so let's talk about time
— that is saving it, so that next year we won't wonder
where it all went, and with a bit extra, we can always find
some worthwhile way to spend it.
So some tips:
33. Look into the future, as it says in Pirkei Ovos, and be
forewarned. You usually get the message that something is
going to happen before it does. If your washing machine
starts acting up and it looks like the repairman is
boycotting you, begin looking around for a new machine.
You'll be better able to make a decision about what to buy
when it isn't at the last minute.
34. Leave early. If you have to be somewhere, leave your
house early. You'll be less stressed and you'll have time to
run a couple of errands before your appointment.
35. Eat smaller meals. Eating small meals is healthier and
they also take less time to prepare and clean up.
36. Do it the first time. Ever buy something and then
discover you need to buy something else for it to work? If
you buy a new calculator, don't forget the batteries. If you
buy a chess set, buy the rules as well. Buy hotdogs? Buy
ketchup!
37. Plan. Plan your day and if you're going out, plan your
route.
38. Touch up! You don't have to redo your make-up or your
sheitel. Just do a quick touch up.
39. Declare Independence! For your kids. Let your kids do
things for themselves. At a very young age, children are
capable of buying themselves clothes and supplies, fixing
lunch (make sure they know how to do this safely) and taking
care of their space and possessions. You don't have to do it
for them. New research indicates that husbands are also
capable of limited independent activity.
40. Get it in writing! Don't rely on promises of a rose
garden or anything else. If someone agrees to provide a
service at a specific date and time for a specific fee, get
it in writing with a penalty clause if they don't fulfill the
stipulated agreement.
41. Learn from your mistakes. It is a terrible waste of time
to make the same mistake twice.
42. Pay cash! There are no checkbooks to balance or paperwork
to chase.
43. Prepay. If you're going to be attending an event:
lecture, performance, etc. buy your tickets in advance so you
don't waste time standing in line and then you can arrive
just before it starts.
44. Get a second opinion. If some procedure (medical,
repairwork or otherwise) sounds too complicated, check with
someone else to find out if there's an easier way to get it
done.
45. Make popcorn. Keep popcorn handy when you need a quick
snack in a few microseconds.
46. Say a little prayer. Use your few spare seconds in a
spiritual manner by saying Tehillim or some other short
prayer. It takes about a minute to say a chapter of Tehillim.
Memorize some that are especially meaningful to you.
47. Do a mitzvah on the way. We would love to pack our
day with mitzvos but there's no time. Not true. There
are lots of things you can do, on the way: Mail a letter for
someone, make a blessing and sniff the jasmine, return a lost
object or pick up a stray strand of tzitzis.
48. Fill 'er up. When you get gas, get as much gas as you
can, have your oil checked and have your car washed. Then
don't go back until you need a tank of gas.
49. Core genius. In his book, The Success Principles,
Jack Canfield talks about focusing on your core genius and
letting other people do the other stuff. For example, if you
can earn NIS60 an hour at your job, pay someone NIS30 to
clean your apartment and use that time to work at what you do
best. If your main job is being a mother, focus on that when
your children are home and don't get bogged down with
trivialities you can get other people to take care of.
50. Start at the Top. While you shouldn't spend a lot of
money on things, especially if you don't have it, if you buy
inferior merchandise you end up spending more money repairing
or replacing it and, by extension, more time. Get the best
quality you can for the money and then relax and enjoy it!
51. Delegate and trust! If you delegate responsibility, don't
check up on your delegation to make sure they're doing their
job — at least not after the first time. If they don't
do it, delegate the job to someone else.
52. Don't worry! We spend so much time worrying. Use your
time on better activities.
53. Have a plan B! It's easier to draw up a plan B when you
don't really need it. So take the time to make one if the
consequences of plan A not going through are going to be
really inconvenient.
54. Get to the Chuppah on time. Call your joyous hosts
and find out when the chuppah REALLY is so that you're
not late or early and end up spending time waiting around.
55. Every minute counts. We often don't use that extra minute
or two when we can actually accomplish a lot in a small
amount of time. In one minute you can: wash three dishes,
check your messages, sign a note for a child, read an email,
say one chapter of Tehillim, set your alarm clock, read an
article you've cut out, hug and kiss a child . . . the list
is endless. Stop wasting time!
56. Don't over-schedule clients. If you have a business where
you see clients, you may over-schedule in case someone
cancels. Find something else to do with the extra time a
cancellation may bring and you won't have to work
overtime.
57. Say "No!" If you're wondering whether or not you should
do something, ask yourself if you would do it if you knew you
only had 5 years to live? No one knows how much time they've
got left, till 120. Don't do something you don't have time
for. Spend time only on what you consider worthy of your
valuable time unless it's absolutely necessary.
58. Be less than perfect. While it's true we should give
everything our all, some things can make do with our good
enough. If it isn't eternal, it doesn't matter.
59. Maestro, Music! You actually work faster when listening
to rhythmic music. It's soothing too!
60. Eat and sleep well! In order to function at your peak,
you have to be at your peak. You'll accomplish more if you
eat a healthy diet and sleep enough to be rested.
61. Get advice. Everyone has a shortcut or two, which they'd
be happy to share. Here's one: When mashing eggs or potatoes,
put them in a plastic bag and squeeze. It's smoother and
quicker than mashing, and helps release tension.
62. Throw some light on the subject. Maybe I'm the only one
who spends time trying to find things in the dark. If I'm not
. . .
63. What's your cell? It's harder and harder to reach people
in person these days. Get people's cell phone numbers so you
can reach them, the first time.
64. Don't argue! I don't even want to think about the time I
waste arguing with people about the way things should be.
It's a bad habit and it doesn't change anything. If it won't
help, don't waste time arguing.
65. Tickle your fancy! They're called tickler files, those
accordion-like things that file your papers by the day for a
month. If you're not ticklish, have some other file folder in
which to keep the papers you need to deal with, bills to pay,
phone numbers to call, etc.
66. Get it over with. We tend to do things we hate more
slowly than others. Try doing the work you hate as fast as
possible and then you're free for the funner stuff.
You should have lots more time at your disposal if you follow
even some of these tips. Use this list well!
