Increase Your Efficiency with Small Changes to Your Day

Get enough sleep. Consistently getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep (8-9 for teenagers, college students, and older people) will make you drag during the day. When that occasional time rolls around and you need to skimp on sleep, you'll be better prepared to do it.

Eat breakfast...and all the other meals too. Nourishment first thing in the morning tells your body it's time to wake up, and it provides calories for your body to function on for the first half of the day. And calories mean energy. Throughout the day, keep your blood sugar elevated by eating small meals or snacks, rather than one or two more large meals. Eat enough protein, which provides a steady release of calories, rather than overdoing carbs, which give you a shot of energy when you eat them but leave you dragging later. And stay hydrated with water and energy drinks...not coffee.

Create a schedule for each day that you will stick to, but don't schedule yourself so rigidly that something unexpected throws off your whole day. Not only do necessary appointments come up unexpectedly, but sometimes it's healthy to do some fun randomly, like going for a walk with a friend or going to dinner with your spouse.

Delegate. If you're in a position to do so at work, do so. At home, assign your kids specific chores to do. Show them how to do it once, then stick to that routine for a few days, long enough for them to learn how to do the tasks. Ask your spouse for help, and be specific.

Learn to multitask. Start small; talk on the phone while you cook dinner. Paint your toenails while you tell a friend about your day. Work your way up to more and more complex tasks. Avoid multitasking while you drive, though, and don't depend on multitasking so much that you can't do anything effectively. There's something to be said for giving something your whole attention. Make sure to let people know you're still listening to them, too; face-to-face conversations may not be the time to get a lot done at once.

Set daily goals and tasks. Goals determine what you'd like to accomplish, and tasks help you know how to get there. For example, "eat healthier" is a goal; "pack a salad and water for lunch" and "grill chicken and veggies for dinner" are tasks. Writing down what you want to get done helps you stay focused and takes pressure off your mind to remember everything. Get in this habit, and your peace of mind will increase dramatically.

Keep commonly used information nearby. Don't spend a lot of time looking for the number to the elementary school while you're trying to get ready and get to work on time. Keep numbers on the refrigerator, keep important papers (insurance policies, social security cards, contracts, etc.) in a safe or fire-proof box that's consistently in the same place. Post your schedule and other people's schedules in a common area of the house. When your things are organized, you know exactly where to go to get things done, and it's easier to tell other people what to do if they need to help you out.

Make a grocery list as you go. Don't agonize over a list ten minutes before you go shopping. Not only is that time a waste, but you're also more likely to forget things and have to go back later. Keep a list going in the kitchen where anyone can add to it (at least, anyone who's an adult). When you need to go shopping, grab the list, glance around one last time, and head to the store.

Prioritize your to-do's. Don't aimlessly go down a list. Take a moment at the beginning of each day or the night before and order your tasks. Figure out if anything needs to be done in a certain order (for instance, you can't call the floral shop to order flowers until you call your cousin to find out her address). Then decide what tasks must get done by a certain time and what tasks must get done that day.

Learn to say no. This applies to responsibilities, of course; keep from getting bogged down in work you don't have time to do. But it applies to small things, like friends who won't leave, telephone surveyors, and requests for lunch meetings. Be polite, but if you're genuinely busy and don't have time for random chit-chat, be firm. Reschedule a time for lunch to show you're still interested but just don't have time that day.