12 WAYS TO SAVE AN HOUR every day!

VERY FEW OF US THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DEALING WITH. BUT WE DO! HERE ARE 12 EXCELLENT WAYS TO CARVE OUT AN EXTRA HOUR FOR YOURSELF EVERY DAY TO USE HOWEVER YOU LIKE: WRITING THAT BOOK, DOING AN ONLINE COURSE, RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, OR JUST STARING AT A WALL WHILE YOU SETTLE YOUR SOUL.

- SARAH CHARLSTON

1 HAVE A MORNING ROUTINE

There's an old Yiddish saying: 'Lose an hour in the morning and you'll chase it all day.' And it's true. If you simply drift into your day any old how, you're not signalling to yourself that you need to get your act together. So chances are you won't. Start as you mean to carry on: with commitment. Your morning practice might be a walk, a 10-minute stretch, a cup of coffee while you soak up vitamin D in the sun - whatever it is, it must become a habit.

A morning routine is something highly productive people have in common. The reason? Sticking to a routine requires discipline. It's the daily practice of discipline that will set you up for the rest of the day rather than what you do in that time, and that's what will save you time in the long run.

2 KEEP A TIME DIARY FOR A WEEK

Yes, this is a boring thing to do: to log exactly how you spend your time every day for a week. But it is very informative and will give you the big picture you need to equip yourself better for making decisions about the changes you'll need to implement. Spending 20 minutes a day staring into the fridge? Cut it to five (we all need a good rummage around in there, but 20 minutes may be a bit excessive). Chatting to your colleagues for 15 minutes while you wait for the kettle to boil? Well, that just might be one of the essentials you keep: a catch-up on office politics is always useful. An hour spent picking up groceries for dinner every day on your way home from work? Not necessary - one two-hour shop a week instead will save you loads of time. Keep the diary and make the changes. It's only seven days!