“Time is perhaps the most valuable commodity in our lives.  But most of us have wasted it at some point in our life.”

-Ivy Prosper

Time is valuable.

Money is valuable too.

Wasted money you can always get back through hard work.

Wasted time will never be returned.

The value of time is sometimes never taken seriously.  In this generation there seems to be so much we are doing that time is actually being wasted.  Let me be specific.  Social media tools are a great resource but at the same time they are one of the things causing people to waste valuable time.  How many times have you been on a site like Facebook or Twitter with all intent to just look at a few things for 10 minutes and it turned into 1 hour?  You feel so surprised at how much time you lost.  That’s time you’ll never get back.

Now, I’m not condemning the use of social media, after all I use it too and it’s of great benefit to many people and businesses.  I was just using that as one example of how we all can waste time.  Last month I wrote about procrastination.  That is also a time-stealer.  I mean when we procrastinate we usually fill the time with unimportant things.  The reality is, we still have to do that task we are putting off.  The valuable time we could have put towards the task becomes lost and then you’re pressed for time when you have a deadline to meet.

How can we start using our time wisely?  Well, one way is to create a schedule and be more organized with how we use our time.  For example there are some people who are chronically late.  What I have learned to do is to bring something with me that I can do while waiting on that person or business.  Right now I am working on a TV series in Ghana, West Africa and the culture here is one of lateness.  So, I bring a book with me everywhere I go.  When I’m forced to wait on people, I’m reading my book.  So my time is being used for something productive.

Here are a few time-saving tips.

1. Create schedule the night before of things you need to do the following day.  You’ll find your day will go smoothly.  As you finish each, check off your list.

2. Get organized.  Studies have shown the average American spends nearly an hour each day looking for things.  The National Association of Professional Organizers says we could save that time by just eliminating clutter.

3. Prioritize.  Choose to do only those things that are a priority.  Often times we do things that are unnecessary and waste our time.

4. Finally. Make time for important people.  I know this is a tough one.  Being so busy with work, school, business or whatever occupies your time can be a time stealer.   In life the people we love are so important.  We should allow the ‘busy-ness’ of our routines to make us forget that they deserve our time too.