I Have No Time!

How many times have you uttered those words: I have no time?  There’s not doubt that you are busy.  We live in arguable the busiest time in all of history.  There are things that we thought would free time up for us.  Doing laundry by hand was replaced with the washing machine.  Walking and riding a horse was replaced with automobiles and that never ending paper trail was replaced by the computer.

All of these things were designed to free up our time.  Yet, we still scream how much time we don’t have to do anything in.  For your consideration, I’ve put a very short list together of ways that you may be able to save time, in the event that you need to.  Yes, I know you also may not need these ideas, but someone you know most assuredly will.

The Doctors

I know the doctors office is one of those places where you’re absolutely sure that it’s impossible to save time at.  After all it’s an agency where you have to check in on time, or lose your spot and be rescheduled.  That’s not good if it’s taken you 6 months to get in to see the doctor in the first place.  And what about if you’re sick and you need to see them today?  What do you do then?  You’re stuck, right?

Wrong!  You can got to other doctors outside of your ‘assigned’ doctor and still be seen the same day at the time you need to have the appointment. How?  Urgent cares!  Depending on the urgent care you go to, you can schedule your appointment to see the doctor.  Boca Regional Urgent Care is wonderful in this way.  They allow for you to make a same-day appointment and be seen when you need to be seen, as apposed to when your doctor can ‘fit’ you in.

If you insist on going to your regular doctor anyway.  Call ahead of time and make sure the doctors on time.  I once had a doctor that you had to wait 3 hours for and that was after your check in time.  That’s a waste of your time, and as some would say, inexcusable. 

Take It With YOU!

When you’re on the go, one of the best things to do is to take ‘it’ with you.  If you have to make phone calls, make them while you’re waiting for your kids to get out of school, in the bank line, or stopped at a signal (hands free of course or you can get a ticket).

Those extra 5 or 10 minute stops really do add up as the days go by.  And face it, you don’t really stop for 5 minutes, you don’t want to be late, so it’s more like 15 minutes that you wait.  And if you have more than one child to get it’s longer.  

If there’s more then 1 person in front of you (at the bank, gas station or post office), well that’s not going to be a 5 second stop, your running in and out is now minutes long.  So bring things that you can do with.  Especially if it’s the 3 hours at the doctor that we talked about earlier. 

Work with you doesn’t have to be on the phone.  It can be thank-you cards, work projects, placing orders or any number of other things, but bring it with you.   

If you can, have them come to you.  Doctors have also mastered this.  It’s not practical for them to go to 40 peoples homes in one day, like in days gone by.  So they stay in one location and you go to them.  It’s time and cost efficient for them (not you).  So when you can have people come to you, especially if you know they’re likely to flake on you any way.

Number 4 (a freebie) Set an egg timer.  If you’re like me and you’re tight on time.  You don’t have the luxury to spend 20 minutes talking to someone about nothing.  Set an egg timer and cut the conversation short.  If it’s important, it’s usually said in the first couple of minutes.  How often have you said, “the reason I called”, as soon as the other person answered.  Anything after the reason I called is wasting your time. 

And remember it’s nothing personal, it’s business and your time is valuable.