www.fastcompany.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.193.54  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

Name: inline-newsletter-form —

<form id="mktoForm_1040" name="inline-newsletter-form" novalidate="novalidate" class="mktoForm mktoHasWidth mktoLayoutAbove" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); width: 593px;">
  <style type="text/css">
    .mktoForm .mktoButtonWrap.mktoPurpleCandy .mktoButton {
      background-color: #9e76e8;
      background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #9e76e8), color-stop(50%, #7038e0), color-stop(50%, #6021de), color-stop(100%, #6224de));
      background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #9e76e8 0%, #7038e0 50%, #6021de 50%, #6224de 100%);
      background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #9e76e8 0%, #7038e0 50%, #6021de 50%, #6224de 100%);
      background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #9e76e8 0%, #7038e0 50%, #6021de 50%, #6224de 100%);
      background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #9e76e8 0%, #7038e0 50%, #6021de 50%, #6224de 100%);
      background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #9e76e8 0%, #7038e0 50%, #6021de 50%, #6224de 100%);
      border-radius: 3px;
      color: #fff;
      font: bold 12px/1 "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
      padding: 10px 0 12px 0;
      text-align: center;
      text-shadow: 0 -1px 1px #473569;
      width: 150px;
      -webkit-background-clip: padding-box;
      border: none;
    }

    .mktoForm .mktoButtonWrap.mktoPurpleCandy .mktoButton:hover {
      background-color: #8d69cf;
      background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #8d69cf), color-stop(50%, #6332c7), color-stop(50%, #551dc4), color-stop(100%, #561fc4));
      background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #8d69cf 0%, #6332c7 50%, #551dc4 50%, #561fc4 100%);
      background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #8d69cf 0%, #6332c7 50%, #551dc4 50%, #561fc4 100%);
      background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #8d69cf 0%, #6332c7 50%, #551dc4 50%, #561fc4 100%);
      background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #8d69cf 0%, #6332c7 50%, #551dc4 50%, #561fc4 100%);
      background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #8d69cf 0%, #6332c7 50%, #551dc4 50%, #561fc4 100%);
      -webkit-background-clip: padding-box;
      cursor: pointer;
    }

    .mktoForm .mktoButtonWrap.mktoPurpleCandy .mktoButton:active {
      background: #4a1aab;
      background: -moz-radial-gradient(50% 31% 0deg, circle cover, rgba(38, 76, 153, 0.4), rgba(11, 23, 46, 0.4)), -moz-linear-gradient(top, #7b5cb5 0%, #572bad 50%, #4a1aab 50%, #4b1bab 100%);
      background: -webkit-gradient(radial, 50% 20%, 75, 50% 50%, 0, from(rgba(38, 76, 153, 0.4)), to(rgba(11, 23, 46, 0.4))), -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 0 100%, color-stop(0, #7b5cb5), color-stop(0.5, #572bad), color-stop(0.5, #4a1aab), color-stop(1, #4b1bab));
      color: #ddd;
      -webkit-background-clip: padding-box;
    }

    .mktoForm .mktoButtonWrap.mktoPurpleCandy button.mktoButton {
      background: #EF5B24;
    }
  </style>
  <div class="mktoFormRow">
    <div class="mktoFieldDescriptor mktoFormCol" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
      <div class="mktoOffset" style="width: 10px;"></div>
      <div class="mktoFieldWrap mktoRequiredField"><label for="Email" id="LblEmail" class="mktoLabel mktoHasWidth" style="width: 100px;">
          <div class="mktoAsterix">*</div>
        </label>
        <div class="mktoGutter mktoHasWidth" style="width: 10px;"></div><input id="Email" name="Email" placeholder="Email" maxlength="255" aria-labelledby="LblEmail InstructEmail" type="email"
          class="mktoField mktoEmailField mktoHasWidth mktoRequired" aria-required="true" style="width: 430px;"><span id="InstructEmail" tabindex="-1" class="mktoInstruction"></span>
        <div class="mktoClear"></div>
      </div>
      <div class="mktoClear"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="mktoClear"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="mktoFormRow">
    <div class="mktoFieldDescriptor mktoFormCol" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
      <div class="mktoOffset" style="width: 10px;"></div>
      <div class="mktoFieldWrap"><label for="optInFCCompassNewsletter" id="LbloptInFCCompassNewsletter" class="mktoLabel mktoHasWidth" style="width: 100px;">
          <div class="mktoAsterix">*</div>
        </label>
        <div class="mktoGutter mktoHasWidth" style="width: 10px;"></div>
        <div class="mktoLogicalField mktoCheckboxList mktoHasWidth" style="width: 218px;"><input name="optInFCCompassNewsletter" id="mktoCheckbox_2627_0" type="checkbox" value="yes"
            aria-labelledby="LbloptInFCCompassNewsletter LblmktoCheckbox_2627_0 InstructoptInFCCompassNewsletter" class="mktoField"><label for="mktoCheckbox_2627_0" id="LblmktoCheckbox_2627_0">Compass: Our Daily Newsletter</label></div><span
          id="InstructoptInFCCompassNewsletter" tabindex="-1" class="mktoInstruction"></span>
        <div class="mktoClear"></div>
      </div>
      <div class="mktoClear"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="mktoFieldDescriptor mktoFormCol" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
      <div class="mktoOffset" style="width: 10px;"></div>
      <div class="mktoFieldWrap"><label for="optInFCPluggedInNewsletter" id="LbloptInFCPluggedInNewsletter" class="mktoLabel mktoHasWidth" style="width: 100px;">
          <div class="mktoAsterix">*</div>
        </label>
        <div class="mktoGutter mktoHasWidth" style="width: 10px;"></div>
        <div class="mktoLogicalField mktoCheckboxList mktoHasWidth" style="width: 110px;"><input name="optInFCPluggedInNewsletter" id="mktoCheckbox_2629_0" type="checkbox" value="yes"
            aria-labelledby="LbloptInFCPluggedInNewsletter LblmktoCheckbox_2629_0 InstructoptInFCPluggedInNewsletter" class="mktoField"><label for="mktoCheckbox_2629_0" id="LblmktoCheckbox_2629_0">Plugged In</label></div><span
          id="InstructoptInFCPluggedInNewsletter" tabindex="-1" class="mktoInstruction"></span>
        <div class="mktoClear"></div>
      </div>
      <div class="mktoClear"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="mktoFieldDescriptor mktoFormCol" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
      <div class="mktoOffset" style="width: 10px;"></div>
      <div class="mktoFieldWrap"><label for="optInFCCoDesignNewsletter" id="LbloptInFCCoDesignNewsletter" class="mktoLabel mktoHasWidth" style="width: 100px;">
          <div class="mktoAsterix">*</div>
        </label>
        <div class="mktoGutter mktoHasWidth" style="width: 10px;"></div>
        <div class="mktoLogicalField mktoCheckboxList mktoHasWidth" style="width: 135px;"><input name="optInFCCoDesignNewsletter" id="mktoCheckbox_2628_0" type="checkbox" value="yes"
            aria-labelledby="LbloptInFCCoDesignNewsletter LblmktoCheckbox_2628_0 InstructoptInFCCoDesignNewsletter" class="mktoField"><label for="mktoCheckbox_2628_0" id="LblmktoCheckbox_2628_0">Co.Design</label></div><span
          id="InstructoptInFCCoDesignNewsletter" tabindex="-1" class="mktoInstruction"></span>
        <div class="mktoClear"></div>
      </div>
      <div class="mktoClear"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="mktoFieldDescriptor mktoFormCol" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
      <div class="mktoOffset" style="width: 10px;"></div>
      <div class="mktoFieldWrap"><label for="optInFCImpactNewsletter" id="LbloptInFCImpactNewsletter" class="mktoLabel mktoHasWidth" style="width: 100px;">
          <div class="mktoAsterix">*</div>
        </label>
        <div class="mktoGutter mktoHasWidth" style="width: 10px;"></div>
        <div class="mktoLogicalField mktoCheckboxList mktoHasWidth" style="width: 89px;"><input name="optInFCImpactNewsletter" id="mktoCheckbox_2630_0" type="checkbox" value="yes"
            aria-labelledby="LbloptInFCImpactNewsletter LblmktoCheckbox_2630_0 InstructoptInFCImpactNewsletter" class="mktoField"><label for="mktoCheckbox_2630_0" id="LblmktoCheckbox_2630_0">Impact</label></div><span
          id="InstructoptInFCImpactNewsletter" tabindex="-1" class="mktoInstruction"></span>
        <div class="mktoClear"></div>
      </div>
      <div class="mktoClear"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="mktoClear"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="mktoFormRow"><input type="hidden" name="brandFC" class="mktoField mktoFieldDescriptor mktoFormCol" value="yes" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
    <div class="mktoClear"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="mktoButtonRow"><span class="mktoButtonWrap mktoPurpleCandy" style="margin-left: 0px;"><button type="submit" class="mktoButton">SIGN UP</button></span></div><input type="hidden" name="formid" class="mktoField mktoFieldDescriptor"
    value="1040"><input type="hidden" name="munchkinId" class="mktoField mktoFieldDescriptor" value="610-LEE-872">
</form>

Name: inline-newsletter-form —

<form id="mktoForm_1040" name="inline-newsletter-form"></form>

Name: inline-newsletter-form —

<form name="inline-newsletter-form" novalidate="novalidate" class="mktoForm mktoHasWidth mktoLayoutAbove"
  style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); visibility: hidden; position: absolute; top: -500px; left: -1000px; width: 1600px;"></form>

Text Content

FAST COMPANY

Follow
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Login
 * Co.Design
 * Tech
 * Work Life
 * News
 * Impact
 * Podcasts
 * Video
 * Innovation Festival 360IF360
 * Subscribe
 * 
 * FastCo Works
    * AWS
    * Genpact
    * IBM


 * HOMEPAGE


 * CO.DESIGN


 * TECH


 * WORK LIFE


 * NEWS


 * IMPACT


 * PODCASTS


 * VIDEO


 * INNOVATION FESTIVAL 360


 * SUBSCRIBE

Help Center
fastco works


 * AWS


 * DELOITTE


 * DEPT


 * DWEN


 * EPSILON


 * GENPACT


 * IBM


 * IEDC


 * JBGS


 * MCKINSEY & COMPANY


 * META


 * FASTCO WORKS
   
   An award-winning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell
   brand stories through Fast Company's distinctive lens

FC Executive Board
collections


 * FAST GOVERNMENT
   
   The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good


 * MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES
   
   Fast Company's annual ranking of businesses that are making an outsize impact


 * MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE
   
   Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways


 * WORLD CHANGING IDEAS
   
   New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic
   system


 * INNOVATION BY DESIGN
   
   Celebrating the best ideas in business

Newsletter
Events


 * INNOVATION FESTIVAL

Courses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent Issue
SUBSCRIBE
Follow us:

advertisement

 * 01-03-23
 * secrets of the most productive people


TAKE BACK YOUR TIME IN 2023 WITH THESE SIMPLE PLANNING STRATEGIES


GREATER EFFICIENCY IN YOUR SCHEDULE MEANS YOU HAVE TIME FOR MORE MEANINGFUL
THINGS.

[Photo: Pixabay/Pexels]
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

More Like This
Forget unicorns—investors are looking for dragons
5 trends that will shape the future of work in 2023
7 mistakes organizations make that cause good workers to quit
By Gwen Moran5 minute Read

One resource we can’t replenish is time. So, it’s no wonder that people are so
interested in how to save time or get more done in less of it. When we can get
more done during the hours we have, we can use that “saved” time for something
more meaningful.




Some people take their time-saving efforts to an extreme, even going so far as
to wear the same thing every day, saving time and possibly alleviating decision
fatigue. And while you may not relish the thought of wearing the same suit or
hoodie every day, there are some other ways you can take back your most precious
resource and devote it—and its accompanying brain power—to something better.
Here are some places to start.


ASSESS YOUR WORKFLOW (EVEN OUTSIDE OF WORK)

First, start by observing how you are spending your time, says productivity
coach Maura Nevel Thomas, author of Personal Productivity Secrets: Do What You
Never Thought Possible with Your Time and Attention and Regain Control of Your
Life. Note the things that take up large amounts of time and those habits you’ve
developed to get things done or recurring tasks to which you’ve committed. Are
there things that you’re doing that you don’t want to do anymore—and can you
drop them? This type of awareness helps you get clear about the areas that need
to be addressed as you look at forming new habits and saving time, Thomas
says.  


CHOOSE A MAIN TRACKING TOOL

“For most people, everything that they have to do is scattered,” Thomas says.
You may use a combination of memory, flagged email messages, notes and scraps of
paper, and even a dry erase board—and that means you may spend unnecessary time
looking for what you have to do. Pick one tool or one place where you’ll track
all of your tasks and commitments. That gives you the data you need to start
making changes. If you’re comfortable with technology, Thomas says the benefit
of using digital task managers like Todoist, Basecamp, Asana, or Microsoft ToDo
is that you can automate reminders for important tasks or appointments.




CREATE A “DAY TEMPLATE”

If you have habits that are impeding productivity, use the power of habit and
automation to redirect them, says Jessica Abel, founder of Autonomous Creative,
a creative business coaching company. Using a digital calendar allows you to
create “templates” for your days—in other words, repeating patterns of
appointments—which can guide you to plan focus work, meetings, and other tasks
at the best times for you. “Treat these blocks of time like you finally scored a
dinner rez at the hottest ticket in town, and don’t ghost on yourself,” she
says.

Abel also suggests that, if others can use your calendar to schedule meetings,
block out times when you’re simply not available on your primary calendar.
“Then, you can use a scheduling app to let others set up meetings, but only on
your terms,” she says. Thomas adds that it’s a good idea to batch like tasks
together, which can help you get more done than if you’re moving from one task
to another very different one.

As you’re planning, productivity expert Chris Bailey, author of How to Calm Your
Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times, suggests creating
routines that help you start and end your day. “I think the best routines that
let us ease into or out of our day are ones that allow us to become more
deliberate in our days,” he says. “Calm mornings, slow mornings lead to
deliberate days.” When you build purposeful routines, you’re less likely to blow
30 minutes on social media without realizing it, he says.

advertisement



STOP MAKING LISTS AND START MAKING PLANS

Lists can be important tools to keep track of all that needs to be done. But if
you take your list a step further and turn it into a plan, you can save time
later, says productivity leadership coach Ellen Faye, author of Productivity for
How You’re Wired: Better Work. Better Life. Forget the to-do list—take a few
minutes and plan your day, including the top three things that you need to get
done. Instead of making a grocery list, plan your food for the week, then derive
your grocery list from that. Once you’ve completed your plan, you’ve saved
decision-making time and preparation effort later on.


TRY HABIT-STACKING

Let’s say you have a habit of grabbing a coffee and scrolling through social
media and email in the first minutes of your day. That can send you into
reactive mode, putting out fires for a few hours or causing distraction from
what you really need to get done, Abel says. But by using
habit-stacking—adopting new behaviors related to existing habits—you can use
that same powerful impulse to improve how you get things done. “Mornings already
include a lot of habits that are very set, like making coffee,” she says. So,
decide in advance what’s going to happen when you put down your last cup of
coffee. Commit to closing all of your browser tabs to focus on your new project
or doing some other essential task you want to complete that day, Abel says.
When you make small modifications anchored to strong existing habits, you can
create meaningful behavior change.


EMBRACE AUTOMATION

Within your template or plan, include recurring tasks and either batch or
automate them. For example, if you have a stack of bills due on the 15th of the
month, set up autopay with a reminder so you can ensure funds are in place,
Thomas suggests. Use automated reminders to help keep you on task. Create rules
to help you sort email messages. (And if that doesn’t work, simply create files
for “urgent,” “keep for later,” “newsletters,” and other indicators so you can
sort them, then address them by their priority level when you have time to do
so.) Apps like Calendly can help you save the back-and-forth required to
schedule meetings and social media or marketing platforms like Hootsuite,
MailChimp, and others can help you automate posting or sending email
newsletters.



Look for low-priority tasks to automate and delegate, Bailey says. But don’t let
productivity be the thief of joy. If there’s something you really like
doing—taking a block of time to clear out your inbox or scheduling your own
appointments—consider whether the trade-off is worth it, he says.

Faye agrees. “My philosophy is system/method first, tool second. So many people
rush to download the next app or buy the next planner and are disappointed.  If
you don’t have a good system, method, or process no tool is going to fix that
for you,” she says. “What works for one person may not work for the next.”



Be in the Know. Subscribe to Fast Company Newsletters.
*




*

Compass: Our Daily Newsletter


*

Plugged In


*

Co.Design


*

Impact




SIGN UP
Privacy Policy
advertisement



FEATURED VIDEO

How to innovate sexual pleasure with Lovehoney
The Lovehoney Group is riding a wave of sextech innovation that skyrocketed
during the pandemic. Fast Company visited its new HQ in Berlin, Germany to see
how they break taboos and think about the future.
More Videos


0 seconds of 2 minutes, 4 secondsVolume 0%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Seek %0-9
Next Up
Is being a landlord a job?
03:06
Settings
OffInnovation Labs Lovehoney Rr 02 V1
Font Color
White

Font Opacity
100%

Font Size
100%

Font Family
Arial

Character Edge
None

Background Color
Black

Background Opacity
50%

Window Color
Black

Window Opacity
0%

Reset
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%
200%175%150%125%100%75%50%
ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana
NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
facebook twitter Email
Linkhttps://content.jwplatform.com/previews/LHqqaQtA
Copied
Auto180p1080p720p406p270p180p
Live
00:00
02:04
02:04








 


HOW TO INNOVATE SEXUAL PLEASURE WITH LOVEHONEY

advertisement


Today's Top Stories:
01

co-design
Nest’s cofounder just designed the world’s fanciest bin for food scraps
02

technology
Logan Bartlett’s reluctant journey to tech podcast stardom
03

technology
We’re primed for Web3 social media but builders must do this first
04

co-design
The one thing missing from UX today? Hope
05

co-design
Ikea Is A Nonprofit, And Yes, That’s Every Bit As Fishy As It Sounds
More Top Stories:
1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad Visit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE


PLAY Fast Company Top Articles: Video Settings Full Screen About Connatix
V217630 Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More
Snapchat’s trippy new brand campaign aims to answer the question: What is
Snapchat for?
READ MORE


advertisement

co-design
How Tesla’s design took it from innovator to dud
news
These are the top skills you need as a freelancer in 2023
technology
Should you use ChatGPT to apply for jobs? Here’s what recruiters say
technology
How generative AI will supercharge productivity
co-design
The Data-Viz Story Behind Joy Division’s Legendary Album Cover
technology
Should Congress save newspapers from Google?
co-design
Without Ye, Kano plans a future for the Stem Player
technology
How to start fresh by resetting algorithms for YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime
Video, and more
co-design
The era of DTC brands is over. Here’s what the next generation of startups looks
like
technology
Was this written by a robot? These tools help detect AI-generated text
co-design
Breakdancing will soon be an Olympic sport. These guys designed a system to
score it
technology
Spotify job cuts announced this week in tech sector’s latest round of mass
layoffs
ideas
Inside Cleveland’s plans to become a 15-minute city
technology
Google is laying off 12,000 employees as another brutal week comes to an end for
tech
co-design
These are the world’s deadliest construction projects
advertisement

advertisement

ideas
Should you replace your gas stove with an induction cooktop? Here’s what you
need to know
technology
12 Google Calendar tips to make scheduling even easier
co-design
Streaming killed the music experience. It’s time to bring it back to life
ideas
Why don’t cashiers in the U.S. get to sit like the ones in Europe?
technology
Nonprofits release free tool to detect AI-written student work
technology
Can a string of lawsuits slow down generative AI?
leadership
How I Got My Dream Job Of Getting Paid To Watch Netflix
leadership
4 leadership trends to watch in 2023
technology
People are using AI for therapy, whether the tech is ready for it or not
news
M&M’s is caving in to bizarre criticism of its candy characters. Or is it?
leadership
Why schedule sanity is workers’ new Fight for $15
technology
A new Lenovo report identifies a major thinking gap—and what we can do to shrink
it
news
Phenomenal woman Meena Harris makes the leap from t-shirt branding to book
publishing
ideas
Is plant-based meat dying, or is the industry just feeling growing pains?
advertisement

advertisement



TECH

Tech


SCIENTISTS DETECT A RADIO SIGNAL FROM 9 BILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY—BUT NO, IT’S
NOT ALIENS

Tech


ELON MUSK SAYS HE ‘HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING’ BEFORE TESTIFYING IN 2ND DAY OF TESLA
TWEET TRIAL

Tech


SPOTIFY JOB CUTS ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK IN TECH SECTOR’S LATEST ROUND OF MASS
LAYOFFS


NEWS

News


M&M’S IS CAVING IN TO BIZARRE CRITICISM OF ITS CANDY CHARACTERS. OR IS IT?

News


IRS TAX SEASON JUST OPENED. FOLLOW THESE 5 TIPS IF YOU WANT A SPEEDIER REFUND

News


PEPSI’S NEW GEN Z SODA AND THE FUTILE QUEST TO BE THE BRAND OF A GENERATION


CO.DESIGN

Co.Design


THE QUEST TO DESIGN THE WORLD’S SOFTEST SHOE

Co.Design


COULD THIS INFLATABLE FACTORY REINVENT CONSTRUCTION?

Co.Design


ANCIENT ROMANS INSPIRED THE RECIPE FOR THIS SELF-HEALING CONCRETE


WORK LIFE

Work Life


THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IS 3 TIMES HIGHER FOR BLACK WOMEN. HERE’S WHAT
EMPLOYERS CAN DO TO HELP POST-ROE

Work Life


DIVERSITY TRAINING DOES WORK. BUT ONLY WHEN YOU TAKE THESE STEPS

Work Life


3 EASY TIPS TO MAKE YOUR ONLINE MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE

 * Advertise
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms
 * Notice of Collection
 * Do Not Sell My Data
 * Permissions
 * Help Center
 * About Us
 * Site Map
 * Fast Company & Inc © 2023 Mansueto Ventures, LLC
 * 






FAST COMPANY

Follow
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Login
 * Co.Design
 * Tech
 * Work Life
 * News
 * Impact
 * Podcasts
 * Video
 * Innovation Festival 360IF360
 * Subscribe
 * 
 * FastCo Works
    * AWS
    * Genpact
    * IBM


 * HOMEPAGE


 * CO.DESIGN


 * TECH


 * WORK LIFE


 * NEWS


 * IMPACT


 * PODCASTS


 * VIDEO


 * INNOVATION FESTIVAL 360


 * SUBSCRIBE

Help Center
fastco works


 * AWS


 * DELOITTE


 * DEPT


 * DWEN


 * EPSILON


 * GENPACT


 * IBM


 * IEDC


 * JBGS


 * MCKINSEY & COMPANY


 * META


 * FASTCO WORKS
   
   An award-winning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell
   brand stories through Fast Company's distinctive lens

FC Executive Board
collections


 * FAST GOVERNMENT
   
   The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good


 * MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES
   
   Fast Company's annual ranking of businesses that are making an outsize impact


 * MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE
   
   Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways


 * WORLD CHANGING IDEAS
   
   New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic
   system


 * INNOVATION BY DESIGN
   
   Celebrating the best ideas in business

Newsletter
Events


 * INNOVATION FESTIVAL

Courses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent Issue
SUBSCRIBE
Follow us:

 * 01-03-23
 * secrets of the most productive people


TAKE BACK YOUR TIME IN 2023 WITH THESE SIMPLE PLANNING STRATEGIES


GREATER EFFICIENCY IN YOUR SCHEDULE MEANS YOU HAVE TIME FOR MORE MEANINGFUL
THINGS.

[Photo: Pixabay/Pexels]
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

By Gwen Moran5 minute Read

One resource we can’t replenish is time. So, it’s no wonder that people are so
interested in how to save time or get more done in less of it. When we can get
more done during the hours we have, we can use that “saved” time for something
more meaningful.




Some people take their time-saving efforts to an extreme, even going so far as
to wear the same thing every day, saving time and possibly alleviating decision
fatigue. And while you may not relish the thought of wearing the same suit or
hoodie every day, there are some other ways you can take back your most precious
resource and devote it—and its accompanying brain power—to something better.
Here are some places to start.


ASSESS YOUR WORKFLOW (EVEN OUTSIDE OF WORK)

First, start by observing how you are spending your time, says productivity
coach Maura Nevel Thomas, author of Personal Productivity Secrets: Do What You
Never Thought Possible with Your Time and Attention and Regain Control of Your
Life. Note the things that take up large amounts of time and those habits you’ve
developed to get things done or recurring tasks to which you’ve committed. Are
there things that you’re doing that you don’t want to do anymore—and can you
drop them? This type of awareness helps you get clear about the areas that need
to be addressed as you look at forming new habits and saving time, Thomas
says.  


CHOOSE A MAIN TRACKING TOOL

“For most people, everything that they have to do is scattered,” Thomas says.
You may use a combination of memory, flagged email messages, notes and scraps of
paper, and even a dry erase board—and that means you may spend unnecessary time
looking for what you have to do. Pick one tool or one place where you’ll track
all of your tasks and commitments. That gives you the data you need to start
making changes. If you’re comfortable with technology, Thomas says the benefit
of using digital task managers like Todoist, Basecamp, Asana, or Microsoft ToDo
is that you can automate reminders for important tasks or appointments.




CREATE A “DAY TEMPLATE”

If you have habits that are impeding productivity, use the power of habit and
automation to redirect them, says Jessica Abel, founder of Autonomous Creative,
a creative business coaching company. Using a digital calendar allows you to
create “templates” for your days—in other words, repeating patterns of
appointments—which can guide you to plan focus work, meetings, and other tasks
at the best times for you. “Treat these blocks of time like you finally scored a
dinner rez at the hottest ticket in town, and don’t ghost on yourself,” she
says.

Abel also suggests that, if others can use your calendar to schedule meetings,
block out times when you’re simply not available on your primary calendar.
“Then, you can use a scheduling app to let others set up meetings, but only on
your terms,” she says. Thomas adds that it’s a good idea to batch like tasks
together, which can help you get more done than if you’re moving from one task
to another very different one.

As you’re planning, productivity expert Chris Bailey, author of How to Calm Your
Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times, suggests creating
routines that help you start and end your day. “I think the best routines that
let us ease into or out of our day are ones that allow us to become more
deliberate in our days,” he says. “Calm mornings, slow mornings lead to
deliberate days.” When you build purposeful routines, you’re less likely to blow
30 minutes on social media without realizing it, he says.




STOP MAKING LISTS AND START MAKING PLANS

Lists can be important tools to keep track of all that needs to be done. But if
you take your list a step further and turn it into a plan, you can save time
later, says productivity leadership coach Ellen Faye, author of Productivity for
How You’re Wired: Better Work. Better Life. Forget the to-do list—take a few
minutes and plan your day, including the top three things that you need to get
done. Instead of making a grocery list, plan your food for the week, then derive
your grocery list from that. Once you’ve completed your plan, you’ve saved
decision-making time and preparation effort later on.


TRY HABIT-STACKING

Let’s say you have a habit of grabbing a coffee and scrolling through social
media and email in the first minutes of your day. That can send you into
reactive mode, putting out fires for a few hours or causing distraction from
what you really need to get done, Abel says. But by using
habit-stacking—adopting new behaviors related to existing habits—you can use
that same powerful impulse to improve how you get things done. “Mornings already
include a lot of habits that are very set, like making coffee,” she says. So,
decide in advance what’s going to happen when you put down your last cup of
coffee. Commit to closing all of your browser tabs to focus on your new project
or doing some other essential task you want to complete that day, Abel says.
When you make small modifications anchored to strong existing habits, you can
create meaningful behavior change.


EMBRACE AUTOMATION

Within your template or plan, include recurring tasks and either batch or
automate them. For example, if you have a stack of bills due on the 15th of the
month, set up autopay with a reminder so you can ensure funds are in place,
Thomas suggests. Use automated reminders to help keep you on task. Create rules
to help you sort email messages. (And if that doesn’t work, simply create files
for “urgent,” “keep for later,” “newsletters,” and other indicators so you can
sort them, then address them by their priority level when you have time to do
so.) Apps like Calendly can help you save the back-and-forth required to
schedule meetings and social media or marketing platforms like Hootsuite,
MailChimp, and others can help you automate posting or sending email
newsletters.



Look for low-priority tasks to automate and delegate, Bailey says. But don’t let
productivity be the thief of joy. If there’s something you really like
doing—taking a block of time to clear out your inbox or scheduling your own
appointments—consider whether the trade-off is worth it, he says.

Faye agrees. “My philosophy is system/method first, tool second. So many people
rush to download the next app or buy the next planner and are disappointed.  If
you don’t have a good system, method, or process no tool is going to fix that
for you,” she says. “What works for one person may not work for the next.”



Be in the Know. Subscribe to Fast Company Newsletters.

Privacy Policy



VIDEO

Sexual pleasure can be innovated. Meet the brand doing it
The Lovehoney Group is riding a wave of sextech innovation that skyrocketed
during the pandemic. Fast Company visited its new HQ in Berlin, Germany to see
how they break taboos and think about the future.
More Videos


0 seconds of 6 minutes, 35 secondsVolume 0%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Seek %0-9
Next Up
Is being a landlord a job?
03:06
Settings
OffInnovation Labs Lovehoney Site V6 Fz
Font Color
White

Font Opacity
100%

Font Size
100%

Font Family
Arial

Character Edge
None

Background Color
Black

Background Opacity
50%

Window Color
Black

Window Opacity
0%

Reset
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%
200%175%150%125%100%75%50%
ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana
NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
facebook twitter Email
Linkhttps://content.jwplatform.com/previews/1xvCGGzW
Copied
Auto180p1080p720p406p270p180p
Live
00:00
06:35
06:35








 




TECH

Tech


SCIENTISTS DETECT A RADIO SIGNAL FROM 9 BILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY—BUT NO, IT’S
NOT ALIENS

Tech


ELON MUSK SAYS HE ‘HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING’ BEFORE TESTIFYING IN 2ND DAY OF TESLA
TWEET TRIAL

Tech


SPOTIFY JOB CUTS ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK IN TECH SECTOR’S LATEST ROUND OF MASS
LAYOFFS


NEWS

News


M&M’S IS CAVING IN TO BIZARRE CRITICISM OF ITS CANDY CHARACTERS. OR IS IT?

News


IRS TAX SEASON JUST OPENED. FOLLOW THESE 5 TIPS IF YOU WANT A SPEEDIER REFUND

News


PEPSI’S NEW GEN Z SODA AND THE FUTILE QUEST TO BE THE BRAND OF A GENERATION


CO.DESIGN

Co.Design


THE QUEST TO DESIGN THE WORLD’S SOFTEST SHOE

Co.Design


COULD THIS INFLATABLE FACTORY REINVENT CONSTRUCTION?

Co.Design


ANCIENT ROMANS INSPIRED THE RECIPE FOR THIS SELF-HEALING CONCRETE


WORK LIFE

Work Life


THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IS 3 TIMES HIGHER FOR BLACK WOMEN. HERE’S WHAT
EMPLOYERS CAN DO TO HELP POST-ROE

Work Life


DIVERSITY TRAINING DOES WORK. BUT ONLY WHEN YOU TAKE THESE STEPS

Work Life


3 EASY TIPS TO MAKE YOUR ONLINE MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE

 * Advertise
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms
 * Notice of Collection
 * Do Not Sell My Data
 * Permissions
 * Help Center
 * About Us
 * Site Map
 * Fast Company & Inc © 2023 Mansueto Ventures, LLC
 * 






search by queryly Advanced Search







WE USE COOKIES ON OUR WEBSITES TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL FEATURES THAT ENHANCE YOUR
USER EXPERIENCE AND HELP US IMPROVE OUR WEBSITE. BY CONTINUING TO USE THIS
WEBSITE YOU ACCEPT OUR PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF USE.

Yes, I Accept