​Time-Saving Tips for Busy Investors

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I guard my time like dog with a T-bone. I’m extremely protective of it - some may even say I’m overprotective. But I look at it like this: time is the biggest asset I have and it’s irreplaceable. There are only so many hours in the day, and there are a hundred different things fighting to eat up that time.

In this industry, I believe that’s the norm. Most of the investors I know are very busy people, with to-do lists a mile long. Time is a luxury that most of us do not have in abundance, which is exactly why I’m so protective of it and take steps to save myself precious minutes throughout the day.

Here are some of the things I do to increase my efficiency, limit time-sucking distractions, and give myself more time throughout the day.

Get off of Facebook. Or Instagram, or Pinterest, or Reddit, or whatever your online addiction is. These sites are notorious for eating up hours of the day, because there’s always new content to look at and, let’s be honest, it’s more fun than working. That’s why I have enacted a strict “No Facebook” policy for myself between the hours of 7:00 am and 6:00 pm. If I want to see what my FB friends are up to, I have to do it early in the morning or later in the evening, no exceptions.

Silence your phone. A constantly buzzing phone is a major distraction for most of us. If your phone is ringing, chirping, or beeping every time you get a call, text, or email, turn off the notifications! The temptation to check and/or respond to each of those communications is strong, so silencing the sounds when you need to work is the best way to maintain focus.

Avoid time-sucking people. You know who these folks are. They’re the ones you just can’t get away from, no matter how hard you try. They may be your colleagues, friends, neighbors, or even your own family, and you may even really love talking to them (most of the time). When you’re working, though, avoid these people at all costs because, before you know it, you’ll have spent the last hour shooting the breeze when you should have been working.

Schedule every single day. Before I start working each morning, I run through a checklist of everything I need to get done. This helps me organize my workload for the day, and I can allot certain times of the day to different tasks and prioritize as I go. I’m old-fashioned, so I keep this written down on a notepad on my desk, but you can also do it on your phone or computer using a task management site or app. Also, and this part is super important, I stick to my schedule! I try to keep it as flexible as possible because things come up sometimes, or some tasks take longer than I thought, but for the most part, I follow my schedule throughout the day.

Take short breaks. Finally, remember that you’re not a robot. Even if you strive to get things accomplished with machine-like speed and efficiency, you’re still human. Your brain needs a rest from time to time. I read recently that the brain can only focus on a task for 20 minutes before it experiences fatigue and your mind begins to wander. So, taking a 5- or 10-minute break every hour or so actually saves time, because it allows your brain to rest and recharge between tasks. Without breaks, your mind wanders and you lose focus, so you’re actually less productive.

These are a few of the things that work for me, but it’s your work day, and you get to decide how to spend it. Do them all, do some, or do none of them! I will say, however, that if you’re struggling to maintain control over your time each day, you’ve got to take immediate action to reverse that course. Tap into your self-discipline, think about what causes the biggest waste of your time, and do what you need to correct it.