Time Tips: Finding Hidden Time Tip #4

A huge amount of time lies hidden in wasted trips. So, the obvious answer to this problem is to quit making wasted trips. Put another way, eliminate special trips.

Many people already do this, to an extent. For example, you may "stop for milk on the way home from work." But you are still making an additional stop and doing the travel to get there. This isn't as wasteful as making a special trip from home and back. But, you can improve on this.

Simply planning your trips will do the job. It needn't be complicated. Think of your main trip. But, rather than think of all the other stops you can make on the way, think about what you need to do or buy while you are out--plus what you should do or buy while you are out.

Using the stop for milk example, you should have picked up that milk on your last trip to the grocery store. Now, you "need" to make an extra stop. Could you just skip milk until your next trip to the grocery store (for health reasons, yes--only 5% of the world's population can drink milk without some ill effects, even ones you don't notice or attribute to milk)?

And that "doing without until next time" brings up another time tip--don't be a slave to habit. Take a look at your routine, and you'll find all kinds of opportunity to recover and repurpose wasted time.