@Abigail- setting a timer can be a great idea for little tasks. If you know that you have 45 minutes for these things, you tend to prioritize and work efficiently (e.g. not so much comparison shopping…) vs. if they’re always an option.

I find that cleaning fills the time you give it. I like to set a timer so I don’t dawdle. I also usually listen to a book. Since I have a housekeeper and relatively low cleaning standards, I only spend 3.5 hours per week on cleaning. Grocery shopping is done online in the elevator at work, husband picks up. I spend Sunday or Monday night planning (Bills, Babysitters, meals, etc.) the week for an hour or 2 . And I read everyday for at least 1-2 hours.

Track your time. It is amazing how revealing it is. Tasks fill the time you have more often than you may realize.

@Natalia – for the moment, yes. I have a fair number of these in the hopper! I may collect more if I turn this into a bigger project.

@Ashley G – great, many more to come!

@Ellie – this is an interesting phenomenon- anything we don’t want to do, or find boring, tends to expand in our mental accounting of it. That’s one reason people tend to overestimate work hours and underestimate leisure time. Housework likewise expands and is over-estimated (by both men and women).

@Irena – excellent, many more to come! Though I probably won’t run them on Tuesdays since that’s the podcast release date 🙂

@Jennifer – oh, much can be pushed off the schedule! I think that is often the biggest time management breakthrough.