HP suggests 9 ways to get another hour (of work) each day. The ideas are:

1. Convert dead commuting time to doing email – thus not having to do it when you hit the office.
2. Work from home, thereby cutting out your commute time.
3. Don’t travel to as many offsite meetings; meet virtually instead.
4. Get up earlier – have an hour less sleep.
5. Concentrate more.
6. Save time searching for information, by using better search tools.
7. Go wireless – so you can collect email without having to go back to the office.
8. Have more efficient meetings.
9. Manage your time better.

My Comments
1. HP missed out the biggest time waster of all time: television. If you’re serious about getting another hour each day to get more done, get rid of your TV.

2. Sometimes commuting for meetings is necessary – the level of conversation and interaction you need to have can only be had by “being there.” At other times, the meeting doesn’t require in-person presence. The trick is figuring out which meetings fall in which categories, and planning accordingly.

3. The biggest lever points I’ve found are #5 (concentrate more), and #9 (manage your time better). For #5, turning off interruptions is essential, but more so, having a driving “yes” that you’re working towards is more essential. For #9, I agree wholeheartedly with the principle – “manage your time better” – but not necessarily the specific steps outlined.

4. Of course, if you get another hour a day – it’s what you do with it that counts. My recommendation: turn it into an hour for helping you create the future you want for you, your family, and your business. Don’t let it evaporate into doing more of the stuff required to maintain the status quo.