--- description: Don't be fast, be smooth title: 7 Proven Ways to Save Time image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3c0d40422499d226/6986a644e53aba524c4d4b37/200295029-001.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 7 Research-Based Ways to Save Time by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 1, 2014 4:01 AM CUT  Don't waste time filing emails away Don't waste time filing emails awayMichael Kelley—Getty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 1, 2014 4:01 AM CUT **1) Use The 20 Second Rule** Make things you shouldn’t do take 20 seconds longer to accomplish (moving the ever-buzzing phone across the room) and the things you should do 20 seconds easier. Via [The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- **2) Have A Solid Daily Ritual** Via [18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446583413/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- **3) Don’t Be Fast, Be Smooth** A Formula One pit crew — a group that depends on fast, efficient teamwork — found that they weren’t at top speed when they concentrated on speed. It was when they emphasized functioning smoothly as a group that they made their best times. Via Oliver Burkeman’s wonderful [The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865479410/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0865479410&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- **4) Know The Best Times To Do Things** Know the optimal time to do things so you don’t waste time. Some notable highlights: * **Best time to send emails you want read**: 6AM. * **Best time for thinking**: Late morning. * **Creative thinking**: Creativity can be improved when we’re tired so try brainstorming when daytime sleepiness peaks at around 2PM. * **Best day of the week to eat dinner out:** Tuesday (freshest food, no crowds) * **Best day to fly:** Saturday (fewer flights means fewer delays, shorter lines, less stress) Full list is [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/09/10-tips-on-the-best-time-to-accomplish-anythi/ "undefined"). **5) Hold Meetings Standing Up** Sick of time-wasting meetings? Bob Sutton’s great book [Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best… and Learn from the Worst](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446556084?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined") points to a great trick. [Hold your meetings standing up](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/02/how-to-quickly-and-easily-improve-your-meetin/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- **6) Get More Sleep** Cheating yourself on sleep reduces willpower and it’s this same store of self-control that [helps us resist all those bad behaviors like aimless web-surfing](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/03/how-can-you-stop-wasting-so-much-time-on-the/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- **7) Stop Sorting Email** Sorting your email into folders? [Don’t bother](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/05/is-sorting-your-email-into-folders-worth-the/ "undefined"): _“…_ **_researchers discovered that those who did no email organizing at all found them faster than those who filed them in folders._**_“_ --- > “” --- **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/ "undefined")**_._** **Join more than 100,000 readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined"). Related posts: [6 things that will make you more productive](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/09/6-things-that-will-make-you-more-productive/ "undefined") [What are the two steps for beating procrastination right \*now\*?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/what-are-the-two-steps-for-beating-procrastin/ "undefined") [Is there a way to optimize your daily schedule?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/is-there-an-optimize-your-daily-schedule/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3450863/7-research-based-ways-to-save-time/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3450863/7-research-based-ways-to-save-time/"},"headline":"7 Research-Based Ways to Save Time","datePublished":"2014-10-01T04:01:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T07:56:34.703Z","description":"Don't be fast, be smooth","url":"https://time.com/3450863/7-research-based-ways-to-save-time/","keywords":["Psychology","advice"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3c0d40422499d226/6986a644e53aba524c4d4b37/200295029-001.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3c0d40422499d226/6986a644e53aba524c4d4b37/200295029-001.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"200295029-001","caption":"200295029-001","creditText":"Michael Kelley—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3450863/7-research-based-ways-to-save-time/","name":"7 Research-Based Ways to Save Time"}}]}] ```