The most common complaint of the busy parent is that they just don’t have enough time. Couple parenthood with work or a business and the time famine feels disturbingly real.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. It really doesn’t.

Here are 10 ways that you can save time TODAY. Plus, there’s a printable at the end with an extra 10 ways (20 in total) to help you save time. Download, print it and pop it on your fridge so you’ll never be stuck for time-saving strategies again!

1. Stop watching TV

And Netflix. Seriously. Just turn the TV off or if you can’t say no to one more episode on Netflix, it might be time to cancel your subscription. For sure, occasional TV watching can be relaxing and enjoyable, but if it’s become a daily occurrence or is stopping you from achieving your goals, it’s time to cut it away.

2. Stop using social media

No, not ALL social media. Pick the social media that you find the most annoying, takes the greatest amount of your time or adds more stress to your life than it’s worth. Ditch it.

3. Focus

Get really, really clear about what it is you need to achieve. If it’s a specific goal, break the goal down into actionable steps and focus on one step at a time. If it’s a set of tasks, write them down and tick them off as they’re accomplished. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted until you have your list of tasks completed.

4. Set your MITs

To help you get focused and stay focused, try using the 3 MIT strategy. That is, every evening or early in the morning, set your 3 Maximum Impact Tasks that you plan to accomplish that day. These are the most important things you need to do – everything else can wait.

5. Silence your phone

One of the quickest ways to disrupt the flow of work or interrupt peaceful family time, is to answer your phone or respond to a text. Depending on the nature of the call or text, your phone can also suck a lot of precious time from your day. During periods when you want to be focused on one person or one thing, silence that phone.

6. Avoid distraction

To help you avoid distraction during work periods, try using a distraction blocking app such as Anti-Social, Rescue Time or Freedom.

7. Multi-task

When it comes to multi-tasking, there can be the good kind and the really unhelpful kind. The good kind can help to save you gentle pockets of time. For example, listening to a podcast while walking is a great way to enjoy some fresh air and fitness while slotting in some professional or personal development that you might not otherwise have time for.

8. Create tech-free spaces

When we know that technology is one of our biggest time sucks, we can also acknowledge that the simplest way to save time is to create tech-free spaces in your life. For example, you could implement a Facebook Free Friday or a Tech-Free Sunday.

9. Create tech-free places

While tech-free spaces are about times, tech-free places are about creating the specific physical places in which no technology is allowed. For example, your family might agree to remove technology from the bedrooms and the dining room. Many people lament that they don’t have time to read. But if you’re taking your mobile phone and a book to bed with you each night, chances are you’ll spend more of your final waking moments with your phone than with the book.

10. Batch it

If you’re cooking a lasagna, why not pull out some extra meat and cook two? If you’re writing a blog post, why not write 3 or 4? If you’re going out to meet a friend, why not do your groceries afterwards?

Loved these ways to save time? Download the free printable with all of these ideas plus 10 MORE ways to save minutes and hours in your day.

PS. Want to take control of your time again? Join us for the next round of Simple Life, Peaceful Home and reclaim your life.