5 Ways I Buy Back Time in My Day
Save your time for more important work.
I run a one-person business and have three kids. Sometimes my to-do list is so long that I feel like I need 48 hours in the day instead of 24.
In reality, I can't do everything myself. It's not possible. I have to figure out ways to "buy back" time in my day by paying for tools or other types of assistance.
If I didn't do this, I'd have to spend a lot more time doing tasks I don't particularly like. Better to spend that time on higher-value work (or at least take a nap once in a while!).
Automating tasks
If a task is repetitive, I automate it. Hundreds of tasks are automated in the background every week using Zapier [affiliate link*]. Zapier does work-related tasks like adding new folders to my Google Drive whenever I sign a new client, and personal tasks like sending me a notification when my teenager adds something to our family Google Calendar.
Overall, Zapier automates about 1,500 tasks per month for me. If I estimate conservatively that this saves me at least 10 seconds per task, that's 4-5 hours of time saved per month. In some cases, it's probably a lot more. Plus, I don't have the context switching of flipping between different apps to get tasks done. I can spend that time on other work for my business.
Plus, automation makes sure that tasks happen immediately (no putting them off until later!) and consistently. Tasks are completed the same way each time, so it eliminates mistakes or typos that I might make otherwise.
Time saved each week: 1-2 hours
A virtual assistant
Several years ago, I hired a virtual assistant to help with my business. She does behind-the-scenes work that is necessary and can't be automated.
For example, I create some image-based posts in Canva for my social profiles. I write the content, but my VA adds the text to Canva and schedules the post in Buffer. Little things like this add up over the course of a week.
My VA works anywhere from five to 10 hours per week. I have also had her work on special projects, like something that needs a few hours of attention, but not ongoing work.
Time saved each week: 5+ hours
A house cleaner
When my third child was born, I hired a house cleaner. I have always hated cleaning, even though I like things to be clean. I resent the time spent, because I would rather be doing other things.
Even though I'm now self-employed, my weeks are structured similarly to when I worked a corporate job. I work during the day, while my kids are in school (or day care, when they were younger). Weekends are our time together as a family. If I have to spend that time cleaning, it's less time for fun stuff.
In 2021, I quit my job as an executive at a tech company. My new job was at a marketing agency, earning a fraction of my prior salary.
My family had to make a lot of lifestyle changes to accommodate this career shift, but one thing we did not give up was the house cleaner. My husband said he'd be willing to give up a lot of other things before the cleaner, because of how much it frees up our time (and how much we hate cleaning).
Time saved each week: 2 hours
AI for content creation
I create a lot of content on The Internet. And I never let any content go to waste. I turn my long-form content (blog posts) into short-form content (social posts) using AI. I also use AI to pull out my best quotes when I'm a podcast guest.
I always, always edit anything created by AI before I share it. But it's a good starting point. It's much faster to edit something existing than to write something from scratch.
For example, my instructions to AI for my blog posts are to write one social post per H2 (header). I have a lot of instructions about my voice, tone, and to keep the posts simple. I also have instructions not to use hashtags or emojis (because otherwise ChatGPT goes overboard).
Once I share a post on LinkedIn, AI automatically re-formats the post into a shorter, punchier version that I share on Threads. Again, I edit the post before publishing it.
In all of these cases, I'm starting with my ideas. But AI (specifically, ChatGPT) reduces the time I spend creating social posts. I easily spent 5 hours writing social posts each week, and now it's much less since I'm editing the pre-written posts instead of reviewing my most recent blog posts, pulling out an idea, and then writing the post.
Time saved each week: 2 hours
Anna Burgess Yang
Calendar scheduling
My calendar runs my life. If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist.
I'm a long-time Calendly user. It's perfect for cross-referencing my work and personal/family calendars. There's absolutely no reason to email back and forth to get something scheduled.
I have several Calendly links set up for different types of meetings. The link I share with clients shows a lot of availability. The link for a virtual "coffee chat" is much more limited, because I don't want these calls to disrupt my focused work time.
I also recently put my older kids (ages 15 and 13) in charge of adding their own events to our family Google calendar. Before, they'd tell me something in passing, like "Oh, by the way, I have an after-school event tomorrow." This way, they're in charge of keeping the calendar updated for their events. It saves me some time, plus it reduces the mental load of keeping track of everyone's schedules.
Time saved: 15 minutes per week, plus mental bandwidth
Letting go of things that don't have value
When I was much younger, I used to do all kinds of things to keep my life and household organized. Now, I think, "I don't have time for that."
Over the years, I've had to simply let things go. If I had all the time and money in the world, I'd do a lot more. Instead, I have to prioritize the important things in my life, outsource what I can (either to automation, AI, or humans), and enjoy the additional time I've given myself.
Download my free resource — Getting Started With Automation: A Guide for Solo Businesses — for more tips.
