Do your days seem too busy? Would you like to end your days feeling as though you’ve accomplished something? Then take a look at the book 365 Ways to Simplify Your Work Life, by Odette Pollar. Listed here are the first 35 tips Pollar cites in her book. 

1. When traveling to a different time zone, leave your digital watch at home — you know, the one with built-in functions that requires complicated instructions to adjust the time setting. Carry an inexpensive analog watch that resets the old-fashioned way. 

2. Avoid faxing more than 10 pages. It is costly and ties up the equipment for others. 

3. Simplify in every way. Eliminate the unimportant, whether it be relationships, tasks, responsibilities, possessions or beliefs. Organize the remainder. 

4. Streamline but do not sterilize. Some of those UFOs — unidentified funny objects — should remain in your life. They make you smile. 

5. Use a tickler file with a folder for each month and a folder for every day. Put birthday cards for colleagues, invoices, airline tickets and follow-up calls in the appropriate day and month. 

6. When possible, group meetings together — either all in the morning or all in the afternoon. 

7. If your administrative systems are a mess, a computer will quickly double that mess. Computers can produce paper faster than you can dispose of it. 

8. Store little-used items farther away. Even on a shelf, keep the less-used items in the back and keep those items you use frequently in the front of the storage space. 

9 Take a refresher course on time management each year. 

10. When information is not critical, instead of interrupting your assistant or colleague, send the information via phone mail or electronic mail, even if he or she is next door. 

11. Accept that others know more than you about some things. Allow them to make decisions in those areas. 

12. Effective reading involves knowing what to read as well as how to read it. Just because there’s information available to you doesn’t mean that you need it. 

13. In design work, always keep your drafts. You may need to refer to a portion of your earlier work. This prevents having to start again from scratch. 

14. Read only the business and trade publications that give you the greatest value for the amount of time you spend reading. 

15. When using equipment that you don’t understand completely, review the manual. Take the time to learn how to use all the features. New technology is worth the price only if it is used efficiently. 

16. When approving someone else’s writing, don’t correct for style, only correct for content. 

17. For large projects, identify interim due dates and measure progress against these newer, shorter, smaller and easier targets. 

18. If you drive to work, learn all the alternate routes. 

19. Admit mistakes, especially to colleagues. It’s simply faster than the alternative. 

20. Use colored paper to distinguish copies or drafts from the original. 

21. Have fewer things and see each of them better. 

22. When working on the computer, save the document you’re working on frequently. 

23. When you can’t figure out the software, ask for help. 

24. Allocate a few minutes at the end of each day to put away papers and clear your desk. Make a list of tomorrow’s high priority items. 

25. Always carry two batteries for your laptop. Often there is no plug handy. 

26. Scheduling regular, short status staff meetings once a week will increase productivity and reduce the number of “quick question” interruptions. 

27. Learn when to stop gathering facts. Gather enough information to make a sound decision, not all of the possible information. 

28. Use a consistent labeling and filing system so everyone can retrieve information quickly. 

29. Prepare directions to your office or meeting area and include your phone number. Always enclose them with each piece of correspondence when appropriate. 

30. Always look at your schedule before agreeing to accept new work or responsibilities. 

31. Separate the good things from the great things. Don’t let the “good” get in the way  of the “great.”

32. When meeting with busy people, ask for the first appointment of the day. Your chances of having to wait are reduced. 

33. Empty spaces are peaceful to look at and live with. Cleared areas leave your mind free to think creative or idle thoughts. 

34. Anything worth doing is going to take longer than you think. Allow yourself some extra time. 

35. When traveling, layovers and flight delays are endemic. Many airports offer services that help you use that time productively. They provide space where you can find a desk, telex, telephone, fax and sometimes, even secretaries. 

Odette Pollar is a nationally recognized speaker, author and organization expert who directs the Oakland, California-based Time Management Systems. The book is $8.95 and is available through ALA by calling (847) 247-5577.