Tactical Tips: Buying Time

Procrastinators have more fun. We work less and we live more. 

How do we do it? Automation.

These days, you can automate EVERYTHING. You are only limited by your imagination. Every minute of every day, someone is starting a service or inventing a product that will take care of the things you’d rather not do.

Bill paying?

Set up online banking. Seriously, that is so 20th century.

Do you remember the last time you went to the bank? The bank wants you to bank from home. Banker’s hours are 24 hours. Take a picture of that check from Aunt Sally and deposit it using your phone.

Saving and Investing.

I am not prepared to endorse any specific financial product or service. What I will say is this: There are several automated investment services that you can sign up for and control from your handheld devices. In some cases, investing automation does a better job than most humans. You just might get rich while you sleep!

Learn that smart phone!

With most digital devices, you can track your budget, track your diet, track your sleep, pay your friends, order take-out food, order eat-in food, order groceries, track your exercise, track other vital health stats and refill prescriptions. There is one large online retailer, named after a South American river, that can deliver almost anything on a subscription basis. The electronic assistant in your phone can open apps, create appointments, draft texts and emails, read your text and emails, add to-dos, etc. And you can do it from anywhere that has internet connectivity.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts.

This 20th century technology still applies. Please Google "keyboard short cuts."

You’re welcome.

Tame the Internet

There are countless recipes for automation of your favorite apps using a service called IFTTT (If This, Then That).

The Rest of Life

Laundry? You can automate it. Household services and errands? Heat and cool your house? There are automated products and services for all of it.

What about work (and other personal tasks) you ask? Well... it depends. If you have routine tasks that you avoid, you may benefit from the services of a virtual assistant. Think travel arrangements, expense reports, time sheets, data entry, invoicing, routine medical appointments, shopping for food and clothes. The list is endless.

There are tons of theories about why procrastinators procrastinate, and there are techniques for overcoming procrastination. But until you get around to tackling that problem, you can find solutions to get stuff done, leaving time for more procrastinating!

And you may not have to even leave the couch to do it.