Springtime and extended daylight often inspire us to tackle the tasks on our to-do lists that have been looming for a while. But just when it already seems that there’s not enough hours in a day to get everything done, Mother Nature goes ahead and plays a little joke by springing forward the clock, taking with it one hour of our precious time.

And so in the spirit of springing forward this weekend, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you get everything done with greater efficiency–in order to give you more time to spend focus on the people you love!

• Write it down: Whether you choose to jot notes to yourself, utilize a date planner or calendar, or a handy reminder app, save yourself time in the long run by finding a handy resource that best suits your existing habits to keep track of to-do lists, chores, schedules, and important dates all in one place
• Solve your “Twilight Zone” moments: If you often ask yourself, “Where did the time go?” paying closer attention to time wasters might reveal where you’re getting off track so you can identify routine changes that will prevent these issues from reoccurring. If you spend ten minutes a day trying to decide what to wear, try preparing a wardrobe for the entire week each Sunday night. If you’re regularly searching for a misplaced party invitation or important letter, consider creating a mail center to keep track of important paper items.
• Create a personal timesaving policy: Take a stand against wasting time by always finishing projects to completion and thinking about what you can do in advance to save you time for when you really need it (like going through your mail every single day to prevent pileup or cooking double batches of food and freezing extras).
• Multitask: Multitasking doesn’t mean talking on your phone while driving (it’s dangerous!) but it can mean taking that brand new to-do list and deciding what tasks can be accomplished together with a minimal amount of stops or cross-town driving. Taking care of smaller trips during your commute or on your lunch hour can offer great relief as well, without becoming burdensome.
• Take 15 minutes a day: Set a routine of spending 15 minutes picking up around the house to prevent things from getting messy. If 15 minutes is too much to ask, try cleaning up during commercials or tackling one surface, drawer or cupboard per day.
• Delegate, delegate, delegate: Just because you’re the list holder doesn’t mean that it absolves other family members of any responsibility. Watch for opportunities for other family members to alleviate you of unnecessary trips to the store, or teach them how to do household chores.

What’s your best time-saving tip?