There’s really nothing any of us can do about it. We can sleep, we can work, we can study, and we can run around as much as we like. But as hard as we try, as much as we wish we just had another minute or two sometimes, it’s impossible to make the day longer than 24 hours. So how can we conquer this little problem? The answer is effective time management. We’re here to help with eight tips that will make your days (and your nights) seem longer.

Of course, we all have different priorities and lives. Some of us struggle splitting our time between work and family. Others struggle chopping up the hours between schoolwork and boyfriends. Either way, these general tips will start to free up valuable seconds, minutes, and hours in your life.

1. Break your day down into units of time. You may remember this technique from the 2002 movie “About a Boy” starring Hugh Grant. (It’s actually a pretty good movie.) Grant’s character in the film breaks the entire day down into units to understand how he spends his time. Give it a try: Work with 48 units (one for each half hour) and map out the day when you wake up. Will you spend four or six units studying? How many units will it take to balance your bank accounts? Oh, and make sure you factor in some units for sleeping.
2. Find out where your time is going. At the end of each day, think back to what you did and where you wasted the most time. Are you spending too much time on email? Could you delegate some responsibilities? Could other people (like friends or kids) chip in? When you discover who or what is stealing your time, find a way to steal it back.
3. Combine activities. Can you study and hang out with friends at the same time? Can you go grocery shopping and play with your kids simultaneously? Try to multi-task to leave yourself some task-free time.
4. Get a daily planner. You know the ones, those big, obnoxious calendars that people keep on their desks. They may not be as attractive as a souvenir paper weight or a colorful coffee mug, but daily planners will help you get your thoughts in order. And, by writing down everything you have to do, you’ll feel more in control.

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