Q/A Friday: What are 5 ways to save time in my day?

Q: I feel like there's never enough time in the day! How can I save small bits of time that will add up?

A: In today's fast-paced world, literally every second counts. There are tons of ways to save time here or there, but here are the five that I depend on most frequently:

1. Hack Microsoft's Autocorrect
Traditionally, autocorrect is a system that will change spelling errors like "teh" to "the," but did you know that you can manipulate this system to create an abbreviation for something you type frequently? Watch this tutorial to learn how you can shave TONS of time from writing repetitive emails:

2. Use Quick Keys

Image via Stuart Miles

By now you are probably familiar with copy and paste with CTRL+C and CTRL+V, but did you know that you can switch back and forth between windows using ALT+Tab? What about ALT+F4 to close a window or CTRL+T to create a new browser tab? Keeping your hands at the keyboard and away from the mouse can shave off tons of time over the course of your day if you live at your computer. Click here to download a printable quick keys cheat sheet (2 per page so you can share with a friend!)

3. Dual Monitors

Double your screen's real estate, double your productivity! Dual monitors are great for a number of reasons. Here are some sample ideas: Watch a tutorial on one monitor while actually DOING it on the other When creating a report, keep your report open on one monitor and research with the other When writing an email or blog, have the email open on one monitor and get your source material (links, research, etc) from the other Adding an additional monitor to your laptop is a relatively cheap and insanely easy way to increase your productivity. You can connect via VGA or HDMI (if you computer and monitor support an HDMI connection). And yes, that's my actual work station.

4. Use Google Products

Part of Google's philosophy is Focus on the user, Fast is better than slow and You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer, all of which are reflected in the products that they create. Use Google to manage your contacts & calendar as well as keep them in sync across your computer and devices. Use Google Docs (transitioning to Drive) to work collaboratively or gather information. Use Chrome to Phone to send important information from your browser to your Android phone (like a detailed map of a property tour), or Google Voice to manage your voicemail. On a personal or business level, Google has the tools to make your life easier, from your desk or your phone.

5. Keep all your To-Dos in one place

Image via David C. Dominici

With today's cloud and smartphone technology, there's simply no reason to make your life difficult by keeping your to-dos scattered across notebooks, Post-Its and random scraps of paper. Find a cloud- and app-based solution that works for you and your team (or family) and watch your productivity soar! My team and I are currently using Astrid to manage our group tasks, but I also like Producteev and Wunderlist.

So tell me: How do YOU save time in your day?