Many of us wish for more hours in our days, but, much as I would like to, I cannot make that wish come true. Time is the same for everyone: 60 seconds in every minute, 60 minutes in every hour, and 24 hours in every day.

While you cannot have more hours in your day, you can get more day for your hours. The key is to work smarter, not harder, and eliminate trivial tasks so you have time for more important ones. You have to decide what is essential to you, both personally and professionally. Examine your life and goals to determine what is truly important to you, and what really has to be done, and then plan your schedule so you can accomplish the important things.

Here are some tips to help with that:

Clear the Chaos – You cannot be productive if you are working amid clutter. If your desk is piled with so many files and paper that you have no room to work, let alone concentrate, then you have to eliminate everything except what you need and use on a regular basis. This means sorting everything, putting away what you can, and purging anything you do not need to do your work. This not only gives you a calm environment to work in, it also goes a long way toward not wasting valuable time looking for lost papers and files. You will also remove distractions that get in the way of doing your work.

Plan and Prioritize – Before you leave the office each day, make a list of the projects you must get done the next day. As you’re getting ready for work, think about that list. When you arrive at the office, go over the list, highlight the items that are a priority, and work on those first. An important part of your planning will be determining what part of the day is your most productive time. You should work on your most difficult projects during that time. Tasks that do not require you to be in top form, such as returning phone calls and answering e-mail, should be done during the time when you are less productive.

Shun Perfectionism – Perfectionism is a tough issue for many people due to high standards of excellence. There can be severe consequences for mistakes in most professions, so it is imperative that we pay attention to detail and produce error free work. The downside is that this may result in setting unrealistic standards and impossible goals for others and ourselves. We may spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to achieve perfection even when it is not necessary. There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence, but this simply requires doing your best under current conditions. Concentrate on getting the job done. You can always make improvements later.

Avoid Procrastination – Your mantra should be “Do it now…” because procrastination paralyzes progress. Putting off unpleasant or complex decisions and projects only serves to make them more difficult, and in the end it results in your being in a panic because of the time crunch. If an assignment seems overwhelming or complicated, break it into smaller parts and plan how you will get them done. Tackle one part at a time. Otherwise, you may be paralyzed by your inability to start the job and you will get nothing done.

Delegate – Get over the idea that you are the only one capable of handling a job and learn to delegate. This will remove much of the stress of having too much to do. When you do delegate, though, be sure to be clear with your expectations and directions to the other person isn’t set up for failure. Your goal is to get the job done so take all the help you can get, then use this “found” time to do the things that are important to you.

Deter Interruptions – Limit the number of times per day that you check your e-mail and do not take every telephone call. If someone in the office tends to “pop in” for “just a minute,” ask him or her to save their issues to discuss all at one time. If you are interrupted, note where you stopped so you can get back to the project quickly. Remember that you will not only spend unnecessary time on the interruption itself, but you will lose valuable time getting back to your former level of concentration.

Say ‘Yes, but…’ – Learn to say “yes” in such a way that you make yourself and everyone else happy. Does your boss always work in crisis mode rush jobs that keep you from getting to assignments you’ve had for a week? If so, when he gives you a job, say “Yes, but…” That could mean, “but I will have to give some of the work to someone else” or, “but I will not be able to do something else for a few days”, or, “but I cannot work this weekend.” If you adopt this tactic, you will be agreeable, but you will have set boundaries.

Don’t Be Your Own Worse Enemy – Our biggest time wasters are frequently self-made. We procrastinate, interrupt ourselves, and squander time searching for things. We want to be perfect, yet we waste time on trivial tasks that someone else could do, or that do not need to be done at all. Examine your own actions to be sure you are your own worst enemy in your quest to get your time and your life under control.

By making a few simple changes and establishing new habits based on these tips, you will find that you are managing your time much more efficiently. This will result in greater personal and professional satisfaction – and seemingly, more time by getting more out of your day for your hours.