How to Get 5 (or Even 10) Hours Back Each Week—Without Doing More

Most of us don’t need better to-do lists.

We need fewer, smarter ones.

Because the real time drain isn’t the big, obvious tasks, it’s the sneaky ones. The half-finished, mentally bookmarked, constantly resurfacing items that live rent-free in your head. Or in my case, the 37 tabs currently open on my laptop. I tell myself this is my living to-do list but it’s really just a reminder that I’m not getting so.many.things done and still feeling stressed by each of them. The “don’t forget to…”s. The tasks that technically take five minutes but somehow steal hours.

The good news? With a few intentional shifts, you can realistically save 5 hours a week, and with deeper changes, even 10 hours, without adding pressure or productivity theater.

Step One: Rebuild the List You Already Have

Before outsourcing or reorganizing responsibilities, start with how your list is structured. Efficiency begins before delegation.

1. Batch What Belongs Together

Context switching is a huge time thief. Every time you move from one type of task to another, you pay an invisible tax.

Instead of listing:

• Call pediatrician
• Order vitamins
• Email teacher
• Schedule car service

Batch by mode:

• Calls (no one likes the phone, no one, but think of it as a business, like your an assistant to yourself, for some reason that takes the personal “I hate this” vibes out of the chore)
• Online orders (so many scattered carts each day and some should never be purchased but isn’t it frustrating when the grocery cart has been open for 2 days and now you’re out of milk?)
• Emails/messages (this is an oldie but a goodie, respond to emails 2-3 times/day at set times, like morning coffee, school pickup, while you make dinner or ahead of dinner, so once dinner is on, you’re present with the fam for the rest of the night)
• Errands (the biggest time thief when done each day vs 1-2 set days/times each week). I like to combine errands with soccer practice. Drop off, run errands, pick up.

Then handle each batch in one sitting. Even more helpful: pick a standard window 1-2 days a week. Like 9 -10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, those are your call windows. No one to call - yay, you just got a little time back in your day. You’ll move faster, feel less drained, and stop reopening the same mental tab over and over.

TIME SAVED: 1–2 hours per week.

2. Combine Tasks That Share a Location or Outcome

Many lists are inefficient because they treat connected tasks as separate events.

Sneaky examples:

• “Target run”
• “Return Amazon package”
• “Pick up prescription”
• “Grab gift bag”

These aren’t four tasks—they’re one errand loop.

Combine them into:

“Saturday errand run: Target, UPS, pharmacy”

One departure. One parking moment. One mental ramp-up.

TIME SAVED: 30–60 minutes per week.

3. Remove Tasks That Shouldn’t Be on the List at All

Some items don’t need to be “managed”—they need to be decided once.

Examples:

• “What’s for dinner?”
• “Did I respond to that email?”
• “Schedule oil change” (again)

These belong to:

• Defaults (standing meals, subscriptions)
• Automations (calendar reminders, auto-ship)
• Systems (recurring appointments booked in advance)

TIME SAVED: 1–2 hours per week.

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That’s 5 Hours—Now Let’s Talk About 10

Saving 5 hours comes from list efficiency + systems.

Saving 10 hours requires something deeper: true handoff.

Not just assigning a task—but removing the mental load that comes with it. We dabbled with that in the 5 hour savings but this is where we look harder to identify those things so that they aren’t even a part of a conversation, we just know what we do.

4. Clarify Ownership, Not Help

Many tasks linger because responsibility is fuzzy.

“I’ll help with…”

“Can you remind me to…”

“Just let me know what to do…”

That language keeps the mental load anchored to one person + is a setup for frustration for both parties. The “did you do it”, to “yes, I did it”, creates a lot of space for frustration and resentment.

Instead, define full ownership:

• Who handles it
• How decisions are made
• What “done” actually means

Example:
Not: “Can you help with school lunches?”
But: “You own school lunches Monday–Thursday, including planning, shopping, and prep.”

Ownership removes follow-up.
Follow-up is where time disappears. (and resentment builds).

TIME SAVED: 2–3 hours per week.

5. Outsource the Things That Require Presence, Not Preference

Some tasks stay on lists because they require being somewhere—not because you care how they’re done.

Sneaky time-stealers:

• Returns
• Grocery runs
• Waiting for repair appointments
• Gift purchases + wrapping
• Organization projects you keep postponing

Outsourcing isn’t about luxury—it’s about closure. When these things don’t fit on anyone’s list or take time away from things that matter, look to outsource to a family or personal assistant. Think about how much your time is worth. Would you pay $45 to have a whole week’s worth of errands done so you don’t have to think about them and can take space for something that means more? A walk with your partner, a playground play date with your kiddos, a workout, a coffee with a friend? It feels like you’re losing money by not outsourcing… Ahem, we’d recommend TULA. 

When something is fully handled by someone else, it leaves your head entirely. That’s the real ROI.

TIME SAVED: 2–4 hours per week.

6. Know It’s Done (So Your Brain Can Let Go)

The mental load isn’t just the task—it’s the uncertainty.

Did it get done?
Do I need to check?
What if something went wrong?

Clear confirmation—whether from a partner, system, or support person—closes the loop.

When you trust the handoff, your brain stops monitoring it.

That’s when time and energy come back.

The Bottom Line

Saving time isn’t about doing everything faster.

It’s about:

• Fewer lists
• Cleaner handoffs
• Clear ownership
• Prioritizing with purpose
• And removing tasks from your list (and head) entirely, not just your calendar

Five hours comes from efficiency.

Ten hours comes from action and embracing change.