Just about everyone you meet thinks they’re busier than everyone else. We become entranced in our routines, disappointed that we can’t accomplish more while we remain oblivious to the opportunities we unwittingly waste.

Money Under 30 digs into the issue, soliciting ideas about how to find extra time for endeavors such as freelance work, side projects and hobbies. Here are some tips for the story, for which I chipped in some advice:

* Find and use dead space during your day. If you usually space out in front of your computer during your lunch break, you can put the wasted time to use. Other soft spots can include time you’d usually spend watching TV after dinner or downtime during meal preparation.

* Delegating or eliminating pointless tasks. If you’ve got tasks that suck away your time, see if there’s someone who can help share the load. For instance, if the project you’re working on benefits someone else, you can ask that person to step in to handle a task and give you the time you need to get it done. If you find yourself stuck in unproductive commitments, you can eliminate them to free yourself up.

* Strategically sacrifice sleep. My contribution was the strategy of giving up as much sleep as you can muster. When I’m working on a big, time-consuming project, I alternate nights of little sleep with nights of full rest in order to squeeze extra time out of the day without having to float through the next one like a zombie.

Time Management for Freelancers: How To Find Extra Hours for Earning More [Money Under 30]

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