It is a beautifully sunny morning here in London and it seems that spring is finally here!

Though at the same time, it’s still a bit cold, the evenings will now be longer with more light, partly due to our clocks going forward last Sunday. We of course “lost” an hour on Sunday as British Summer Time began.

Five months ago when the clocks went back, effectively giving us an extra hour, I wrote a post about 9 tips to create an extra hour every day.

On Sunday morning, as I got out of bed at my usual hour but having slept one hour less, I wondered how we could all stop losing an hour everyday and not just on that one day of the year when the clocks go forward.

Conversely I know some people who feel cheated when the clocks are put forward an hour in early spring. But usually this very same people do not realise how many hours they are frittering away through their bad habits.

Focussing on not losing something perhaps will get some people more motivated on doing something about it. Do revisit my article from October and apply the 9 tips to making an extra hour every day.

So here are some simple tips on how not to lose an hour every day:-

1. Get very clear at the beginning of the day just what you want to achieve on that day. Even better plan your day the previous evening.

That way you will have a clear agenda for the day.

2. Make sure you stick to this plan for the day. Of course sometimes you just can’t avoid sudden emergencies or urgent calls on your time but ensure that such “interruptions” are unusual and not the norm.

3. Clear out any energy drainers once and for all. Even tidying up your desk and spending 20 minutes on your filing will ensure a more efficient remainder of the day

4. Train other people to work in the same way as you. Most importantly ensure that they understand your style of working and keep interruptions to a minimum.

5. Focus on the single most important task until you have significantly progressed it or finished it to the best of your ability.

6. This is a big one – get up an hour earlier! Especially now that we have longer days and brighter mornings, a walk first thing in the morning will really set you up for the day. Try it from tomorrow.

7. Finally, at the end of the day, review how your day went, learn and plan your next day accordingly.

Apply these simple tips and you can stop losing at least an hour from your day every day.

Remember, everything you DO and DON’T do makes a difference in the big scheme of things!