On the web there is always an endless list of things you could (or even should) do.  Writing those blog posts or engaging on social networks.  Doing your SEO or sending out the email newsletter.  That’s before we even get started on any paid work such as PPC or affiliate marketing.  It’s easy to spend every waking hour doing something online, and still finding you don’t have enough time to do all that you’d hoped to do.

You might say that the answer is a simple one, that you should simply prioritise that which makes the biggest impact for you and forget the rest.  It’s a noble suggestion with a lot of merit to it.  Some new research suggests that there might be an alternative though, although I should say it’s a rather counter-intuitive alternative.

Are you ready?  Well they suggest that they key to finding more time for yourself is actually to give away some of your time to others.  Sounds impossible right?  Let me explain their thinking.

They’re not suggesting that we can increase the number of hours in the day (obviously), but we can change our perception of how much time we have available, and it’s this perception that can be changed if we do things for others instead of ourself.  They suggest that doing things for other people makes us feel good about ourselves.  When we feel good about time, we get more done, so if we have enough time to give away to others, it must therefore mean that there’s more than enough of it to do our own things.

So next time you’re stuck for time, maybe try doing a guest blog for someone else, or give away your time moderating on a community for free.  The research suggests you’ll greatly benefit from your altruistic deed.

What do you think of the research?  How do you currently manage your time online?