Break From the Herd

“I once complained to my father that I didn’t seem to be able to do things the same way other people did. Dad’s advice? “Margo, don’t be a sheep. People hate sheep. They eat sheep.”

Margo Kaufman

From The Portable Do It

John-Roger and Peter McWilliams

TIME-SAVING TACTICS

Break From the Herd

By Alina Chase

Do you ever shop at 5 a.m.? Hardly anybody does.

Simply by doing what most people do not, when they do not, you can reclaim enough wasted time to write at least a few more pages per week.

Schedule the first appointment of the day with doctors and dentists and you’re less likely to wait. Arrive at the mall as it opens. Instead of waiting in traffic just to wait in line at the bank at noon on Friday, do banking on Tuesday. Eat out at 5 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. You’ll get a table without waiting—and probably better service.

Begin running errands at 6 a.m. on Sunday and you’ll cruise through deserted streets, park near the door, zip through aisles, breeze through the checkout. Employees and customers are less stressed, actually smiling!

And you’ll be back home and writing before most folks have rolled out of bed…