If you haven't noticed, we're big fans of Lifehacker around here. That's because, from keyboard shortcuts to work productivity, this blog consistently delivers tips to help us do things faster.

So when they pointed readers to an article entitled "How to Shave 10 Hours Off Your Work Week," (written by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers) you better believe I got to clicking.

Here are a few of my favorites from the list—which, coincidentally, are the ones I find the most challenging:

Touch email messages once only. The information hasn't changed—read it thoroughly and then take the appropriate action: "do, delegate, defer, file or delete it." (Read more on this.) My inbox would be a lot nicer to look at if I could get a handle on this.

Stop attending low-impact meetings. Low-impact meetings include those where the organizer isn't prepared, the topic isn't defined, or you yourself have no effect on the outcome. If the subject matter is irrelevant to you and your position, ask to be excused.

Try not finishing. Mama didn't raise no quitter, but Hyatt's got a point with this one: Not every project is worth finishing. If you get into something and it doesn't seem worth it (contacting a prospect who's playing hard to get, etc.), give yourself permission to throw in the towel.

Once you've cut the extraneous stuff out of your day, you'll have more time to do what you do best: selling policies.