This week I was asked how I manage to fit so much into my day; reading, Twitter, writing, running and my day job.

I have already given a glimpse of how I manage my day in this post about my daily schedule and another which shows how to use Google Reader and Twitter with BufferApp.

If you are to analyse your day honestly most of us can find a few hours that we could put to better use. Now you should always allow for some downtime and don’t cram your day to a point where you are feeling stressed. Balance is always the key.

There were two parts of my day where I turned wasted time into something more productive. The first was TV time.

I do still watch TV, I love re-runs of the The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory, Mad Men was fantastic, as is the current hot series Homeland. But watching these according to my schedule, not to the TV Guides demands; using them to wind down at the end of a busy day.

Soaps and Reality TV are the two biggest offenders. In the UK Eastenders, Coronation Street and XFactor can easily suck up 9 hours a week. That’s a whole days work!

In addition to controlling TV consumption, you can easily grab at least an extra 30 minutes a day by getting up early. This is where I fit in my running, but you could use it for writing, reading, meditation, or any other creative task. Once you get used to rising early it becomes a habit, and you don’t notice it.

These examples alone gain around 12 hours a week, this is without being too prescriptive. Have a think about your week, I’m sure you could find those extra hours if you really want them.

And just to save you a little more time here are some of my favourite links with Sean’s Week on Twitter. If you have any comments about SWOT #22 please leave them below:

Twitter Just Made It a Whole Lot Easier to Embed Tweets

There have been a few significant changes to Twitter this week. For me this was one of the more useful ones from a blogging perspective. Until now it’s been a bit awkward including Tweets in blog posts. Now Twitter has made it as easy as pie.

Google Contacts Integrates With Google+

In an attempt to make Google+ as natural as brushing your teeth, Google are slowly integrating more of the platforms functionality with their other services. Google+ Profiles are now being automatically included in Google Contacts, in addition to the new face recognition functionality, Google+ is growing up fast.

‘The Flinch’ by Julien Smith

Do you shy away from difficult tasks, or have trouble changing the direction your life is taking. According to Julien this reaction is The Flinch. A natural reflex with us from birth to protect us from danger, it has seeped into other parts of our lives, sometimes limiting our ambitions. Julien’s new book is direct and inspiring can be read in an hour; it is part of Seth Godin’s Domino project and available, free from Amazon in Kindle format.

ASOS reduce checkout abandonment by 50%

Sometimes we spend far too much energy on acquiring new customers, when a look at processes closer to home can have the biggest impact on our bottom line. Whilst you cannot just copy the changes ASOS have made and expect to come out a winner, certainly a look at some of the changes they made are inspiration for improvements you could make to increase ROI.

Google’s Updates and the Effects on Blogging in 2012

As the social world online matures expect some changes as we move into the New Year. Not many will be as significant as Google’s indication that social content will be a key indicator when it comes to search. If you do not regularly update your web site, take part in Social Media or interact online expect no rewards from Google in 2012.