There’s a saying by Bernard Clive that goes, “We don’t manage time, we manage activities within time.” He really nailed it with that one. A lot of folks talk about managing time, but the truth is, time just keeps ticking away, no matter what.
To make the most of your time, being productive is key. By cutting down on those pesky time wasters and focusing on real work instead of just staying busy, you’ll not only get more done, but also find you have more free time.
In this article, we’ll dive into 10 sneaky time wasters that can pop up without you even noticing. Get rid of them, and life will feel a lot simpler and more focused.
1. **Indecision**
Make a plan and stick to it. If you’ve decided to tackle a specific task, don’t second-guess yourself about starting something else first. Just finish what you set out to do. Being decisive saves you mental energy, helps you focus better, and gets the job done quicker.
2. **Not Saying No**
It’s pretty common for coworkers to try and offload their small tasks onto you. They’ll say it’s just a quick job, and they’re swamped. If it happens now and then, it’s fine. But if you struggle to say no, people might start taking advantage of your willingness to help, and soon you’ll be overwhelmed with little tasks. Always wrap up your own work first and see if you have time for a favor.
If you can’t, just say no and let them know you’re busy. Maybe ask if you can trade small tasks instead of you having to do just theirs. Saying no is one of the hardest things, and sometimes once your coworker has figured out you won’t say no? Expect even more of their “small tasks”.
3. **Focusing on Easy Tasks**
Another mistake is knocking out the smaller, easier tasks first. This often leads to neglecting the bigger, more important ones, and when you finally get to them, there’s hardly any time left to give them the attention they deserve. Always prioritize the important stuff before moving on to the rest, no matter how long they might take. Do what you least want to do first, and you can rush through the less critical work later. This is something I find really hard to do, I tend to get small things done, because looking at the larger problem as a whole? Scares me, and I don’t know why.
4. **Lack of Concentration**
When you’re working on something, keep that your main focus. Avoid multitasking or taking too many short breaks for social media checks. Concentrate for about 50 minutes, then take a 5 to 10-minute break. These little breaks will refresh your mind, letting you work longer without burning out.
There are apps on your phone that can lock for a set amount of time, or you can use a timer if need be to be sure you stay on task. There are just too many ways to lose focus and in the end it looks like you are doing busy work and not getting anything done.
5. **Interruptions**
Phone calls, texts, and colleagues stopping by for a chat can all be interruptions. Cut down on these, and you’ll get a lot more done. You can set your phone to stop all texts, calls etc. for another of time. It helps you get stuff done. I have found that if I turn off all notifications on my phone for a set time, I get lots more done! If you work from home, like so many of us do? A simple food timer works, it will help your little ones if you have any but letting them know that you can’t talk to them till the timer goes off. Then spend a little time with them before you get started again.
6. **Perfectionism**
Once you finish a task, and it looks good, move on to the next one. Don’t get caught up in trying to perfect it. Perfection doesn’t really exist. If you keep at it, you are just wasting time, why do you think things always coming out with updates?
7. **Reinventing the Wheel**
If you’ve been doing something a certain way for ages, don’t suddenly feel the need to change it up. Stick to what works. Often, in companies, endless meetings lead to new changes in existing processes every month. While it’s meant to improve things, it can create more issues as people adjust to the new methods. Just when they’re getting the hang of it, there’s a new way to do things, and it’s back to square one. So, plan your tasks wisely once, and make sure your methods are effective. Once you find a groove, don’t keep switching things up.
8. **Unnecessary Planning**
Having one to-do list with a clear plan should be enough. Just work through that plan. Don’t clutter your calendar, laptop, and fridge with plans. Over-planning can lead to confusion. One plan – stick to it. That’s all you need. Also, if all you do is plan on what you are going to do, do you ever get anything done?
9. **Constantly Answering Emails**
Set aside specific times for certain tasks. Instead of checking emails throughout the day, carve out an hour to handle them all at once. After that, get back to your other tasks. If it could only be that easy.
10. **A Never-ending To-Do List**
If you’ve got a to-do list, finish those tasks first. If new ones come up, jot them down on a separate list. Unless something is super urgent, don’t add it to your current list. Clear one list before moving on to the next. If you dabble in multiple lists, you’ll end up with several half-finished tasks or one overwhelming list that just stresses you out.
Keep these 10 points in mind and ditch those time wasters from your day. Remember, what gets measured gets managed. Always check your productivity and streamline your processes until you’re running like a well-oiled machine.
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” – Peter Drucker
