5 Biggest Time Wasters & How to Avoid Them

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365 new mornings

8,760 hours to spend

525,000 passing moments

One full circle of TIME!

We’re all blessed with the same amount in any given year – it’s precious, it’s finite, it’s the one thing we are all always short on, yet it’s amazing just how much of it we manage to waste.

There isn’t enough time for me to cover off on all the biggest time wasting villains, so let’s focus on five of the easiest to do something about.

  1. Poor communication makes for poor results, bad relationships, lousy sex, low morale and a lot of unnecessary rework to name a few. Good communication is a two-way street – sending and receiving. So take the time to explain yourself clearly in the first place, then to ensure the message has been properly received. You won’t just save time, you’ll avoid mixed signals, hurt feelings and a lot of angst.
  2. Insufficient planning can double or even triple the time it takes to get things done. I’m not suggesting you obsess to the point where you schedule every minute of your day – that would be a tad anal. But a little preparation like taking the time to think ahead, sorting out a mental route for errands, getting together the gear you need before you start the job, and giving yourself enough lead time all contributes to a more streamlined approach and better outcomes.
  3. Searching for misplaced essentials like car keys and glasses.  A little organisation please people!  Designate a set place where you always put important things, force yourself to return them to that same spot over and over again, make it a habit. Yay, no more walking around in circles and talking to yourself!
  4. Lack of self-discipline sees our time constantly eaten up by us and others. Frequently our own worst enemy – we procrastinate, can’t say no, don’t prioritise well or allow other people to monopolise our time without even realising it. These self-defeating behaviours keep us from reaching our desired goals big and small – from something as simple as getting the washing done, to big ticket items like going for that promotion or writing that book.
  5. Meetings are often a necessary evil, but the ineffective ones are probably one of the biggest time wasters on the planet.  Not just at work but out in the community, where the number of committee* meetings in some organisations seem to be in inverse proportion to the actual results achieved or action taken.  Problem is not many people seem to know how to run them well and there’s always the windbag who likes to hijack the agenda dragging things on interminably.  Less time, better structure, more meaning = better meetings. And if the meetings you’re involved with can’t offer that, be selective, give ‘em a miss if per-missible.

Wasting time isn’t always a bad thing, we all need some relaxation and diversions in our lives or things could get boring and stressful. So don’t be afraid to daydream now and then, even fantasise a little, and build some chill out time into your day. Just try for a reasonable balance of down time and productivity, and you could be onto something. It’s what called having a LIFE!

P.S. You’ll note that social networking, emails, phone calls, TV and a few others didn’t make the list. But that’s a story for another day.

*You know what they say about committees … think of them as a cul de sac down which ideas are lured then quietly strangled.

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