It’s no secret that we all waste time in a day, but how much time we waste may be a real shock if you were to sit down and calculate it out. Have you taken an inventory of the things you do in a day that waste the most time? We decided to compile a list of some of the most common time wasters people struggle with daily.
1. Procrastination
We are all guilty of procrastinating sometimes. It’s easy to make excuses to avoid tasks you do not enjoy, however, delaying them isn’t the answer either. It keeps them on your mind longer than necessary. Break this repetitive cycle sooner rather than later by checking off those tasks first.
2. Complaining
Everyone has things in their day that they would really rather not do. Sitting and complaining about them isn’t going to change the fact you need to do them. Use the energy to get the task(s) done quicker instead.
3. Gossiping
Gossiping puts you in a negative headspace, makes you an enemy, not a friend, and is unproductive. Tearing each other down is an unhealthy environment so focus on what you need to do instead of gossiping.
4. Doing Other People’s Work
There is no harm in helping others, but don’t let it get away from you. You need to prioritize your own work first and finish it before you start helping others to save your time, energy, and sanity.
5. Worrying
Have you ever heard the saying “worrying is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere”? Well, that applies here too. Worrying is one of the most unproductive things you can do. Use healthy coping mechanisms to handle stress instead of dwelling on it.
6. Checking Your Email
Email is one of the biggest distractions throughout almost everyone’s day. Set times to check your email and ensure you only check them then so you can get other items on your to-do list done efficiently.
7. Taking Mini Breaks
If you have work to do, avoid scrolling Facebook or watching YouTube videos in between tasks. Derailing your focus even for a couple of minutes can turn into 15 minutes wasted really easily.
8. Waiting
Waiting for something to happen is completely wasted time. Spend that time on your task list instead.
9. Dealing with Clutter
Working in a cluttered space is frustrating and searching for the things you need is a huge time waster. To prevent this from happening to you, declutter.
10. Solving the Same Problem Over and Over
If you’re consistently solving the same problems over and over, you need to come up with solid solutions to solve them and take action to implement them.