Over the past year, I’ve realised more than ever that time is our most valuable resource. We get a finite amount – once it’s gone, it’s gone and there’s no getting it back! So I’m always looking for ways to make the most of my time, to be the most productive and to free up more space for doing what I love with the people most important to me. And the biggest time-wasters are the ones that we do on the regular, because those few minutes add up into precious hours. I’ve rounded up the top 20 ways that most of us our wasting our time on a daily basis, as well as how to fix each one!
1. Reading Emails
Checking your emails is a notorious time suck. Not only does it distract you from the task at hand, but it also makes it more difficult to get back into that task. Each time you check your emails, your brain is pulled away from what you’re meant to be doing and requires longer to get back into its previous mode of working. Try setting out specific times to check your emails throughout the day, rather than reading them sporadically and getting pulled away from more productive work.
2. Checking Social Media
The same goes for social media. How many times have you habitually tapped into Instagram only to find you’re still scrolling 30 minutes later. Try turning off your notifications and setting out specific times for checking your account. If you really struggle to be disciplined with this one, you can download apps that will block social media apps for allotted time periods.
3. Texting/Emailing
On the one hand, texting or emailing can be very efficient. They mean that you don’t get pulled into a long social conversation and can instead cut straight to the chase. However, they can also be extremely inefficient. Constant protracted conversations back and forth with questions and answers about a specific project could be easily sorted in one sitting with a phone call.
4. Looking for Things
If you spend most of your life looking for misplaced items, you’ll know how much time it wastes, let alone how stressful it can be. Try to make sure that everything you own has a specific place and that you always return it after use. That way you won’t spend your time rushing around in a flurry trying to find your keys or wondering where on earth you put your trainers.
5. Piling Not Filing
Piles of papers are never a good idea. They’re extremely difficult to navigate and are likely to cause you grief later down the line. Invest in a filing system of some kind so that you can easily find what it is you’re looking for.
6. Multitasking
Multitasking sounds productive, right? But trying to get two things done at once has actually been proven time and again to be highly unproductive. When multitasking, our brains are really just constantly flitting between different things, making it extremely difficult to focus fully on either and get the job done well and efficiently. Instead, try time blocking your tasks one-at-a-time to get things done quickly.
7. Watching Too Much TV
I love Netflix as much as the next girl, but there’s no denying that it can be the biggest time-waster. It’s easy to get sucked in to mindless shows that we’re not even particularly impressed with. The next episode button is just a click away and it feels easier than getting up to do something productive. I try not to make a habit of watching TV, so I don’t sit down every night in search of something to watch. Instead I try to be more intentional with my watching, tuning in only to things that I really love and that bring me joy.
8. Lacking a Schedule
Leaving your days unscheduled allows you to waste time in a number of ways. It means that you have to spend precious time throughout the day deciding what to do next, and leaves you more likely to be distracted by unimportant things because you’re not working to a deadline. This lack of deadline also means that you’re likely to spend longer than necessary on a task. Parkinson’s law suggests that our work expands to fill the time we give it, so try time-blocking your day to get the very most out of it.
9. Saving Documents Ineffectively
Do you ever just feel too lazy to save your documents properly? Instead choosing to save it as something completely random, possibly to your desktop, or worse some random folder that’s completely irrelevant to the document? And what happens when you try to go back to that document? You spend a good 10 minutes trying to find it, sometimes giving up completely and starting again from scratch. This is a case of short term pain for long term gain: save your documents properly. Your future self will thank you.
10. Not Being Fully Present
When we fail to be fully present, perhaps letting our mind wander to other things, we fail to work efficiently. Our brains are too busy focusing on other things to get the job done quickly. Try to make a habit of being fully present to whatever task your doing, even if you hate it. The more present you are, the quicker it’ll be over! You’re also more likely to get the most learning out of a task when you fully pay attention to it.
11. Caring What Others Think
Caring what others think is a huge waste of time, yet something we all do. People will always have an opinion on what you’re doing and, no matter what you do, you’ll never please everyone. So try not to waste time thinking about it too much!
12. Not Having a Morning Routine
Not having a morning routine can lead to some serious time wasted. Before I implemented one, I’d take an age to get ready, dawdling around with no sense of urgency to get anything done. Having a routine gives you a stricter schedule and forces you be more efficient with your time. Remember Parkinson’s Law – work expands to fill the time we give it.
13. Making Decisions
Being slow in our decision making takes up time that could be better spent elsewhere. Try to get into a habit of making quick decisions and trusting your instincts. Once you’ve made a decision, treat it as final, instead of constantly going back and forth in your mind. Once something is decided, let it lie and move on to the next thing.
14. Commuting
Commuting is often a fact of life that can’t be avoided. But it can be used more productively. Maybe use the time in the car to make phone calls to your loved ones or schedule meetings for work. Listen to an audiobook or podcast. Learn a language. Do something to fill up your time that benefits you in some way.
15. Complaining
Complaining doesn’t fix anything and usually makes us feel worse about a situation. If it’s something you can change, do so. If it’s out of your control, there’s no use complaining and you may as well get one with things. Complaining wastes our time and feeds negativity, so give it the heave-ho.
