Yesterday I talked about some of those more leisurely, yet non-productive, activities we tend to incorporate into our daily routine, ahead of some of the tasks that we really should be prioritizing. It's these activities such as lazing on the couch watching television, or spending time scrolling through social media for some gossip, or going out drinking each weekend with the mates, or sleeping in excessively, or spending lengthy periods on the phone talking to our friends, or maybe just lazing around doing nothing, that I'm specifically referring to. They involve no energy, they are easy, they are satisfying, and they are relaxing, hence why we find them so appealing, enjoyable and attractive. The problem is though, that these sort of activities are time bandits. They are activities that are robbing us of precious and valuable time in which we can be working on creating a far better future for ourselves. Time bandits lead to inefficiency and unproductiveness. I'm the sort of person who has never had the knack for subtly concluding a conversation, when a person waffles on too much, and starts eating into time where I need to get a task done. I've always felt rude and heartless to do so. Many of these type of people perhaps have no one really to talk to in life, or no one who takes the time to listen, or no family, or no friends. They may be lonely or aged, and they appreciate anyone who actually engages in conversation with them. I truly feel for them, hence why I always found it difficult to disengage. The problem with many of these people is they also lack consideration towards those whom they start conversing with, not having the realization and understanding that this individual needs to continue working, or needs to continue to serve others, or needs to be getting some important tasks done. They are classic time bandits.
I used to deal with many of these individuals in my previous job, who would stand there at the counter, telling me about their life story, or be waffling on about something that wasn't business related. Meanwhile, the line of customers was fast building behind them, glaring at me, as this individual continued to talk. Even with my attempts at breaking the conversation, or explaining that customers were waiting behind them, they never seemed to care. Ultimately, the only result of these situations was an increase in customer complaints from having to wait so long, and I was also being non-productive in non being able to get to serve those who were there for genuine business needs. Sometimes in life, we simply need to be cruel in order to be kind, as difficult as that may be. If not, we become the ones affected and negatively impacted. These time bandits aren't just restricted to people at work, they may also be our friends, our loved ones, our workmates, or our neighbors. They personally lack direction, they aren't goals driven, nor are they in the process of seeking their purpose in life, so they have time on their hands. One of the activities they love to do, is get in contact with people like you and I, so they can spend their time conversing with us. Now there's nothing wrong with socializing, or meeting new people, or engaging in conversations with our friends, loved ones, neighbors, workmates, or the like, but there are times we also need to decline the chat, or refrain from spending too much time conversing, especially in meaningless conversation, and we simply need to disengage. If we don't do so, we are chewing up extremely important time that we could be working on the actions progressing towards our goals, or be working on creating a future blessed with success, happiness, and prosperity.
The other time bandit is that in which I mentioned at the start of today's blog, all those leisurely and fun, yet non-productive, activities. When we break it down though, it's not the activities themselves that are the time bandits, it's actually ourselves. We are our own time bandit. After all, it's us who make the choice to do these activities, no one forces us. So many of us whinge and complain that there's never enough hours in the day, and certainly not enough to be applying ourselves to be working on our goals, but not only does this reveal how much we don't prioritize, or value, our own future and happiness, but we also aren't being entirely honest with ourselves. The truth is, there is plenty of time in a day, and we are all entitled to the same equal amount, however people apply themselves to the wrong activities. Guaranteed, if someone isn't generating success, or progressing towards achieving their goals, then their priorities and time are being spent in the wrong areas. Granted we need a few minutes of down time during the day, here and there, but many of us tend to extend these times out unnecessarily, or we direct our focus onto those unproductive activities. After a long day at work, most people come home feeling exhausted, and it's a challenge in itself just to get dinner cooking, clean up the dishes, and then perhaps tend to the children. It's natural to just want to then put our feet up, relax on the couch, and watch some television, before bedtime, however watching television isn't the answer to a happy, successful, satisfying, fulfilling, and prosperous future. As difficult as it may be, it's those sort of times we need to be redirecting our focus towards working on the actions that are enhancing our future. Even an hour or two of working on these actions each day, is still forward progression, and that is vitally important.
One of the activities we indulge in way too much, that eats up so much valuable time, and more than we actually realize for that matter, is browsing through social media. On average, we spend a staggering two hours on social media each day. If you think this average is exaggerated because of the the millennials, and the fact they spend so much time on social media, you'd be right to an extent, because they do spend a whopping 2.5 hours on there on average, however even those in the middle aged category are spending 1.5 hours on average on there also. Considering so many of us are crying out for more time in the day, just imagine what other productive activities we could actually be doing in those 90 minutes that we are losing by hopping on social media. Referring back to watching television, on average, we spend around 3.5 hours each day watching the box. Once again, it's the younger age group who inflate these figures, however, those of us who are middle aged still spend 2.5 hours each day watching television. So if we combine the time we spend on social media, and watching television, right there are 4 hours of our day wasted on non-productive activities. Talk about time bandits, these two are the biggest culprits. Then we have time spent socializing, and whilst it's important to spend time with our friends, and be interacting with others, there are times we need to turn down that invitation of coffee, or to go out on the town for a few drinks. On average, we spend just over half an hour of our day socializing, and whilst we put these times down mostly to being on the weekend, in bulk, there's 3.5 hours of each week being allocated here. Even cutting down these times to once a fortnight, or even better, once a month, we can still maintain healthy friendships, whilst freeing up some extra time to work on our goals. We should encourage our friends to utilize that time in the same way. We can certainly do away with the waste of time gossip sessions we have on the phone during the week also.
Gaming has increased in popularity in recent times, and this time the statistics don't include the likes of teenagers, or even those in their twenties. On average, those who are middle aged are spending an hour a day on playing games, be it video consoles, or online gaming apps. Gaming may be a great form of fun and entertainment, and whilst we may be working to achieve glory and success in conquering the various games and quests we dearly enjoy, it's certainly not leading us to glory and success in real life. In fact, it's leading us to failure and unhappiness. Gaming joins the list of time bandits. We may look at some of the above activities and say to ourselves, "well I don't even spend anywhere near that amount of time doing those things, or I don't even do them at all, and yet I'm still busy". This can only leave one thing; work. We don't have the time in our day because our job or our business demands that we work long hours. For many of us, creating a successful and profitable business is one of our goals, so we apply ourselves wholeheartedly to it. All entrepreneurs want to get out of the blocks as fast as they can, and minimize the amount of time their business isn't generating profit, as after all, it's these business profits that then determine that individual's income. In order to generate these profits as fast as possible, many entrepreneurs work extremely long hours, but in doing so, they are creating an imbalance in other aspects of their life. It's fair enough we need to make sacrifices in order to succeed, however you don't want to be busy creating a life for yourself, that you completely forget to have a life altogether. 7 to 9 hours sleep per night, 30 to 60 minutes intense physical exercise, a few hours of family time, and a general commitment to our overall health and well-being, should always be prioritized on our daily schedule, and none of these should ever be something to be sacrificing. This comes back to limiting ourselves to no more than 10 hours working within our business each day. It's not about working harder and longer, it's about working smarter and wiser.
For those who work in the corporate world, many of us are that inundated with workload, that we often commit to working through our meal breaks, and to working overtime, just to keep on top of it all. We may not like our job, but we value it, because it is our source of income, and because we value it so much, we tend to do more than we should. With the commuting included, we find ourselves leaving for work at around 7am, and then not returning home until 6pm-7pm. There's around half our day allocated to our job, and like the entrepreneurs I discussed above, a massive imbalance is created here also. Most corporate job workers are paid for time, not for their results or performance, and most corporate job workers are paid pretty poorly, let's be honest. So here we are, working long hours, sacrificing more important aspects of our life in the process, all for a crap salary. Yes we need to survive, and yes we need an income, but again, we also need to think smarter. Is a corporate job, with a poor to average salary, that requires you to work long hours, and sacrifice other aspects of your life, really the answer to achieving your goals and creating the future you desire. Be it running a business, or working for a corporation, if we allow ourselves to work excessive hours, then our work can also become a time bandit. Find balance, and if you don't think you can create that balance, then you're not trying hard enough.
So whilst many of us believe we are busy, and we just don't have the time to be applying ourselves to our goals, or engaging in opportunities that have the potential to enhance our future, we need to ask ourselves, "what are we really busy doing?" We all have ample time in our day to shape ourselves a future we desire, and one that is blessed with happiness, success, satisfaction, fulfillment, goals accomplishment, and prosperity, it just all comes back to what activities we choose to prioritize, and what activities are nothing more than time bandits. We are all here for a limited time only, so don't waste that time! Make every moment count!
#Thursday #ThursdayMotivation #motivation #quote #time #bandit #thief #priorities #schedule #goals #success #future #happiness #satisfaction #fulfillment #prosperity #friends #busy #work #job #business #balance #SocialMedia #television #family #health #exercise #sleep #WindOfChangeNow
About the Creator
David Stidston
My name is David Stidston, and I am a single father to my 8-year-old daughter Mia. We live in the beautiful city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. I am currently self-employed, working as a freelancer and casually in market research.
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Truth Or Dare
We know that a dare is a challenge that requires us to demonstrate courage in order to accomplish it; to take a risk, as it were. Perhaps you have previously played the good old "truth or dare?" game with a group of friends, and when it came around to you being given the responsibility to choose one, either option would always feel a little uncomfortable. You would have either had to reveal something perhaps private, secretive, or awkward, about yourself, that you preferred not to share, however you knew the game was about being totally honest, or you were given a task or action, that was very upfront, confronting, and maybe even put you at risk to potential harm or injury. Although, if played sensibly, it's a game that poses no risk to our health or life, it's a great little tester in measuring our courage, to an extent anyway, whilst incorporating some fun and socializing with our friends into it. It drags us out of our comfort zone, and forces us to do something, or say something, that we wouldn't normally do or say, nor would we feel comfortable in doing or saying. When all is said and done though, once into the game, that initial discomfort and awkwardness soon turns into a few laughs and some good fun. As our friends begin to start revealing some truths, and start engaging in some dares of their own, we become a bit more relaxed, and we soon understand that we all each have our own secrets and fears. We also begin to understand that steeping out of our comfort zone isn't as bad as we assumed it would be. Initially, things were awkward and uncomfortable, but soon become fun. We parted with that barrier that was holding us from having fun, and kept us in discomfort. Once we let go of that care and fear, it became enjoyable. If only we responded the same way in real life.
By David Stidston5 years ago in Motivation
Dream Big. Work Bigger
Dreaming big has always been celebrated. From childhood, we are encouraged to imagine limitless futures, to picture ourselves succeeding beyond ordinary boundaries. Dreams give us direction, hope, and a sense of purpose. But dreams alone are fragile. Without action, they remain ideas—beautiful, inspiring, and incomplete. That is where the second half of the phrase matters most: Work Bigger. “Dream Big. Work Bigger.” is not just a motivational slogan. It is a mindset that acknowledges a hard truth many people avoid: extraordinary dreams demand extraordinary effort. The size of your dream sets the destination, but the size of your work determines whether you ever arrive. The Power of Dreaming Big Dreaming big is an act of courage. It requires you to think beyond your current circumstances, resources, or limitations. Big dreams often feel uncomfortable because they challenge the identity you currently hold. When you dream big, you are admitting that you want more—more growth, more impact, more meaning. Big dreams also create clarity. They help you define what truly matters to you rather than what is merely convenient or expected. A bold vision acts like a compass, guiding decisions both large and small. When your goals are clear, distractions lose some of their power. You begin to ask better questions: Does this move me closer to my dream, or further away from it? However, dreaming big has its risks. Big dreams can intimidate, not only others but also yourself. They can invite doubt, fear of failure, and the temptation to stay comfortable. This is why many people quietly shrink their dreams over time. They convince themselves to aim lower, not because they lack potential, but because they underestimate the effort required to aim higher. Why Working Bigger Matters More Hard work is often misunderstood. It is not simply about working longer hours or exhausting yourself. Working bigger means working with intention, discipline, and consistency over a long period of time. It is about aligning your daily actions with your long-term vision, even when motivation fades. Working bigger requires patience. Results rarely appear quickly, especially when the goal is meaningful. The effort you put in today may not show visible rewards tomorrow, or even next month. This delayed gratification is where many people give up. They mistake slow progress for failure and stop just before momentum builds. It also requires humility. Working bigger means accepting that you do not know everything and that growth often involves learning through mistakes. Feedback, setbacks, and moments of doubt are not signs that you are on the wrong path. Often, they are evidence that you are stretching beyond what is familiar. Most importantly, working bigger requires consistency. Talent may open doors, but consistency keeps them open. Small actions, repeated daily, accumulate into powerful results. Writing one page every day eventually becomes a book. Practicing a skill regularly transforms ability into mastery. Working bigger is less about dramatic bursts of effort and more about showing up, again and again. The Gap Between Vision and Reality Many people live in the gap between what they want and what they are willing to do. They admire success stories without acknowledging the years of unseen effort behind them. Social media often amplifies this misunderstanding by highlighting outcomes rather than processes. The truth is less glamorous but far more empowering. Success is usually built quietly. It is created in early mornings, late nights, and moments when no one is watching. It is shaped by choices that feel ordinary at the time but prove extraordinary in hindsight. Bridging the gap between vision and reality means being honest with yourself. Are your daily habits aligned with your dreams? Do your actions reflect the future you say you want? This honesty can be uncomfortable, but it is also freeing. It gives you control. Once you recognize the gap, you can start closing it, step by step. Redefining Failure and Progress Working bigger also means redefining how you view failure. Failure is not the opposite of success; it is part of the process. Every attempt teaches you something—about your strategy, your mindset, or your limits. When you work bigger, failure becomes data, not a verdict. Progress is rarely linear. There will be periods of rapid growth and long stretches where nothing seems to change. During those quiet phases, the temptation to quit is strongest. But often, those are the moments when the foundation is being built. Growth happens beneath the surface before it becomes visible. Learning to appreciate progress, even when it is subtle, helps sustain momentum. Progress might look like improved discipline, clearer thinking, or greater resilience. These internal shifts often come before external success, and they are just as important. Living the Mindset Daily “Dream Big. Work Bigger.” becomes powerful when it is lived daily, not just repeated. It shows up in how you manage your time, how you respond to setbacks, and how seriously you take your own goals. It means choosing long-term growth over short-term comfort and commitment over convenience. This mindset does not demand perfection. It asks for effort, honesty, and persistence. There will be days when you fall short, when energy is low, and when doubt is loud. Working bigger does not mean never struggling; it means continuing despite the struggle. In the end, big dreams are not fulfilled by chance. They are earned through consistent action, thoughtful effort, and the willingness to keep going when the outcome is uncertain. When your work grows to match your dreams, something powerful happens. The future you once imagined slowly becomes the life you are building. Dream big, because your potential deserves space. But work bigger, because dreams only come alive through action.
By Saboor Brohi 6 days ago in Motivation
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