Top 5 Common Time Wasters

“I wish I had the time to …”

Do you end up saying that often? If your answer is yes, welcome to the gang of individuals who believe they do not have enough time to figure out the tasks they really want to do.

But is that the truth? does one have no time whatsoever to spare or are there many of the common time wasters sneaking unnoticed right under your nose? If you’re unsure, it’s time you paid attention.

When you aim to realize a target, your mind scampers to seek out time to figure thereon. initially thought, you plan to release large chunks off your schedule in order that you've got ample time to spend on the tasks you desire.

But today, everyone features a major portion of their day tied to varied activities. A student has classes to attend while a working professional features a full-time job. Therefore, when you’re aiming for a difficult goal, freeing up an outsized block of your time, say an hour or two, can seem daunting. As a result, many hands over chasing their dream just because they assume they do not have the time to figure it out.

But, what if you free little blocks of your time throughout your day rather than looking for one big piece? for instance if you would like an additional hour to start out a side hustle, which of the 2 options seem easier?

1. Finding one spare hour within the day
2. Freeing up 3 blocks of 20 min each

For people with an occupied schedule, the second option is a neater choice.

In this article, we’ll check out the foremost common ways people waste time. By knowing the areas where you’re leaking time, you'll hamper a number of that wastage, thereby freeing up many little chunks throughout your day.

Each of those little blocks of your time might not seem significant on their own, but they tally up to an outsized figure by the end of your day. More so on a grander scale.

The most common time wasters

Throughout your day you've got different chores and responsibilities to attend to. For instance, you've got to wake up, take a shower, eat breakfast, get ready, and set about business. you've got no choice but to spend time on such activities. But, are you spending an appropriate amount on your daily routines?

Let me run through a number of the common activities which eat up some time without your knowledge. As you read through each of those, ask yourself if you’re doing all of your best to optimize some time.

The list will exclude the time spent on smartphones because that problem is documented.

1. Awakening to getting started

How long does one get to work on a meaningful task from the time you wake up? Are you completing all of your morning chores within an inexpensive time or are you letting time fly by?

Time taken for the first task

Here are some samples of dalliance from the time you awaken

• Rolling in bed for 20 minutes before sitting up
• Scrolling through the newsfeed of various social networks in bed
• Snoozing multiple times before awakening
• Taking too long to brush, take a dump, shower
• Lazing around doing nothing

Do a couple of hours pass before you choose a meaningful task? Be honest with yourself. After all, you don’t need to send an activity report back to anyone. Knowing how you spend some time will only assist you to stop any loose ends.

If you would like a couple of hours to end all of your usual morning chores, ask yourself, “Do I genuinely need that long or am I slacking off?” Sometimes you've got a legitimate reason, but more often, you’re not mindful of how you spend your morning .

Your mind will argue saying, “I need a quarter-hour to brush my teeth. Oral hygiene is vital .” But is that the reality or are you justifying your slow habits?

How to fix it: Observe your own actions from the time the alarm rings to the time you start the primary important task of the day. If you’re mindful enough, you’ll notice where you’re going slowly. you've got a chance to form longer for yourself if you:

• Identify the most important bottlenecks which are taking some time within the morning
• The tasks and chores you'll complete faster than you always do

That said, don't aim to optimize every single minute of your routine. You’re not a machine, so allow yourself breathing space. But whenever you discover a window of opportunity that will release a block of your time for you, grab it with both hands.

2. Time taken to start a task

How much time does one spend between deciding to start out performing on a task and truly performing on it?

Here’s an example for you explaining how lets say Marcus begins his work routine. Every day, he begins his job at 9:15 AM. As soon as he logs into his computer, he opens FoxSports to quench his thirst for sports updates around the world. Side by side, he opens his to-do list and picks a task to figure on.

But he decides to watch a Youtube video first. 7 more minutes whiz by as Marcus laughs his guts out at a standup comedian’s new gig. When the video comes on the brink of a finish, his phone beeps. an honest friend just sent him a text. the rear and forth messages take a couple of more minutes.

The clock now shows 9:50 AM, but Marcus is yet to start the task he had picked up.

Does Marcus’ morning routine sound like your story? Spending time on irrelevant activities before beginning a task is another major time waster. everyone squanders time before commencing a task in various ways:

• Using Social Media
• Watching Youtube
• Mindless browsing
• Reading news
• Chatting with others
• Exchanging texts

People have their own triggers and interests in one or more of those areas. Some love watching Youtube videos while others enjoy reading the news.

What you spend some time on is beside the purpose . a far better question to ask yourself is “How long?” Spending 5-10 minutes on such activities isn’t a time management sin. But if you would like over half-hour to select your first task from the time you start your workday, you've got a scope for improvement.

How to fix it: Identify what activities you usually enjoy before performing a task. Awareness of where you’re leaking time is the primary dosage of drugs .

In the current world, mobile phones and laptops provide ample opportunities for distractions. If you set your phone on DND and toss it into a drawer before starting work, you’d resist a majority of the temptations then and there.

As for your laptop, only retain the application/browser tab you’re performing on. Close all the opposite applications running within the background like chat messengers, browser tabs with Facebook/news, and whatnot.

3. Short breaks turning long

Everyone needs an opportunity between work to regroup, reorient, and refresh. But, how long does one take an opportunity for?

Let’s check out how let's say John takes an opportunity at work.

As a designer, John works on a task for a stretch for 60-90 minutes. As soon as he’s done, his body craves caffeine. “Let me find a coworker to grab coffee with,” and off he goes looking for his friends, Luke and Barbara. Luke has just begun a gathering while Barbara is true within the middle of a task.

A few minutes later, all three friends are at the pantry chatting over coffee and ice cream. One conversation results in another and by the time they return to their desks, 45 minutes have gone.

Do your brakes last that long or are they short? Sure, you do need a time-out after a task, but does one need a half-hour to rejuvenate yourself? Nope.

If you're taking long breaks and later complain about long working hours, you simply have yourself responsible .

How to solve it: Watch the length of your breaks. A 15-minute break after a 90-minute task should quite suffice. Anything beyond that's pure extravagance.

Spending time socializing to develop your network and cultivate relationships works as a special argument. But taking long breaks with an equivalent set of individuals doing an equivalent thing is a chance to save lots of time.

4. Break after every little task

Is taking a brief break after tasks the answer to time wasted over breaks? Not exactly.

Frequent breaks

Meet Paul who works as a programmer on various tasks throughout the day. Some of his work involves developing large modules that span over hours. At an equivalent time, he has got to fix errors on his previous work which hardly takes 5-10 minutes each.

Every time Paul fixes a bug, he takes an opportunity. So every 10 minutes, he allows himself to recline on his chair and pull a couple of potato chips from the bag on his desk. At times, he walks around, chit chats or picks up coffee from the slot machine .

How often you're taking an opportunity determines how long your break should be. You don’t deserve an opportunity after every small task. And, you actually don't deserve an extended break after a brief task.

How to fix it: Pomodoro technique strikes the proper balance between getting things done and taking breaks. The technique involves working interrupted for a span of your time followed by a brief time-out. The normal method uses a 25-minute work window followed by a 5-minute break. After repeating the cycle 4 times, you permit yourself a extended break of 20-30 minutes.

5. Checking email

How often does one check email? Today, rummaging through one’s inbox has become a habit. Throughout the day, you check for emails albeit you don’t get to.

Meet Marie, who works as a manager at a top organization. Every morning, as soon as she wakes up, before even getting out of bed, she scans her phone for any urgent emails that require her attention. Once she’s at work, her computer keeps buzzing with email notifications. Even when her mind is deep in thought trying to finish a task, she makes it to some extent to glance at the email to see if it needs attention.

When Marie is on vacation, her out-of-office email reads, “I am on vacation until …. Please expect a delay in response.”

If you read that carefully, you’d know what I'm accessing . When you’re on vacation, you’re alleged to stand back from emails completely, not answer them with a delay.

If you've got a compulsion to remain connected with email, you’re losing an enormous chunk of some time. “But I want to see emails often. If not, it’d cause consequences,” you retort. Now, is that supported facts or only your assumption? When was the last time you decrease the frequency of your email checks and evaluated the damage caused?

Keeping your email notifications on kills your productivity. Whenever a replacement email shows up, your eyes cannot resist reading the preview on the corner of your screen. Your brain starts wondering, “Should I work there on email now?” After a few minutes of thought, you opt to require it up later. Once you revisit the task you were performing , you exclaim, “Wait, where was I?”

How to fix it: Do not keep your emails open on your computer throughout. If you've got notifications on your phone for each new email, turn it off.

You can follow one among the 2 approaches to tackle email such you balance productivity and connectivity

1. Check emails a couple of times a day:

If you've got an addiction to emails, you want to do this approach first. Check your emails 3 times – before work, after lunch, and towards the top of the day. At the other time, both your mail application and therefore the notifications should remain closed. For many people, that’s the proper balance.

2. Use 10-minute slots scattered through the day:

If your role requires quicker action towards emails, assign multiple 10 min slots scattered through your day to see your inbox. you'll strategically place them every hour or two to support your needs. But, once you’ve read your emails, close your mailbox and notifications until your next slot.

The less time you spend on email, the more productive you’ll be.

Conclusion

If you've got similar habits of dalliance, don’t kick yourself. We all have our time management flaws and that’s OK. But, if you're dalliance under these 5 areas but refusing to simply accept your mistakes, you’re losing out on a chance to release longer for yourself.

Take a tough check out some time management mirror and evaluate yourself. nobody is watching if you’re honest together with your evaluation, but your future self cares about the changes you create.

So, will you notice the opportunities in your daily schedule to prevent wasting time? the selection is yours.