Main Time Waster and How to Tackle Them

One of the best ways to succeed in getting organized is to be ready for what comes your way. By planning ahead, you avoid the panic and anxiety that can overcome you when the unexpected comes up. One of the first steps in planning is to identify your problem areas.

Main Time Waster and How to Tackle Them

Main time waster includes

  • Paperwork, administrative tasks
  • Phone Calls, Phone Interruption
  • Customer, visitor without appointment
  • Computer, system, equipment problems
  • Unexpected interruption
  • No internal support, other department inefficiencies
  • Too many long and unnecessary meetings
  • Load of work and not enough time
  • Employee issues, absences of staff
  • Changing priorities, unplanned work, and projects
  • Doing the other jobs, many requests from boss
  • Traffic and Travel

Taking Steps

The most common time waster is paperwork or administrative tasks. Although these tasks may seem like a waste of time, they are essential to keeping order and records of your business. Let’s tackle them:

First, determine when your energy level is at its highest, and use that time to tackle those tasks that tap your brain the most. Put all those seemingly Herculean tasks on your to-do list at your peak energy times.

Second, call ahead. If you know that you have a weekly report to do, for example, gather the facts a few days before. A few minutes spent on the phone or sending e-mails to the right parties to assemble data could save you an hour. Place your notes in a file folder labeled “In Progress.” When you’re at your peak productivity time, you want to have the details at your fingertips.

Finally, streamline your process. Clutter creates stress. Select the tools that you use most often, and toss the rest. Don’t waste precious time digging through desk drawers of files, scissors, stapler, and paper clips.

Some Powerful Time Management Tips

Become the Owner of Your Own Time

You wouldn’t let someone help himself to your cash, would you? Why let that person dig into your time? You can control interruptions by having a ready response, such as, “I’d like to help you with that problem. If you send me an e-mail/note/memo, I can give it the attention that it deserves when I’m through here.”

Main Time Waster and How to Tackle Them

 

It is Important to Say No

It’s not easy to do, so we don’t often say it. Here’s an exercise to help you learn to be positive while delivering the negative. At the end of each week for four weeks, write down the requests that you should have turned down. Now write down why it didn’t work out, or why you felt burdened by it. That’s the reason that you’ll give next time you get a similar request.

Main Time Waster and How to Tackle Them

Prioritize and Protect

Ask yourself if you’re working on the most important project. Have you scheduled enough time to do it? You can’t make time go faster or slower, but you can keep a to-do list, freeing up your mind to tackle the work.

You can’t manage every minute of your day, and no one is saying that you should. What’s important is to plan ahead for the big chunks of time to get the work done. It’s also important to give yourself a few breaks. Scheduling in 15 minutes for quiet reflection or a walk around the building can provide just the change in mental attitude that you need to be efficient in business and to continue to enjoy life.

Main Time Waster and How to Tackle Them

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