Many of us are quick to announce that we don’t have enough time to finish the tasks at home or work. It never occurred to us that we are wasting precious time on the things that don’t matter.
In this article, I will introduce you to five time-wasting behaviours you might not be aware of.
A study on social media has concluded that television, video games and texting are responsible for millions of wasted hours. Imagine if you use the hours you waste on social media to learn a skill; you would be surprised at how much you can accomplish.
There is no secret that we are addicted to social media. This can be translated to procrastination increasing and productivity decreasing. The outcome of our fascination with social media is lost opportunities, regrets, anxiety, lack of confidence and depression.
How to recognize and overcome time wasters
I believe we are aware when we choose mindless activities that will waste our time and energy. It happens when we dislike the task or it takes a long time to complete. It is therefore of utmost importance that these habits are first recognized before they can be dealt with.
Inability to start a task
This time waster is so widely spread and affects all ages and occupations. It could be related to perfectionism, waiting for a special time and doing a flawless job.
I’d like to share this quote by motivational speaker Zig Ziglar: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Permit yourself to be imperfect, especially when learning a new skill.
Decide to delegate
Like many small business owners, I was determined to tackle everything myself. From marketing, sales and production, I wanted to do it all.
Very soon, I discovered that I don’t have every skill needed to do the project. So, I hired experts for jobs that required skills I didn’t have. After paying them, I took the credit for the job well done.
Comparing yourself to others
This time-wasting activity will negatively affect your mental health and emotional stability. Instead of focusing your energy, time and resources on taking the necessary steps, you begin to waste time just complaining and talking about how everyone seems to be having fast and smooth lives while you struggle daily.
This game of judging others has never been so prevalent as it is today. Social media has become a perfect platform for bragging, judging and venting.
Lack of action plan
Many of us, myself included, tend to talk about the great ideas we have and how we will make it work. The next day the great idea dies and the new more elaborate one appears.
If you have a desire to better your life and the life of your family, then you have to prepare yourself for it. This includes writing down your goals, schedules and deadlines.
Postponing unfavourable chores
I believe we are all guilty of preferring the jobs we like. Sometimes out of fear, and probably laziness, we tend to avoid the harder jobs hoping it will get easier the next day.
Household chores tend to accumulate quickly and the overwhelm sets in making us feel guilty and anxious.
The chores you strongly dislike will never be easy, so hiring somebody to finish them is a smart thing to do. Make your home purposeful and your life peaceful.
Life coach Ranka Burzan owns a professional organizing company based in the qathet region and has written several books on reducing clutter and becoming more organized. For information, go to solutionsorganizing.com.
