Time-wasters do nothing but impede or delay the ideal life you are committed to creating. The good news is they are simple to eliminate. They simply become something you used to do when you were okay with staying where you were. The difference now is that you are ready to move on and create your ideal life – and letting them go is a snap.
Here are a few examples of time wasters. Remember, it all adds up.
1. Not doing similar activities together can waste time.
2. Spending time trying to fix things you can’t and never will control.
3. Doing things that can be delegated, or at least delayed.
4. Getting caught up in reading all the personal jokes and entertaining things people send to your email.
5. Playing telephone tag when you really should work, as much as possible, by appointment.
6. Entering into superficial chitchat when you really don’t care and even sometimes when you might care.
7. Going to meetings or attending membership group events that provide no real value to you or your firm.
8. Letting team members or others interrupt you and distract you from what is on your calendar.
9. Answering the phone when nobody else is in the office to answer it for you.
10. Taking calls when someone calls instead of scheduling a phone appointment.
11. Trying to make something ‘perfect’ when it is effective the way it is now. It may never be ‘perfect’ and you could be wasting valuable time trying to make it that way.
12. Having a policy that you take walk-ins when it would be better, for many reasons, if you worked by appointment only. Of course, there might be an exception when someone has an emergency.
13. Surfing the internet when it isn’t a high pay-off activity.
14. Checking voicemail when your assistant can do this or it isn’t on your calendar to do.
15. Getting sucked into ‘water cooler’ talk, just because.
16. Getting ready to get ready. Quit thinking about something you think is beneficial to do and just do it now.
What time wasters are you doing to eliminate so you can be even more focused on your highest pay-off activities and achieve your goals?
