Things that Waste Time During the Day

We all want to achieve our targets, we all want to be productive and kill the day. You know as well as I we all have the same 24 hours. But what really stops us are some little things that waste plenty of our time.

But before getting down to action, we need to open our eyes to recognize them.

Well, let me help you understand some of those things you might be doing to waste your precious time during the day. 

20 things that waste your time during the day

1. Scrolling social media

Well. How can it not be on our list when it’s the #1 culprit? Sometimes it’s good

to unplug and relax, but not at the expense of everything on your list!

2. Watching TV

It’s good if it is to refresh yourself after a hectic day, but if you are doing it all day, you know it is highly concerning. This goes for having the tv on in the background on a low volume as well. It can distract your attention and keep your train of thought from actually fully forming. 

3. Not having a meal plan

When you don’t know what you are going to cook, you would not only be wasting your time thinking but also getting the ingredients ready. This applies to all meals of the day and even snacks! I found when I implemented this into my home, I didn’t need to struggle and think every night. I also didn’t waste extra time at the grocery store. 

4. Neglecting the importance of a to-do list

A to-do list can save your day by keeping a tab of the tasks you are supposed to do. And also keep you away from the tasks which aren’t nearly as important or necessary. It also helps to keep you from getting distracted when the task gets hard! I always refer back to my list when I don’t want to do the hard things, and try to do them first. 

5. Procrastinating

We’re all pro at this but let us face the fact here. When you procrastinate things for tomorrow out of indolence, you are only adding more to your schedule.

6. Not getting all groceries in one go

It’s easy, multiple visits mean more wastage of time. This goes hand in hand with the meal plan, if you have it, you will know what you need when you visit the grocery, and be able to grab everything you need at once. This one is super hard for me as our plans and needs for how many people will be over changes every day. Sometimes my husband is traveling and sometimes he has late meetings that involve dinner. Most of these things I don’t know but a few days before they happen. 

7. Refusing to adopt new technologies

Bearing our love for old-school things, we forget that advanced technologies make our work easy. So, if you can afford it, go for it. This also includes hiring help to do the things you could learn, but would take much longer than letting someone else do them. 

8. Multitasking

When you shift your focus on multiple things, you won’t only be compromising

with the quality, but also run the risk of doing it all over again if something goes wrong. I find when I multitask, as simple as trying to respond to a text while typing something else, I lose my train of thought and waste more time. 

9. Being unorganized

It does nothing more than making a mess of things. A little organizing can help here. When I’m unorganized I feel my brain is also unorganized. If things are too cluttered, I can’t think and can only focus on getting organized before doing anything else. 

10. Delegating

Delegation is an important managerial tool. You get to focus on more key issues rather than wasting your time on trivial ones. Delegating also allows you to have the time and space to do things you want and are good doing, versus trying to do all the things, all the time. 

11. Doing things in variation

Doing tasks of different nature would only direct your mind to readjust, therefore, it is good if you do tasks first that are similar in nature. This could be the reason why some people are great work from home people and why others can’t let the laundry or dishes sit while they have a mini break thinking they can accomplish more. 

12. Not focussing on actions

As easy as ABC, we can ponder over a million things without getting into action. Forbid yourself from that and save time.

13. Succumbing to distractions

Phones are not only the greatest distractions, but casual munching or even an

unnecessary conversation can take up much of your valuable time when you are short of it. I sometimes delegate specific times of the day, especially the afternoons, to have conversations I know will take my attention. If I try to have them during the morning, my most productive time, I will have so much distraction for the rest of the day. 

14. Uncherished relationships

We tend to waste our time and energy on people who have no regard for us, just because we are scared of being alone. In this regard, please spare yourself the time and toxicity, please. This also applies to family members and friendships as well as business relationships. I learned the hard way last year, and honestly feel so much better and lighter emotionally now that I’ve released some of these. 

15. Mindless working

There’s no use in working if you can’t give your attention to it. Devote yourself, otherwise, you either won’t witness good results or would have to go through it again. If you can’t do the mindless work, and give your attention, find someone who can, and outsource it! 

16. Overwhelming yourself with tasks

You have to be realistic when you are setting targets. You can’t overburden yourself and end up doing almost nothing due to the stress and load of it.

17. Not being intentional

Being intentional is to know why you are doing what you are doing. If you are clueless, you rather not waste your energy doing the task. If you need help with learning how to be intentional, check out this post here. 

18. Not knowing the hacks

There are simpler and convenient ways of doing things – whether it is cleaning or something else. Become a Mr-know-it- all here. Look for some hacks, swear by them and save time.

19. Always saying yes

Trust me, saying yes to everyone can be the death of you. Learn to say a no when you know you have so much on your plate.

20. Operating without a plan

Having a plan means, less thinking and more actions, and as we said before, actions matter more than thoughts.

Last but not least

We do not need to tell you time is precious. Do not waste it away. However, at the same time, allow us to tell you this – do not operate like a robot. Do not forget yourself in the middle of it.

 

Phone calls, long runs, and time management are just a few of the things that can waste huge amounts of time during the day. In fact, studies have shown that we spend an average of 30 minutes each day on activities that are considered to be time wasters. This includes checking our emails, answering our phones, and planning our meals. While some of these activities may seem innocuous, they can quickly add up and take away from our free time. So, if you’re looking to make better use of your time, be aware of these potential time wasters and try to limit your exposure to them. By doing so, you’ll find that you have a lot more time to enjoy the things you love.