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Time Wasters Anonymous: How do I Retire from this Club?
Last month we started our focus on Time Management. This is such a big topic and has so much relevancy to us in the workplace that we are going to focus on time wasters.
Considering the speed at which business moves these days, one thing is certain. If you can't manage your time effectively, you will have a hard time managing anything else. Yet most people waste precious minutes, hours even days with old habits that they don't even realize they are doing. They don't realize that there are alternatives and strategies to the classic time wasters which are depleting their energy and impeding their productivity and efficiently.
The problem is time can't be managed - despite time flying, running out of time, or bemoaning there just isn't enough time, you won't get anymore than 24 hours in a day. What time wasters don't realize that it is really "self-management" that is the goal. There are many time wasters - which are your favorites:
What Are Your Time Wasters?
Listed below are the most common time wasters. Check the items that are time wasters for you.
- Telephone interruptions
- Drop-in visitors
- Meetings (scheduled and unscheduled)
- Unexpected crises
- Lack of priorities/objectives/daily planning
- Cluttered desk/personal disorganization
- Ineffective delegation of responsibilities and too much involvement in routines and detail
- Attempting too much at once and unrealistic time estimates
- Poor communication with others/unclear instructions
- Inadequate, inaccurate or delayed information
- Confused responsibility/authority
- Inability to say "no"
- Tasks left unfinished
- Lack of self-discipline
- Procrastination or indecision
- Mail (snail)
- E-mail or Voice mail
How do you feel about these items - mostly people need to understand how out of control your workday really is. You have to define these areas where you need to make changes in order to increase your productivity.
What's Stopping You?
- Not deciding what deserves your time
- Not letting go of unnecessary control
- Not being assertive about your time
- Being a perfectionist.
Before you can retire from this club, you have to first evaluate what things you may be doing that are preventing you from getting control over your life. Read more..
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