There are a number of things that can be taking up too much of your times at the office or even in your personal life. These things can easily be taking away from your productivity. Many people fail to realize just how much even the smallest things can have a huge impact on their productivity. This can leave employees overly stressed, exhausted, unfocused, overwhelmed and even looked at as under qualified.
If you feel that you are constantly on the go and working 24 hours a day yet, you rarely ever get to work on the things that you need and should be working on then chances are that you are letting these ten things have too much control in your work life.
Not Saying No
One of the most common ways any one becomes overwhelmed and runs out of time to complete anything is because they do not say ‘no’ enough.
Learn when you need to say no to stay focus on the projects you need to complete.
Always saying yes can lead you to not having enough time to finish anything, producing poor quality work because you were trying to get too much done or additional stress trying to manage all your tasks.
Not Delegating tasks
No person can accomplish everything on their own and it is best to know when and what you should be delegating to another individual. Though you may want to impress your boss by handling everything yourself on a project it is much wiser to delegate some things to other individuals, especially if they have more skills or knowledge on how to complete something that you do not have the skills for.
Cluttered Desk
Having a desk that is filled with too many personal items can lead to major distraction and disorganization. Though you want to make your work space personal you need to remember that it is a work space. Limit the items that you have on your desk to make it a more productive environment.
Not Setting Goals Or Tasks
One of the easiest things you can do to ensure you are not wasting time is to make schedules and to do lists. Most often than not many people fail to manage their time efficiently because they fail to realize what all they need to get done.
At the beginning of each week write out a weekly schedule of things your need to get done. Also write out a daily to do list for work before you get to the office.
This way you know exactly what you need to get started on as soon as you sit down at your desk.
Miscommunications
Miscommunications happen all the time and it simply wastes time and energy.
Ensure that whoever you are speaking to has a clear understanding of directions, guidelines or duties to avoid any mishaps in the future.
If you are unsure of something than do not be afraid to ask for clarification, it is better to make sure all parties are on the same page from the very beginning then to waste your time doing something only to realize you did it wrong because you did not ask any questions.
Distractions
Phones, computers, coworkers and more can all be a huge distraction when you are trying to focus on your work. Do your best to limit the number of things that can cause you to become distracted through your day.
Turn off your phone or set it to silent, turn off all notifications except those that are work related and let your coworkers know you are working on an important project.
The more effort you put into riding the distractions from your workspace before you work the more productive you can be.
Unorganized
Not being organized is hurting you in a number of work related areas that you may not realize. Disorganization not only waste a lot of your time but it makes you look unprofessional, irresponsible and can add a lot of unnecessary stress. Create systems for yourself to stay organizes and you will not only see a lot of extra time in your day but it will be a lot less stressful as well.
Being Indecisive
Waiting till the last minute can be a huge mistake that can cost you a lot of time. When you wait for the last minute to make a decision on something you limit the cushion room for mistakes.
Making a decision last minute can not only be cost you time but can also be wasting a number of your co-workers, clients or employers time as well.
When you have an important decision to make it is best to make it as soon as possible.
Interruptions
Interruptions are almost always unavoidable. From emails and phone calls to meetings and conferences, interruptions can be taking up more time than you realize. Not only do you loose time simply because of the interruption you also lose a lot of time getting refocused on the task you are doing. Try to limit the interruptions you have for an hour or two in your workday to see a huge improvement in your productivity and time management.
Poor Scheduling
Not properly scheduling your work can result in a lot of missed assignments, poor quality and simply wasted effort. Be sure you are making a schedule on a regular basis for yourself and your work.
Be realistic to how much time each project you have will take and be sure to schedule in so extra free time for unforeseen circumstances.
Eliminating these ten productivity thieves to make a huge impact on your work quality, performance and quantity. If you want to stress less and focus on your own work more than double check that you are not saying yes to too many other people and that you are properly scheduling your days to get the most done each day.
Liked this post. Confirms my thoughts on the subject of time management. Thanks, for the support!
Great to hear that!