What would be the first thing that comes to mind if someone asked you to describe an activity that wastes your time? Before reading this article, take a moment to think about how you would spend your time during the day. Because the first step you must take if you want to change for the better is to understand who you are.
Time is a limited resource. And if you’re anything like an average person, you probably find that your time slips away from you far more often than you’d like. We all get the same amount of hours in a day, but some people manage to get so much done while others struggle to accomplish anything. Why is that?
The answer is simple: effective time management. Working efficiently and effectively makes you more productive as an individual and allows you to leave work at the end of the day without feeling as though you left something unfinished. Here are five ways to stop wasting time and get things done.
Plan Your Day the Night Before
Successful people are early risers and get their day started as soon as possible, while others feel like they’ve barely crawled out of bed and started their day by the time the afternoon rolls around. If you don’t have a system for starting your day, you might feel like you’re drowning in work—even if it’s a part-time job.
So, what are your options? The first step is to get into the habit of preparing for the day ahead of time. You no longer need to worry about what you need to accomplish during the day; you can simply do it. Keeping a daily plan can help you feel more organized and effective, as well as assist you in prioritizing your duties and ensuring that nothing goes through the cracks. If you’re still unable to keep up with your workload, you may want to consider delegating some of your responsibilities to someone else.
Delegate What You Can
So how does delegating work come to the list of describe an activity that waste your time? Well, it’s here not because of something you do but because of something you don’t. You should know how much you can handle and share the workload with others in your team if necessary.
People often don’t do this because they think others would not do an excellent job as they would; unless you do it once, you will never know. You will be surprised some may do them better than you would. Chances are, you have specific responsibilities that could be delegated to a coworker if you work in an office. Perhaps you’re swamped with work, or maybe there’s something that another employee could do that would free you up a bit.
If you’re the manager or supervisor, it’s your responsibility to delegate tasks that aren’t core parts of your job to other workers who could do them. It’s important to delegate tasks that other employees could do and not simply assign tasks to someone else because you “feel like it.”
when you’re the employee, it can be tempting to think you should handle everything yourself because you “should” or don’t have time to delegate. However, if you’re swamped with work and struggling to keep up with your workload, it’s important to delegate tasks that another employee could handle.
Set Boundaries and Stick To Them
Some tasks belong in your job description, while others are simply things you’ve picked up along the way. Managers and entry-level employees will likely have some extra activities weighing on their shoulders if they work in an office setting.
If you’re being pushed in numerous directions at once and don’t know how to say no, you need to establish some limits for yourself. Setting boundaries can be a particularly difficult task, especially if you are in a managerial position.
There will be moments when you are expected to be present at the workplace, and there will be other times when you will be expected to be present at home. Both of these situations are unavoidable. There are certain gatherings that you are required to attend or even host, yet there are others that you must respectfully decline to participate in. It is also crucial to establish boundaries at work, because certain people may try to take advantage of you if you do not learn how to effectively say “no.”
Stop Wasting Time on Social Media
If you recall, we asked you to describe an activity that waste your time at the very beginning of the post. You are one lucky person if social media is not at the top of your list. Because the typical individual spends between two hours and twenty-seven minutes each day on social media, this is only the average. We all know that there is more to this.
When it comes to using social media, you might think that you’re just wasting a few minutes hanging out on your favourite social media site, but those minutes add up to days, then weeks, months, and years. Use social media to keep in touch with loved ones, that is ok, but don’t spend all of your time on it because you’ll miss out on the really important things!
Set a timer for yourself and put a limit on how much time you spend on social media each day. But this is kind of tricky since smartphones come with notifications that tempt people to use social media. To mitigate that, go to your individual social media application and turn off notification access. Don’t worry; you will not miss out on anything; if anyone really wants to contact you, they will use an actual method to contact you.
Conclusion
Some people have an intuitive aptitude for managing their time, while others find it challenging to get the most out of each day. The fact is that anyone can learn to better manage their time by following a few simple steps: make a list to describe an activity that waste your time, plan your day the night before, set boundaries and stick to them, and stop wasting time on social media. If you make these changes, you’re bound to feel more productive and less stressed at the end of the day.
Summary
Making a list to describe an activity that waste your time is a crucial thing for anyone who wants to manage their time.