Time Management Nightmares: Time Sucks

Does your time get sucked up into the unknown like a ship in the Bermuda triangle?

Here are 3 reasons why your time disappears into the black hole…

People that suck up your time

Ok, so you’re the “go to gal/guy” but you find yourself always being asked for assistance or guidance of some kind. How then can you gently tell people your time is valuable as well?

Set parameters and limitations of your time right from the beginning. You can say “I’m really busy but I can give you 10 minutes” or when you’re asked to participate in just one more volunteer commitment you can say “ Although the project sounds amazing, I’m afraid I just wouldn’t be able to give it the devotion necessary to make it a success at this time. Perhaps next year”

When people ask “show me how you use hootsuite” instead of going through an hour long process, direct them to other resources you have found helpful.

Habits that suck up your time

I bet 98% of you are guilty of checking email multiple times a day. Time management experts teach us to only check email once or twice a day. I know, we’ve become so used to instant gratification, we can’t help ourselves. But I know when I started using this principle I immediately noticed a difference in how the lack of interruptions made me so much more productive. I have become such a fan, that it is a key point a make when speaking to busy professionals about time management strategies. I know you will immediately feel the withdrawal effect, so try it out on a Sunday first, then Saturday, then one day a week… Baby steps!

Winging it! It’s so important to know what and why you are doing something. Without that knowledge on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, we burn so much time and effort trying to figure out “what” to do instead of actually being in “action”! Be sure you know what you plan on doing every day before you get started. Now weekends and vacations are an exception of course! But planning out your weekend errands will have you out and back in a couple of hours instead of drifting around in and out of stores.

Activities that suck up your time

Look, the fact is there are 24 hours a day. No matter how you slice it. By utilizing time management techniques, we can learn to eliminate wasted time. But the simplest way to save time is to create it!

So, you basically have two options. You can either knock stuff of your list, or delegate to others.

Allowing yourself to spend your time on the things, people or tasks that give you the most joy or make you the most money, is a prudent decision. To let other people help you with tasks, especially when you are overextended is an amazing feeling! By doing so, you’ll save time, reduce stress and accomplish a lot more. The key is to assign tasks to the right people.

You can get some of my most simple time management tricks ever right here: It’s my top 5 secrets that save an hour a day! Wouldn't you want that?