Avoid These Biggest Time Wasters at Work

We have ALL been there: picture yourself driving home from work, going over tomorrow’s to-do list in your head only to suddenly to realize, “Tomorrow’s to-do-list looks pretty similar to today’s to-do-list.” Now you’re reflecting on the past 8-12 hours you just spent at work and think, “Wait. Did I accomplish anything today? What did I spend my entire day doing if it wasn’t my work?!!”

No matter how long your workday is, there is going to be time wasted during it. However, it’s important to minimize the amount of time wasted as best you possibly can. Read on for my best tips on how to have the most productive workweek by avoiding these major time wasters.

You knew your phone was going to be the number one best time waster to avoid before I even said it…didn’t you? Let’s face it. Our phones are a black hole of entertainment and distraction. We know they squash productivity better than anything else and can make an hour pass in the blink of an eye. You must avoid your phone and texting while at work if you want to remain focused. Of course, you’ll have your phone with you so the best way to do this is to use your “Do Not Disturb” feature when at work. Build in scheduled break times for yourself throughout your workday and only respond to friends and family member’s texts or calls during those designated times. (We have an entire post sharing 6 Easy Tips to Staying Organized at work with ADHD; check out our final tip here to read more about the importance of scheduling short “reset” breaks for yourself throughout your day!)

Outside of these timed, scheduled breaks: avoid checking any social media accounts and searching the web. (And this goes for not only your phone, but your desktop too.) Avoid, avoid, avoid! Even picking up your phone for “just a minute” to “check one thing” can easily add up to wasted productivity time.

This one can be slightly more difficult to avoid because it is not always entirely in your control, but coworkers may become big time wasters for you if you’re not attentive and purposeful with your time. Put a sign on the door before you sit down to knock out a big project or while you’re working on a task. Letting others know you’re in the thick of something with a quick note on the door will help you remain uninterrupted and hopefully keep you on task. Again, you can use your scheduled short breaks in between important tasks to chat with others in the office. (Remember, you should also be courteous of their time; don’t schedule your break and plan on chatting during a time that you would be distracting them!) We’ve written a “How-To” that best explains the process for time blocking if you’d like to check it out here!

The other way time is most wasted with coworkers is in unnecessary meetings. Sometimes, holding meetings isn’t always productive, or, they can morph into lingering casual conversation that you don’t have time for. Too many meetings can cause employees to multi-task or work on tasks during the meeting. If they’re doing so, it means the task is being completed with less focus and it can hinder productivity. Only hold meetings when absolutely necessary, set time limits, keep them on the shorter side, and plan accordingly so only specific topics are discussed. This will allow everyone to use their time better.

There is no need to check your emails every five minutes. This is a major “hidden” time waster because checking work emails seems like it’s a focused work task but is, in reality, unnecessary. Allot specific times throughout the day to check your inbox. It’s easy to get lost down a “rabbit hole” when checking emails. See our blog about 7 Things Not To Do When Checking Your Email for other tips about how to properly avoid letting this task take crucial productivity hours out of each workday or week.

It’s always going to save you time if you act intentionally. Determine the importance of each task presented to you, so you know what needs to get done immediately and what you have additional time to complete. Always remember, not everything needs to be done “right now”; this mindset is unrealistic and it can lead to burnout. If you multitask in an attempt to complete everything at once it can cause you to make mistakes, miss other important deadlines, and/or lower the quality of your work.

You’ll be much more productive and successful if you are intentional with your actions at work. Delegate tasks to others when possible/suitable and avoid micromanaging. If you have smaller tasks that can be done by someone else, it is okay to assign them to others instead of allowing it to take up more of your time and energy. When doing so, be sure that you then don’t hover over them. Set clear expectations and goals when assigning others work tasks and make it clear that communication is open if they do need you.

Being disorganized will cause time to be wasted at work, even if unintentionally. Having a structured organizational process within your workspace will help save time and boost productivity. It’s helpful to always know where things are located so time isn’t wasted trying to find something you need such as client files , contracts, or other important paperwork. Disorganization can also lead to the inability to focus and/or missed deadlines. If you’re disorganized you could show up to a meeting unprepared (thus making it unproductive), or, you could miss an important meeting altogether. These little areas of disorganization may appear to be minor problems, but they could easily end up costing you large amounts of time in the end.

As I said, it’s impossible to be productive every second of every hour spent at work. But avoiding these biggest time wasters and always beginning your day with intentions and plans for maximizing your time will absolutely help. If you’d like personalized tips, or assistance creating productivity plans specific to your business send us an email at info@sortedout.com. We’d be happy to get you in touch with one of our certified productivity specialists as soon as possible.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Tonia