As a business owner, productivity is of the utmost importance to your success. However, even the most productive people can get in their own way sometimes. Luckily, there are ways to combat the biggest time-wasters and make your day more efficient so you have time for everything you need to do. In this article, we’ll look at 8 common time-wasters and how to eliminate them from your life so you can be more productive and focused on what matters to your business.
1) Meetings
Meetings have a tendency to go off track, which is why you should keep them short and set some time limits. If possible, schedule walking meetings that involve getting out of your office or cubicle and taking a stroll around outside. This will give you more energy and allow you to stay focused on what matters most. There’s also something about walking that boosts creativity!
2) Email
Be judicious with your emails. This is an easy way to waste time when you feel like working (or are in a meeting where it’s acceptable), but it’s not always necessary or helpful. Before firing off that email, ask yourself if there’s something else that needs to be done first or if somebody else could answer your question better than you can. You may find yourself saving more time than expected by cutting back on your inbox activity.
3) Instant Messages
It’s amazing how much time we spend on instant messaging. Why? We don’t need any other reason than it’s just there. If you work with a team, set up some rules: limit communication to business hours and make sure everyone is working at that same time of day. So when you get up in the morning, your co-workers will be awake as well; then again at lunchtime, etc.
4) Text Messages
Texting is, by nature, a quick and casual way of communicating. But when you’re in charge of an entire office—or even part of one—texting can make you seem distant or disinterested.
5) Unnecessary Invoicing
The largest time waster for business owners is unnecessary invoicing. While it might be necessary on occasion, most invoices can be avoided. If you aren’t sure your invoice is necessary, ask yourself if it adds value to your customer or client? If it doesn’t, don’t send it!
6) Repetitive Jobs
It’s important to use your time wisely, which means doing your most important tasks first. When you have a task that needs constant attention—such as filing or data entry—consider automating it using a program like Zapier or IFTTT.
7) Procrastination
On a daily basis, procrastination can take away as much as 25 percent of your workday. Not only that, but by putting off important tasks until later in the day, you’re creating a cascading effect where more small delays will build on themselves and make it even harder for you to focus on actual work.
8) Endless Research
If you’re doing research for your business on a topic that isn’t a part of your day-to-day operations, don’t let it become an endless process. Create time limits for yourself and hold yourself accountable. If you need help getting started with research, hire a virtual assistant or someone who has expertise in that field to do some initial background work for you; then once you have that material, move onto another project.
No matter how hard you try, it’s hard to be productive in the workplace if you’re constantly distracted by time-wasters. From Slack to Candy Crush to email, technology has made it easier than ever to spend all day not getting anything done. But if you want to boost your productivity and get more work done, there are ways you can eliminate these 8 biggest time-wasters and replace them with productive habits that will allow you to focus on your work instead of your phone screen.
