What Are Your Daily Habits?
Nothing kills productivity and wastes time like bad habits. Bad habits can sabotage your life in the most spectacular way. Habits are the things we do every day routinely, without thinking. It’s when we function on autopilot, such as brushing our teeth, driving to work, preparing dinner. Habits are the small things you do every day, and they can add up to the sum of your life.
Let’s look at some time-killing bad habits:
1. Not planning each day. If you don’t schedule your important tasks, you have no idea what you will be doing on any given day. Your day will be running you instead of the other way around. Would you drive across country without a map? You might get somewhere, eventually. But you will likely be taking the long, scenic route. Schedule your day the night before. Unexpected interruptions do happen, but a schedule will help keep you on track and help you manage your time more effectively.
2. It goes without saying that being disorganized wastes time. Spend a good portion of each hour hunting down the things you need is a major time killer. There is a time management rule that says handle a piece of paper only once. When you check the mail, answer immediately or toss. Don’t let paperwork accumulate all over the place like some paper blizzard. Have one specific spot or folder for items to be dealt with at another time.
3. Many of us waste time resisting change. Whether it’s preparing a meal in a new way or implementing a new policy at work, change makes us uncomfortable. There is great comfort in the known and predictable. But we will never reach our full productive capability if we don’t keep an open mind and remain open to new ideas.
4. Are you in the habit of seeing the glass as half-empty? Negativity doesn’t only set the tone for the day, but it can truly determine your life. It’s been proven that positive salespeople make more sales. A positive mindset helps people perform at a much higher level. Both negativity and positivity begin in the mind. Whether you realize it or not, your thoughts are within your control. The next time you waste time fretting that the boss will hate your report, stop and change your thinking. A positive attitude would be, “I put my best effort into this. It’s a good report, even if the boss makes some changes.” The less you worry, the less time you waste.
5. When you carry the past into the present, you’re toting a heavy load. We all have made mistakes. If you continue to dwell on them, you are slowing yourself down. You can’t change the past. You can, however, change your reaction. Simply accept that everyone makes mistakes. There is no need to waste time going over the same memory.
6. Distractions are an obvious time-killer. Modern technology was meant to save us time, however, checking email, social media and other favorite sites can add up to hours of wasted time. The best way to stop being controlled by technology and start to be in control of your time is to have a schedule. Have a set time to return phone calls. Check email twice a day, and simply turn off any social media functions.
Of course, there are other distractions. Chatting with coworkers, having the boss re-prioritize your work, etc. The best way to handle these is to become aware of who and what it is nipping away at your time. Spend a few days accounting for every interruption. Yes, that will be a bit time-consuming, but the effort will be well worth it. Once you have a clear picture of what or who is draining your time, you can be prepared. If coffee room chats are mounting, bring a thermos from home and avoid the area. If the boss keeps cutting into your to-do list, add extra “spare” time to accommodate his or her interruptions without being thrown off-schedule.
Learning to say no enables you to manage your time more effectively. Productive people are usually eager to do things, but you must know where to draw the line. If you agree to every task someone else demands from you, you will soon become overwhelmed and get less done. Don’t be afraid to say, “I’m too busy to handle this right now.”
Don’t allow yourself to get bogged down with inconsequential details. An estate planning attorney spends at least 15 minutes before each and every will and trust signing contemplating whether to provide a blue or black pen. Others can stew over the best color for labels. Ask yourself, “Does this really matter.
Most of us are so used to our own behavior, it’s easy to remain unaware of the bad habits that keep us from optimal performance. That’s why self-awareness is such a critical time management tool. Awareness is the first step to changing a bad habit into a good, rewarding habit.
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