5 Time Wasters That Professionals Should Avoid

Everyone wants to make the most of their time and maintain a high productivity level throughout the day.  But, it's easier said than done.

Humans are highly susceptible to distractions and readily engage in time-wasting activities during working hours. This leads us to spend more time trying to keep up with our deliverables which thus affects our work-life balance.

Managing your time effectively is the key to maximizing your efficiency and getting more done in less time. For this, it's best that you avoid wasting time on activities that add no value.

Here are the 5 time wasters that professionals should avoid in order to make the most of their day.

So, without further ado.

Let's get started.

1. Working Without a Plan

One of the common mistakes made by most professionals is working without a plan. Planning is essential as it helps you focus and channel your energy into important tasks at hand.

Planning enables you to set clear goals and steer your efforts in the right direction. It serves as a roadmap that leads to your destination and helps you overcome all obstacles encountered along the way.

Without a well-designed plan, you're likely to spend your time on tasks that don't add much value. As a result, you end up doing more and achieving less. Unplanned tasks often lead to below-average results which in turn cause frustration and disappointment.

So, it's best that you start your day with a plan and be a bit more calculated in prioritizing your activities.

2. Being Disorganized

In order to stay productive and make the most of your time, it's essential that you stay organized and clear on what needs to be done.

Imagine your productivity if the first thing you do at work is to find where you left your documents or files stored on your drive. The more time you spend trying to organize stuff, the fewer tasks you check off your to-do list.

So, it's highly recommended that you get better at organizing things and improve your preparedness.

Spending time trying to organize things and figure out what needs to be done during working hours is counterproductive and one of the common time wasters professionals often come across.

3. Checking Your Phone

Professionals receive countless notifications on their phones on a daily basis. And not all of them are related to work.

We have intentionally or unintentionally given permission to hundreds of platforms or services for receiving messages and push notifications. As a result, we are consistently bombarded with alerts.

This is one of the major reasons that distract you from work. Whenever you check your phone, you don't just check the alert that caught your attention. One thing leads to another and you end up wasting hours that translate to screen time.

So, it's best to keep your phones away during working hours. This may be difficult, especially for those who work remotely. So, if you have to be accessible via your phone for collaboration, manage your notification settings and disable all unnecessary alerts during working hours.

4. Social Media

Different social media platforms have more than 4.62 billion active users worldwide and 27% of them are so addicted that they access social media apps as soon as they wake up. Facebook alone has more than 2.74 billion active users reported on a monthly basis.

These statistics should give you some idea concerning how much of a time-waster social media can be for professionals.

You can access social media apps on your desktop, tablet, and phone. And it's this accessibility that has made it even more difficult for us to avoid consuming content via social media.

People choose to remain active on social media in order to stay relevant and not doing so feels as if they're missing out on an important experience. This often leads to hours wasted as professionals often give in to the urge of scrolling their feeds.

There's nothing wrong with being active on social media platforms. But, you should avoid using the apps during working hours or use them in moderation if need be.

5. Procrastination

If you tend to reschedule your tasks frequently or consistently miss your deadlines, there are high chances that you've developed a habit of procrastination.

Procrastination causes you to underperform and hinders your growth in the long run. If you lack a strong will and commitment, you become more susceptible to procrastination and often encounter unnecessary delays.

Procrastination prevents you from achieving your goals. And the only way to overcome it is through self-discipline. However, you shouldn't expect to see an improvement overnight. Give yourself some time and continue following the disciplinary rules set for yourself.

Eventually, you will learn to take ownership of your work and won't hesitate to claim responsibility for your own actions. And when that happens, you'll stand out and be more of a go-getter than a procrastinator.

It's a Wrap

There you have it. The 5 time wasters that professionals should avoid. Time is one of the most valuable assets and you should learn to use it wisely. Utilizing time efficiently not just helps you achieve your goals but also enables you to unlock your full potential.

Professionals often struggle to manage their time efficiently and fail to keep up with the set deadlines. If you've been facing the same challenge, try avoiding the said time wasters and see if things improve.