It’s almost midnight, and you can’t help but ask, “Where did the day go?” We all experience that, right? Imagine going to sleep, and we realize, with a pang of guilt, that we haven’t accomplished what we set out to do. We also can’t deny that some of the biggest culprits for such are the things that waste time.
Maybe we got sidetracked by a captivating social media feed (let’s be real, those cute animal videos are irresistible) or lost hours down a research rabbit hole on the internet. All of these contribute to wasting our precious time.
Whether you’re juggling work deadlines, family commitments, or personal ambitions, recognizing and addressing the things that waste time is crucial for reclaiming your precious hours. Keep reading to learn the time-wasting activities that we need to eliminate.
Are You Doing These Things That Waste Time?
Many time management techniques boost productivity—there’s no doubt about that. However, if we don’t know the various things that waste time, how can we ensure that we’re applying the proper techniques to help us save time and become productive?
To ensure we don’t waste more time on techniques that may not work, let’s first identify the things that waste time that we may be doing.
1. Endless Social Media Scrolling
We’ve all done it. Even in the middle of a task, I often find myself grabbing my phone to quickly check a notification. But that was ages ago when I didn’t know these things that waste time.
When this happens, the next thing we know, an hour is gone.
We’ve scrolled through countless memes, cute puppy videos, and targeted ads without even realizing it. This is a huge time-waster, especially when we’re trying to save time, build a side hustle, or make extra money.
Think about how much time you spend on social media daily. Now, think about how much more productive you could be if you cut that time in half. You could invest that time in your online business, learn a new skill, or even just take a break and relax.
The first step to stop wasting time on social media is to be mindful of your usage. Here are things I did when I realized my excessive social media usage:
Setting time limits on my apps.
Scheduling specific times of day to check my feeds.
Disabling notifications of social media apps so I’m not constantly being pulled back in.
Unfollowing accounts that don’t bring me joy or add value to my life.
Turning off my smartphone is one of the best remedies to ensure I don’t get sidetracked with notifications.
Doing these actions helped me practice responsible social media use. I no longer scroll mindlessly, which may even lead to negative emotions when I see the “perfect” lives of these people on social media.
2. Procrastination
Everybody procrastinates. Who hasn’t? We all do it. But when we need that extra money time, we don’t have the luxury for it!
Procrastination sucks the life out of your goals. It whispers sweet lies, like, “You’ve got plenty of time,” or “Just one more episode.”
But don’t listen! Those are time-wasting traps, my friend.
You need to be laser-focused. Think about your goals – really think about them. You want to be financially free, right?
Then you have to fight for it. That means kicking procrastination to the curb. This is your time, and you’re not going to waste it. And here’s how you can keep procrastination away:
Start by breaking down big tasks into smaller, less scary ones. This makes it way easier to get started.
And what I don’t forget is to celebrate my small wins! Whenever I finish a small part of that big project, I pat myself on the back and indulge myself with a steak or wine. Do anything that will encourage you to keep going—if this worked for me, I know it will also work for you.
Also, try to figure out what makes you procrastinate. Are you scared of failing? Do you get distracted easily? Once you know what your triggers are, you can find ways to beat them. For example, I know I waste a lot of time on social media, so I used a website blocker. This helped me stay focused on my work.
3. Unnecessary Meetings
We’ve all been there, stuck in a meeting that feels like a total waste of time. Sometimes, work seems to try to solve every problem with another meeting, but meetings should be the last resort, not the first option.
Think about it: meetings eat up time you could use for other tasks—spend more time with your family, visit a shop you’ve been planning for a long time, or have a movie date with your partner.
That’s why, before you send out another meeting invite, ask yourself, “Can I handle this with a quick email or a phone call?”. If you can send a message or make a quick call, you can save everyone time and boost productivity.
This is super important for digital nomads or online entrepreneurs because time management is vital when you’re building a business.
4. Watching TV or Binge-Watching Shows
While I recommend going to a movie date, binge-watching shows is unacceptable. This is a big one. We all love to relax and watch our favorite shows. But it’s easy to get sucked in. Then, we end up watching for hours, eating up our free time.
That’s time you could be using to learn a new skill or build a business.
Think about this.
What if you limit your TV time to a few hours a week? You could use that extra time for a side hustle. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn about online entrepreneurship.
Now, you have time for financial freedom and more flexibility in your life. It’s all about making smart choices with your time and establishing an intentional life.
5. Overcommitting to Tasks or Events
We’ve all been there, especially if you’re like me, who’s always happy to help everyone. Someone asks you to help with something, and because you’re a good person or a people pleaser, you say “yes.”
The result? You get overloaded, start feeling stressed, and might even miss deadlines. This is overcommitting, and it’s a huge time-waster.
I used to struggle with this all the time.
I volunteered for everything, took on extra projects at work, and agreed to help friends with anything they needed. But it became too much. I was always exhausted and never had time for myself.
So, I decided to make a change. Here’s how I avoided overcommitting:
Think before you commit: I take some time to consider my schedule and how this new commitment might fit in.
Don’t be afraid to say no: I turn down requests if I don’t have the time or if they don’t align with my goals.
Set boundaries: Letting people know my limits also helped. If I can only help out on certain days or for a limited amount of time, I let them know.
The result? I had more time to do the things that matter most to me. No more stress for having a lot on my plate! I’ve been a lot happier since then. Why not try it, too?
6. Trying to Be a Perfectionist
You know that saying, “Practice makes perfect?” Well, I’m here to tell you, as a reformed perfectionist, that’s a big ol’ time waster! I used to get lost in the weeds, trying to make every blog post, every social media update, and every single thing I did absolutely perfect.
But guess what? It usually meant I got hardly anything done!
One example? I’d spend hours, sometimes days, obsessing over the perfect headline for a blog post. I’d tweak it, rewrite it, then go back to the original. All that time, I wasn’t actually writing the post!
It was like I was stuck in a productivity black hole.
So, what did I do?
I made a decision. I started setting time limits for tasks. If it was a blog post headline, I gave myself 30 minutes.
That’s it! And you know what? The world didn’t end. My posts still got read, and I actually started getting more done.
Another thing I did was stop comparing myself to others.
Everyone’s on their own journey, right? There’s always going to be someone with a better website, a funnier Instagram post, or a bigger email list. But focusing on them just stole my joy and wasted my time.
7. Shopping Online Without a Specific Need
Excessive online scrolling to shop for “things I might need” is one of the things that waste time—and thankfully, I was able to eliminate that.
No matter when you’re bored or just relaxing, browsing online for things you don’t need will only help you lose track of time. An hour disappears as you check out deals on clothes you’ll never wear, gadgets you don’t understand, and kitchen tools you’ll use once (maybe).
This is how online shopping, without an ongoing shopping list, can really eat up your time.
And it’s not just the browsing! Think about the minutes wasted comparing prices, creating accounts, and entering payment info. Then there’s the anticipation of waiting for your package.
All that for something you didn’t even want in the first place. Not only did you spend time, but you’ve also wasted money.
So, before shopping online, I started making a list. If it wasn’t on the list, I wouldn’t let myself get it. This simple trick saved me a bunch of time and money! I realized I was less tempted to browse aimlessly, because I had a plan.
8. Gaming Excessively
While playing games can help you earn money, it’d be one of the things that waste time if done excessively. But when you’re disciplined and use your time wisely, you can make gaming worthwhile.
When you spend a lot of time gaming, and I mean A LOT, it becomes a huge time-waster.
I had dreams of making extra money online and becoming a digital nomad. But, let’s be real, those dreams weren’t going to happen sitting on my butt playing video games all day.
If you’re like that, you have to make a change.
What I did to ensure that I didn’t waste time playing video games or online games was to have a specific screen time. I limited myself to only gaming a couple of hours a day. This was tough, but I did it!
Then, I decided to only play on weekends or at a specific time to have fun. This freed up so much of my day. I could focus on side hustles, learn new skills, or just relax and recharge without staring at a screen.
It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. If you’re serious about saving time and reaching your financial goals, take a look at how much precious time you spend gaming. You might be surprised how much time you can free up by cutting back.
9. Not Setting Priorities
Not having priorities is like wandering through a giant supermarket with no shopping list. When I was younger, I did things without a plan—no set goals, no intentional life. Thus, I usually ended up with trial-and-error way of doing things.
But when I started to practice making plans, I knew my priorities. If I don’t decide what’s most important, I’ll find myself constantly busy, but not making much progress on what really matters.
For example, when I first started blogging, I would jump at any article that came my way. This meant I was writing on any unimportant topics when I should have been focusing on relevant, helpful articles. I was constantly stressed and not making the kind of money I wanted.
I realized I needed to prioritize.
I started by writing down my goals: earn more money, have more free time, and create a site to help other people enjoy the luxuries I have now.
Then, I looked at all my specific tasks and asked myself, “Does this help me achieve my goals?” If the answer was no, I either delegated it, postponed it, or just said no.
10. Failing to Delegate Tasks
Have you ever experienced this? You’re swamped, but explaining a task to someone else seems more time-consuming than doing it yourself. This, my friend, is a trap!
Not delegating tasks is a huge time-waster. Luckily, I realized that I could have more time because someone else was doing a dragging job. Instead of being “busy” on a daily basis, I can now finish tasks efficiently through delegation.
For example, when I first started my online business, I did everything myself. I wrote blog posts, created social media content, managed emails, and even tried to figure out website design.
It was exhausting! I was working all the time, but I wasn’t very productive.
Finally, I realized I couldn’t do it all alone. So, I started a small team.
As you can see from our team page, I have delegated some of the tasks to professionals.
I hired experts—experienced ones are vital to prevent me from spending time constantly checking their work—to help me run my business so I could focus and have more time to do what’s important to me, and you can, too!
Conclusion
Learning to identify and conquer things that waste time is an ongoing process of self-discovery, experimentation, and adjustment. It’s a journey worth embarking on as reclaiming control over how we spend this finite resource allows us to live more fulfilling, meaningful lives.
By implementing these practical tips and cultivating a healthier relationship with time, we unlock hidden reserves of productivity, creativity, and joy. Remember that small changes, consistently applied, have the power to create a significant impact in the long run.
