Stop Wasting Time! 10 Strategies to Make Every Minute Count

Oh, how everyone wishes the day were longer. With only 24 hours, completing everything on the to-do list always seems impossible.

Everyone has the same amount of time in a day, but it seems like there is never enough time to get anything done. With many responsibilities, appointments, and errands, how can you get it all done?

Every person does their work differently, so not everyone will waste the same amount. According to the Team Stage, 31% of employees waste around 30 minutes a day, and the top 10% waste around 3 hours a day.

If you struggle to get everything done, you need to have some strategies to help you use your time wisely. You only have 24 hours a day, so you want to stop wasting and maximize your time.

Taking Control of Your Time

1. Prioritization

You can’t get it all done when you have many things to do with only a few hours a day. This is when prioritization comes into play.

If you can’t get it all done, do the ones that matter today and leave the other tasks for tomorrow or another day. Let’s say you have 10 tasks you want to get done, but with the time you have, you can’t since you’ll waste time. So what do you do?

You have to prioritize the important ones over the least important ones. All 10 of the tasks may seem important, but for that day, which one has to be done no matter what. If you give yourself 3–5 tasks a day to do, it will make it less overwhelming for you because the number is smaller.

2. Master Time Blocking

If you are a master at wasting time and can’t seem to get anything done, time blocking can help you complete the tasks on time. It is a highly effective technique for you to manage your time.

If you give yourself a certain task for a certain time, you can accomplish much daily. By time-blocking all your tasks that day, you’ll know what time and tasks to do during those hours.

This method helps those to focus by avoiding multitasking and reducing distractions. You can do all your emails in the morning, do your creative work before lunch, and have meetings in the afternoon. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Everything has a time slot where you don’t feel like you have many things to do.

3. Invest in a Physical or Digital Planner

Not everyone needs a planner, but if you struggle to remember all your tasks, you need a planner to organize yourself.

If you keep everything in your head, it could make the situation more stressful and overwhelming. Why must you remember everything in your head when you can write it down? The purpose of a planner is to assist you in staying organized.

4. Create a To-Do List

Writing everything down for the next day can help you tackle tomorrow’s situation.

A to-do list is a simple method, but it works wonders. Listing all your activities for the next day helps you visualize what you need to accomplish. Instead of staring blankly at a screen, you have an idea of what you need to do.

Without a to-do list, you don’t have a roadmap to guide you for the entire day. If you struggle to stay focused, a to-do list is a must for a successful day.

5. Eliminate Distraction

Distraction is the epitome of wasting time. It’s normal for people to get distracted. You have your phone, computer, TV, food, and other things that will make you lose focus. If you don’t find something to help you stay focused, finishing any tasks on your agenda will be harder.

Things you can do that might help you in the long run:

• turn off your phone’s notifications
• set a timer to help you complete a task
• use website blockers
• find a quiet workplace

Doing this will help you get into a focused mode and start tackling tasks faster!

6. Set Goals

Setting goals can motivate you to complete tasks faster.

Let’s say you have a big project to complete at the end of the day. You can reward yourself if you finish it before the time is up. Like one more cup of Starbucks, a mini snack, or a delicious dinner.

If you have multiple tasks, you must set up the SMART system to help you finish your tasks throughout the day.

SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Setting SMART goals provides clarity and structure to objectives, making them more attainable.

7. Leveraging Others

With so many things to do daily, you will feel burnout if you don’t ask for help.

You are not required to do everything yourself. If you want to maximize your time, you should ask for help. You don’t want to find yourself wasting time on unimportant details when you can ask someone else to do it.

For personal requests, you can ask a friend or family to help you if you are in a pinch. If you own a business, you can hire freelancers or contractors to help you complete tasks efficiently. If you struggle to finish a project, you can ask a colleague to assist you. As the saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

8. Learn to Say No

Everyone has boundaries since no one likes to pile up more stress.

You shouldn’t be responsible for other people if you don’t have the energy or time for it. If you do everyone’s responsibilities, you’ll waste time on yourself and have a mental breakdown.

By declining politely, you know where your priorities lie since the last thing you want is having a lot of stress.

9. Take Advantage of Technology

Technology has been advancing like crazy.

If you have apps or tools to help you manage your time, use them! These can help you stay organized and on top of your schedule.

You have calendar apps, time-tracking apps, project management platforms, and more. If you want to reclaim your valuable minutes, you need to leverage these tools.

10. Set Deadlines

If you have no deadline, you will waste time idling and never completing anything because you aren’t motivated to do it.

When you have a deadline, it creates a sense of urgency and accountability.

If you are working on a project with your colleagues and a deadline is coming, you want to play your part. You don’t want to be responsible for the consequences, do you?

Without deadlines, tasks can linger and expand to fill the available time. Setting clear and realistic deadlines motivates you to stay on track and complete your work promptly.

Use your Time Wisely

Time is always ticking, and those minutes don’t return.

You don’t want to be wasting time by being lazy, staring at your screen, or eating all day.

By finding strategies that work for you, you can get things done no matter what. Remember that time management is a skill that takes time to develop and refine over time.

By taking the first step, you can slowly adjust yourself. With dedication and constant effort, you can be the master of making every minute count!

Originally published at https://itsamandaburnett.com on October 13, 2023.