Avoiding time traps is as important as finding ways to boost your productivity.
Think about the last time you had a deadline to get something done…
Did you sit there thinking how can I be more productive? Or did you find distractions with meaningless tasks, so you didn’t have to face the important task at hand?
It’s human nature to inadvertently find distractions, but these 4 time traps are the worst! I’m going to show you how to dodge them and boost your productivity…
I’m almost positive that you waste time throughout the day.
I’m not saying it’s a flaw unique to you; that’s just how it normally goes for the vast majority of people, including myself.
But by “curing” ourselves of these time-wasting practices, we can free up more time to use effectively, whether it’s to focus on that important project or to spend with your family to remind yourself why you’re chasing your goals.
Here are 4 common time traps and the ways you can get around them:
1. Done is better than perfect
Here’s a weird idea to consider – perfection can often get in the way. Let me explain…
We always want to strive for perfection. That’s how we end up with the best product, right? But we also need to be healthily practical and realize when that desire for perfection is keeping us from completing something that’s already very good in quality.
Allow yourself to finish a completed project rather than wasting time trying to perfect it.
2. Don’t think overthink downfalls
Sure, when you’re working on anything it’s positive to consider the outcomes and possible issues in order to create the right plan for completing your task in the best way.
However, we often allow ourselves to dwell on the unknown and spend far too much time thinking about how something might go wrong. It’s like wasting a bunch of time worrying about how you could hit traffic on the way to an event when you could simply plan on leaving 10 minutes early and have peace of mind.
3. You don’t have to say yes to everything
The ability to say “no” to people is something I like to include in my columns as much as possible. That’s because it’s so important. When all you do is say “yes”, you wind up doing unimportant things for people when you should be focusing on that vital project or task.
When I learned to say “no” to the appropriate things, my life really did change for the better. Practice makes perfect for this one.
4. Streamline your to-dos
Another idea I harp on is busy work versus real work. Instead of spending your time completing insignificant task after insignificant task, limit yourself to 1 or 2 truly important tasks that will make a difference.
Instead of filling your to-do list (if you don’t have one, get one) with a dozen small things that you can either delegate or simply not worry about, create a to-do list with those 2 or maybe 3 things that are actually productive and will actually get you closer to your goals.
This is the biggest time waster, so mastering this idea will create huge amounts of extra time in the day.
