Do you ever feel drained after a long day, but then look back and wonder what you have accomplished?
If your checklist of stuff to do keeps growing, it might be because you’re not getting a grip on managing your time wisely.
Quite often, it’s those sneaky little habits that make us think we’re being productive, when in reality as far as time management is concerned, they’re just slowing us down.
Let’s have a look at what these habits are and how to avoid them, so you can make the most out of your day without feeling overwhelmed.
Bad Habits That Can Affect Your Time Management:
Juggling Too Many Tasks at Once – AKA Multitasking
Believe it or not, trying to do a load of things at the same time is a big reason why we don’t get much done.
It might feel like you’re being productive because you’re on the go with so many tasks, but in reality, it’s actually the opposite.
If you split your attention across a few different jobs, it means you’re not focusing fully on any of them.
So, you spend more time and energy just hopping from one task to another, instead of finishing them.
And that can end up being quite tiring for the brain.
The trick is to create a daily routine.
When you’ve got a set plan, your mind adjusts and knows it’s time to focus and work efficiently.
This helps you dive into your work faster and get things done more quickly.
Procrastination the Art of Putting Things Off
A lot of us have a habit of waiting for the perfect time to start something, like when we’re not tired, hungry, or bored, or when we are feeling more inspired.
To some people, this might sound reasonable, but always waiting for the right moment can mess up how you manage your time.
If the job you’re putting off is needed before you can start something else, it creates a chain reaction.
Suddenly, you’re behind on not just one task, but many.
This can lead to unfinished tasks or maybe even entire projects.
Setting Schedules You Can’t Stick To
A lot of us feel good when we’re super busy.
It can seem like having a lot of work means we’re getting a lot done.
But filling up every minute of your day with different tasks can backfire on you.
If you don’t leave any free time throughout the day, there’s no room for anything that might pop up unexpectedly.
Like, what if a task takes longer than you thought?
Or something urgent pops up?
Suddenly, you’re stuck trying to fit everything else around these changes.
It’s great to be able to handle things on your own, but it’s also important to know you don’t have to do everything by yourself.
If your schedule is packed, it’s okay to ask others to jump in and help you with some of the tasks.
There will be some occasions when you might come across things you don’t know much about or would need to learn from the beginning.
In instances like these, insisting on doing it all yourself can really mess up your time management schedule.
Trying to be Perfect
Look, it’s great to want your work to be top-notch.
But trying to make everything perfect can actually slow you down.
Perfectionists often set themselves goals or expectations that are way too high or want their work to be flawless.
This can lead them to spend too much time trying to get just one thing done.
Because of this, they might fall behind on other tasks.
Also, when things don’t go exactly as they imagined, they might feel discouraged and stop trying as hard or even altogether.
If you find yourself doing this, aim for excellence instead.
It’s a more realistic goal, and honestly, the small difference between “excellent” and “perfect” is something usually only you will notice.
Getting Easily Distracted
With things like social media and the internet in general, it’s really easy for most of us to lose focus.
When you get distracted, you end up doing stuff that takes away from how productive or efficient you could be.
For instance, if you’re constantly checking your email at work, you might find yourself getting sucked into other unplanned activities, like reading articles or replying to messages.
This can make you lose focus on your important projects and more than likely miss your deadlines.
There are tons of apps and tools out there to help you manage your time better and be more productive.
But if you end up downloading and using too many, it can have the reverse effect.
You could end up spending more time flicking through and checking these tools, than actually carrying out the important work you are supposed to be doing.
Wrapping it Up – Taking Charge of Your Time Management
Managing your time well is a skill that you can learn, like any other habit.
And just like any habit, bad time management can stick with you if you’re not careful.
How well you manage your time can really impact how productive and efficient you are going to be.
The first step towards improving is to figure out what exactly is eating up your time.
Once you know your main time-wasting habits, you can start working on fixing them.
