How to Stop Wasting Time and Start Being Productive

Time is the most valuable thing we have. Yet, most of us don’t manage our time well, which makes us waste time.

Time is often wasted due to routine tasks that we do every day. Many of these activities do not add any value to our life.

If you also feel like this, read on to know how you can control your time and start being productive.

Wasting time is one of the biggest productivity killers because it saps your energy and drains your enthusiasm.

Wasting time affects your self-confidence too. It can make you feel as if you are letting other people down by not being efficient enough to perform tasks properly.

How to Stop Waste the Time

Today, we will discuss some practical ways to help reduce wasted time and make working easier without compromising efficiency.

There are various ways to stop wasting time at work and becoming more productive. Here are a few of them:

Set up a Work Environment that’s Conducive to Working

To be productive, you must have an environment conducive to work.

Do not work at home if you feel like you are not being productive there. Make sure you are in a place where you can concentrate on work without being distracted by the surroundings.

Avoid working in noisy places such as restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

If you feel like you are wasting a lot of time, try to create a schedule to avoid these situations. Schedule your time in your calendar to avoid wasting any more time.

Stop Wasting the Time on Unimportant Matters

If your job or profession involves a high level of responsibility or if you work for one of the high-impact companies, you know how important time is.

However, you are sure to have met people who have a very high level of responsibility and are still not aware of how much time they are wasting.

These people get busy with unimportant matters and lose a lot of time every day. Be aware of what is happening around you, and avoid being a part of it.

If someone is getting something done, try to understand what they are doing and adopt it in your working schedule. You will be surprised to see how much time you save.

Related: 15 Time Management Tips to Help You Manage Your Time.

Plan Your Day in Advance

Planning your work schedule in advance can help you to avoid unnecessary distractions during work time.

Organize your work schedule in advance by taking notes about your meetings, conference calls, etc. on your calendar. This will help you to avoid being late for important meetings or events during work time.

Planning your day would help you focus on the essential matters, and avoid wasting time.

Have a Daily Routine for Working

You must have heard people saying they are more productive when they have a regular routine for working. It is true that if you find a routine that works for you and helps you to work efficiently, you will be more productive than you have ever been in your life.

When you find a routine that works for you, you will be more focused, and you will not have to be constantly thinking about what next thing you are supposed to do next. This will help you to be more productive and work smarter.

It is recommended to follow a workflow process when you start following a routine for working. This workflow process can help you better understand your work process, identify bottlenecks, etc.

Turn off Notifications and Unplug from the Internet

We are connected to the internet 24/7 these days, which is one reason we are facing so many distractions.

However, you must be aware that when you go online or get notifications from social media sites, you are not just distracting yourself but also wasting time.

Turn off all your notifications, close all the social media sites before you start working, and unplug yourself from the internet. This will help you to be more focused and less distracted while working.

You must keep these things in mind while you are working, and you will be surprised to see how much time you will save while doing so.

Remember, the more focused you are, the more productive and efficient you can be.

Take a Walk During Lunchtime or Have a Standing Desk Session

Many people feel that they are not productive when they are at work. This is because they don’t know how to be more productive.

One of the reasons for this is that they work for long hours without taking any breaks.

You need to take a break from work, go for a walk, have a cup of coffee, or have a snack.

This will help you to relax and be more focused. Walking increases your oxygen level in the body, which is essential for working efficiently. It also helps to clear your mind from all the thoughts that are distracting you from your work.

A few breaks of several minutes will do a great deal of increasing productivity.

You might like reading: Time management quotes.

Do Something Productive with Your Time When You Are Not Working

If you have spare time, you must always think about what you can do with it. For example:

• If you have one hour, or even less, in your schedule, you can read a book.
• You can go online and start searching for topics related to your work.
• You can create a mind map of topics that you want to learn about and that you want to discuss with your team members.
• Do you like to write? You can write a blog post on the topics that you are interested in.

There are a lot of things that you can do with your spare time that can help you to be more productive in your work.

Bottom Line

There are many ways to be more productive, some are easier than others but they are all effective.

There are many people who are not productive, but when you know how to be productive, you will feel that you are doing and accomplishing more. You will then have plenty of time for work, time for your family and time for yourself.

In addition the above mentioned tips, remember that self-discipline is a most important habit you should develop, to ensure that you mange your time well. It will keep you on track, no matter how many distractions you face.

I hope that you have got some value from this article and that you stop waste the time at work and at your spare time. Keep working and stay productive.