Effective Time Management: Eliminate These Enemies of Effective Time Management

Effective time management is a goal we should all strive for, and it’s a perfectly achievable goal. However, every day there are forces at work that threaten to throw away our best efforts, and we must constantly be on the lookout for these time wasters.

The main problem with time wasters is that they can often be so subtle that we don’t even notice them. However, they can eat up hours of each day and ruin our attempts to manage time effectively. In this article I’m going to identify some of the main culprits and what you can do about them.

Television: the biggest time waster of all. Many people spend 70% of their free time watching television, yes, 70%! That’s almost three quarters of our free time. I encourage you not to let this happen to you and instead think of all the other things you could do with that time. By all means watch your favorite shows. Then, after you finish the show you like, do something else that you enjoy or that is productive.

Clutter – This is a much more subtle time waster that can consume a surprising amount of time. Clean up your workspace and adopt a filing system that suits you. Also try to be clean with your clothes in the house. Doing so will find that everything has its place and allows you to work more efficiently.

Telephone – The telephone is an essential tool for business and enhances our social lives. However, it can also be an unwanted source of interruptions. Learn to discipline yourself in using the phone. Be available for calls at certain times of the day, use an answering service, and when you do receive calls, keep them short and to the point.

These are just three of the enemies of effective time management, but there are many more. Also be careful about wasting time on the Internet and in emails; attend meetings to waste time; and not being able to delegate.