How Do You Avoid Time Killers?

No matter how carefully you schedule your day, a single “Time Killer” can make it nearly impossible to stay on track and get the day’s work done. These annoying little time killers can definitely throw us off track and send us for a tail spin. However, focusing on them and not letting them disrupt your schedule or your plans is essential. Below are seven common time killers and how to manage them.

Seven Terrible Time Killers and How to Manage Them

Telephone calls - Keep them brief. If it is not a good time for you to talk, say so and set a time to finish the conversation. If it is a bad time to talk, let the voicemail system take a message so you can call the person when the situation has improved.

Chatter boxes - As much as they love the sound of their own voices, the very fact that they are always talking makes them easy to avoid. If you get trapped at your desk by a chatty coworker, give them about thirty seconds and then encourage them to leave by pointing out how much work you have to do.

Traffic jams - There is no way to prevent them. There are, however steps you can take to avoid them as much as possible. Try leaving a half-hour early to ensure you have the time to get where you are going. And at the end of the day, wait for traffic to thin out before adding your vehicle to it.

Finding parking spaces - Is there anything more frustrating when you finally get away from the worst of the traffic only to find you have no place to park?

Meetings - Everyone hates meetings, and mostly for the same reason: they take you away from your work to talk about the status of your work. Stay focused and don't let the inevitable meeting distract you from your focus.

Bad machinery - Old computers, faulty copiers, are all machinery that can go bad at the worst times. And how much time is wasted waiting for it to get fixed? Purchasing new equipment is not always feasible, but going to a place that has modern equipment and using theirs is always available, such as a library or an Office Supply store.

Long Lines - Avoid lines as much as you can by doing your shopping online or by phone. Even if there is a small fee attached, the money is worth not having to wait in a line.