I’m asking because I’m not as productive as I think I should be and was wondering if you could relate. I decided to track where my time was going and came up with the following productivity killers.
My greatest productivity killers:
1. Checking emails – I get a lot of un-important stuff, so what am I looking for exactly?
2. Mobile apps – I ♥ Ruzzle and Words with Friends
3. Drafting articles and blog posts – Unfortunately, they end up just that…drafts!
4. Reading blog posts – In my defense, most of them are related to writing, blogging, business and internet marketing
5. Twitter – I’ve connected with a lot of cool Tweeps that I like to keep in touch with
6. Reading books – This is the best and worst excuse I have for slacking off
Sure, I could try to justify my actions by saying that most of my activities are educational in nature; but that would be a puff of smoke.
Honestly, my two biggest time wasters are checking email and playing Ruzzle and Words with Friends (I’m so grateful for random opponents) with reading books a close third.
I know you’re probably wondering how reading books is a waste of time. Simple. Anything I allow to take time and attention away from completing the project at hand is a productivity killer.
How to Handle Productivity Killers
1. Track your work time for a week to see how you are spending (wasting) your time.
2. Write down all distractions, including family and other obligations, and how much time you spend on each.
3. Determine actions you can take to reduce or remove distractions.
4. Practice staying focused on completion. Whenever I’m working, I leave my phone in a different room and try to only use the internet when I need it. I do check email messages more than I need to but I’m working on that.
5. Pencil time wasters into your schedule. For example, Work for 45 minutes and check emails for 10 minutes. Or, schedule an hour just for blogging, social media and mobile apps.
6. Most importantly, don’t feel bad about your lack of productivity; make a conscious effort to be more productive.
What About You?
What are your greatest productivity killers? How do you handle them?
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