Time is precious. The passing of time is beyond our control. Once it’s gone, we can’t get it back. But we still waste time. Ideally, we’d like to spend every waking hour productively. But it’s not easy. Is it bad to waste time? Why do I waste so much time? How do I stop wasting my time? This article talks about how to stop wasting time. I hope it is helpful.
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Before exploring the possible causes of time wasting, I’d like to ask a question. Is it bad to waste time?
If you think that failing to spend every waking hour productively is a waste of time, then don’t push yourself too hard. You can give yourself a break by “wasting” some time.
If you spend your study or work time doing something unrelated or unnecessary, then it is a true waste of time, which is not good.
Below are some common causes of time wasting.
You may often find yourself wasting time on your phone or computer, spending a lot of time on YouTube, Facebook or video games. Social media platforms, games and Internet can be big time wasters, causing you to unconsciously waste a significant amount of time.
Procrastination is a tendency to put off tasks, which can be caused by many reasons, such a fear of failing or not being perfect. Procrastination is a waste of time. People with procrastination may wait until the last minute to get a task done and spend the time prior to the deadline doing nothing or being anxious.
People with good time management can consciously plan and control their time spent on activities and have a sense of prioritization. A lack of time management can lead one to goof off, waste time, miss deadlines, etc.
The lack of goals at work, in school or in life can lead to no pressure, a low sense of responsibility, and no sense of achievement. These consequences can lead you to not feel guilty for wasting time.
Being motivated can help you stick to your goals, which encourages you to spend your time productively. On the contrary, a lack of motivation may lead to laziness and idleness.
Surprisingly (or not), the lack of energy can also lead to time wasting. It requires energy to get things done. When you are low on energy, you naturally prefer low-energy activities, such as goofing off and browsing social media.
Why do I keep wasting my time? I’ve talked about some common reasons. Understanding the cause can help you find the right way to prevent yourself from wasting time.
How to stop wasting time on YouTube, Facebook or other social media platforms? How to stop spending too much time playing video games? How do you avoid these big time wasters while working or studying? There is a helpful tip.
When work on a Mac or Windows computer, you can minimize time wasters by blocking access to them. Cisdem Focus blocks distracting websites and apps on Mac during your work or study time, helping you focus and make the most of your time.
Cisdem Focus can block apps, websites, pages, URLs with certain words, and categories of websites. In addition, this app allows you to block access to all websites except the ones allowed. The blocking will start when your planned focus time starts and ends when your focus time is over. You can plan your focus time with the built-in Pomodoro timer or by scheduling.
Forest, the Android and iOS alternative to this app, can help you avoid wasting time on your phone.
If you have a tendency to avoid starting or completing a task, try to stop the tendency. People who feel stressed are more vulnerable to procrastination. If you feel stressed about a task at work or in school, you may avoid starting it and even spend time on some time wasters to release stress.
The first thing to do is to stop worrying. And then try identifying your emotion. Why are you procrastinating on this very task? Is it a fear to fail or something else? This helps you overcome the delay and stop procrastinating.
Setting work goals, study goals or life goals can help you find a direction and know your priorities. You know that your goals take time to achieve and have to force yourself to stop wasting your precious time.
If you want to achieve your goals, you know that you need to spend time completing specific tasks, such as a project or an assignment. And you need to prioritize your goals and tasks. These are what your time management is based on.
Being motivated helps you stick to your goals and take actions, preventing you from wasting your time on unnecessary things. To get motivated, make your goals specific and achievable in the first place.
Breaking your goal into tasks also helps you stay motivated because a sense of achievement will come with completing a task. Accomplishing tasks can keep fueling your motivation.
Once you have goals to achieve and tasks to work on, you understand the importance of time management. There are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. You have to spend them wisely.
You need to sleep, spend time with your family and friends, take breaks, etc. There isn’t actually that much time left for your tasks. As you see, there is little time to be wasted.
Fortunately, there are time management methods (such as the ABCDE method and the Pomodoro technique) to help you schedule your day for high efficiency and a good work/study and life balance. Time management apps and time tracking apps can also be very helpful.
As mentioned, a lack of energy may lead you to unconsciously waste time. To become energetic all day, make sure that you eat and sleep well. Unhealthy diet, poor nutrition and sleep deprivation are big no-nos. Breaking certain habits, such as quitting smoking and quitting alcohol, can also help improve your energy levels. Preventing burnout is also very important.
The fact is that sticking to your goals, avoiding wasting time and things alike are often built on self-control, the ability to control your own behaviors and feelings. The good news is that self-control can be improved over time. And there are useful strategies for developing it.
Time is valuable. Avoiding wasting time is a virtue. On the one hand, don’t push yourself too hard. You don’t have to spend every minute productively. On the other hand, don’t allow yourself to spend too much time on unnecessary or addictive activities. To become an achiever at work, in school or in life, start with using your time wisely. I hope this article on how to stop wasting time is helpful to you.
Rosa has worked in Mac software industry for more than eight years. She believes that the purpose of software is to make life better and work more productively. In addition to writing, Rosa is also an avid runner.
