10 Things I No Longer Let Waste My Time

There are way too many things in society that are wasting our time. Yet, the number is growing with the things that are purposely designed to waste our time. 

When I think about how much time I have wasted thus far, I cringe. Only if I had put in the work or made the sacrifices long ago, I might be where I want to be today. 

I’m officially over dwelling on my missed opportunities. I’m done wasting time. 

These are the time-wasters that I have let go of… and you should too.

1. Over-Thinking.

Have you ever thought about something for a long time? So long that when you snapped out of your daze everyone was taking actions toward your thoughts. I sure have. 

I used to be a willing participant in over-thinking everything. Stuck in a tragic loop that always ended in no actions. 

The thing about over-thinking is that you will encounter too many counterproductive effects.

For instance, when I got the idea to start a blog, I went searching for valuable information. When I found the information, other questions would surface that made me think of more questions. Those questions paired with answers started to make me doubtful. 

Soon, I started to question myself. Can I really do this? What about this? What about that? The amount of uncertainty I developed stopped me before I ever took action. This is the treacherous power of overthinking. It cripples you before you can make your first move.

Do me a favor and stop overthinking. 

Check this out! You Got This, Sis! How to Fearlessly Achieve Your Goals

2. Gimmicks

Often times when people eagerly want something, they see, hear, and buy into everything that confirms what they desire. Which forces them to be easily misled by clever gimmicks. 

I have been a gullible target for many flashy gimmicks. Promising me if I do this, I’ll get this. Or if I buy that, I’ll go here. Just to discover that there was some critical information being left out.

Overthinking pushed me toward a couple of gimmicks. I purchased items that I thought would bring me results. Only to find that the best take-away was to stop overthinking and start acting. 

I knew that already. 

Did I really need to waste my time and money to get that message? 

The biggest lesson I learned was to ignore anything that promised life-changing results, with minimum effort. You might be thinking, DUH! But gimmicks are all around us. People are falling for them every day.

3. Waiting Until Monday.

If I had a dollar for every time I said that I was going to start something on Monday, I’d probably be as wealthy as Mansa Musa. I’d literally have enough money to buy more Mondays to put on the calendar. 

Meanwhile, outside of my wild imagination, I’ve realized that if I ever want to see any results, I’d better keep my promises to myself. Not only that but to start no matter what day it is. 

Waiting until Monday does nothing but allow doubt, procrastination, changing your mind, and everything else to kick-in. So much so that when Monday rolls around, all you will be starting is the first part of your favorite sentence. “I’ll start on…”

The earlier you start, you’ll be able to develop a routine, and stop wasting your time. So no more Mondays for me. Today is always my day. 

Don’t wait until Monday. Download Your 2020 Winner’s Checklist Now!

4. Binge-Watching Shows

Television shows are all injected with a magic formula. The formula that keeps all of us hooked. Powering us with enough energy to watch 57 episodes within two days. While neglecting to give us that same energy to do anything productive.

Not anymore…at least for me. Yes, I have my shows that I love. However, I actively aim to avoid being lured into every drama-filled storyline. Somewhere there’s a juicy trailer waiting to get my attention right now. But so is my work. 

Reality hit me like a train when I noticed that I was binge-watching people who were acting in their purpose. My mind was blown. I immediately decided that my purpose deserved the same attention. 

So does yours.

5. Social Media

Social media platforms use the same addictive methods as television shows. However, social media tricks are different. Social media is structured in a way to keep you engaged for hours. 

First, I’m updating my status. Then, I’m messaging my sister. Next thing I know, my sister sends me a hilarious video. Which I watch, then that video automatically switches to another funny video. Somehow funny videos turn into the world news. Out of nowhere, it’s an hour later. Now, I’m watching a motivational video reminding me I need to get off of social media. It’s a trap!

I no longer allow myself to be sucked into the endless entertainment on social media. I go into every app with a purpose. Then, I hurry up and log off. 

Although I do get caught in responding to my Quest of Her tribe, that’s the fun stuff, which is also productive.

 6. Fake Busy Work

Select your tasks wisely. I discovered that some tasks aren’t fruitful.

I’ve gotten sucked into doing busy work numerous times. First, I’d be making dinner, then I’d be cleaning the kitchen.

Why not clean the bathroom too? I’d think on my way to waste more time scrubbing and spraying.

When I finished being Mrs. Clean, I was happy and accomplished. Shortly after, I would feel like a failure. Although I was busy cleaning, that work could’ve been secondary to so many other tasks.

It donned on me that I needed to stop confusing fake busy work with actual work that needed to be done. It boils down to priorities.

Sometimes we do what feels good over what is pressuring us. Then, to feel a sensation of accomplishment we do other things. The truth is you’d feel much better if you prioritize your important tasks. Not only will you feel better but you’d be accomplishing something productive.   

Need help staying on top of your priorities? Click Here!

7. Wasting Other People’s Time

We waste other people’s time when we don’t do our due diligence. In the past, I asked people how they accomplished things, hoping to get the secret formula to their achievements. Yet, everything they had to say ended with me needing to put in the groundwork.

If I had put in the groundwork beforehand, maybe I wouldn’t have had to ask other people questions at all. Or I could’ve used our time more effectively by asking something more in-depth.

I remember in college when people used to ask our professor questions without doing their prior research. He would quickly redirect them to do a quick search or read the book before he would answer. 

This is the mindset I have about everything now. I do all the work necessary before I start involving other people. Time is just as valuable as money. So, don’t waste people’s time if you haven’t done the necessary work to deserve their help. Essentially, you’ll be wasting your own time. 

8. Not Being Engaged in Promises

Before the new year arrived, I already had several different friends planning trips and events throughout the new year. In the past, I would’ve agreed to every request. Yet, today, I know I need to carefully assess the requests that are presented to me.

Think about it. Too often people make promises that they aren’t engaged in. For instance, how many times have you agreed to something months in advance? And then when your promise date came near, you either didn’t remember, didn’t want to go, or simply had a scheduling conflict?  

This is why I carefully assess the things I promise to others. By doing so, I save myself time which allows me to focus on the request, intentionally plan, and be able to give a concrete answer.    

9. Waiting for All the Pieces

I used to think that I needed to wait until I had all the right resources before I could start acting on my goals. I had to have a perfect website. I had to have a huge social media following. I even thought that I had to have a certain amount of life experiences.

Once I started seeing people taking action with half-built websites, a few followers, and little to no experience, I quit waiting. While I was waiting around for every piece to fall into place, I was wasting valuable time. I could’ve been growing with the resources I already had.

Truth be told, everything is still not up to my standards when it comes to my business. However, I have achieved more through action, than I ever did waiting for the right resources and people. 

If you are struggling with this mindset, I encourage you to start where you are with what you have. 

If you are ready to go for it, these tips are perfect for you… Read More

10. Sleep

I love to sleep. The thought of being snuggled up in my bed, buried in warm covers, excites me. Yet, discipline does not allow me to engage in more sleep than I need.  

Yes, sleep is nice for recharging your body. However, it wastes a lot of your time when you are sleeping just because you can. 

My grandfather used to say, “The only thing that comes to a sleeper is a dream”. While my grandmother used to insist that I would sleep my life away. Though it took me a while to really heed their advice, I now understand them clearly.

If you want to take your goals from a dream state to reality, you have to get the proper rest. After you have gotten your 7-8 hours, or whatever you need to function, get up and get to it. 

The purpose of sleep is to recharge our bodies so that we can get up and continue to strive for our goals. When you think about sleep like that, you will no longer let sleep take up your working time. 

Conclusion

In summary, stop wasting time. Over-thinking is a waste. Gimmicks are a waste. Waiting until Monday is a waste. Binge-watching television is a waste. Social media without purpose is a waste of time. Work that’s not productive is a waste. Wasting other people’s time is a waste. Not paying attention to your promises is a waste. Waiting until you have all the resources is a waste. Sleeping for the sake of sleeping is also a waste of time. I’m sure this list can go on and on, but I don’t want to waste any more time.

What time-wasters have you let go?