Tips From The Time Management Ninja. Ten Things to Stop Doing to Increase Productivity.

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | March 11, 2011

No. 599

10 Things to Stop Doing Now… to Get More Done! by Time Management Ninja.

Sometimes our own actions and behaviors can be counter productive to getting things done.  Here are 10 non-productive behaviors that you need to stop doing…

Things You Need to Stop Doing Now!

1. Procrastinating – Do you ignore deadlines? Why don’t you try finishing that next project early? Tasks left undone can actually create more work for you.
2. Wasting Time Surfing the Web or Watching TV – No one every became a success sitting in front of their TV or aimlessly surfing the Net.  Get up!  And do something thatmoves you closer to your goals, or teaches you something new.
3. Taking on Too Many Obligations –  If you cannot say no, you will quickly find yourselfoverloaded with obligations. Learn to limit what you take on so that you have not spent all your available time before you even begin.
4. Letting Email Run Your Life – Stop checking email every 5 minutes.  Don’t let email run your life. Email is not your work.
5. Responding to Last Minute Fire Drills – Get proactive.  Don’t let others’ last minute fire drills derail your priorities.  Sometimes you just have to say no to the fire drill.
6. Showing Up Late –  Believe it or not, but showing up early actually saves you time.  Are you constantly late to appointments? This could be one of your biggest time wasters.
7. Starting Your Day Unprepared – Being prepared for your day is key to maximizing your time.  Preparing for your day in advance, will keep you ahead of the pack.
8. Letting Important Information Get Away – Don’t waste time searching for pieces of information that you already had.  Ensure that you have a tool to take notes, and that you capture contact information.
9. Going to Unnecessary Meetings – Next to email, meetings are one of the top time wasters in the workplace.  Make sure your meetings have an agenda, start on time, and end with actionable items with due dates.  If not, you should probably skip that meeting in the first place.
10. Letting Others Steal Your Time – Time is your most valuable asset.  Don’t let others selfishly steal it.  Defend your time, and “block out” your calendar for your priorities first.

You will be able to find the link for Time Management Ninja from now forward in the Blogroll on the left margin of this blog. Plus, if you didn’t notice, there are links to past TMN articles all through the post reproduced above. Here’s that link again:

Time Management Ninja.

Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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