What’s your biggest source of wasted time during the workday? Telephone calls, email, surfing the web, video games? Break those bad habits and get more done during working hours so you can relax and enjoy a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
Phone Calls
Set a specific time to make personal calls, and ask others to phone you during certain times, such as in the morning before you start work, or at lunchtime if morning is your most productive period. If personal calls do occur during the workday, limit them to ten minutes or so and call back later to continue chatting. Set a timer if necessary. Also, keep business calls concise and to the point.
Train yourself to ignore personal or “fun” emails during working hours and only check for and answer business mail during that time. It may help to set up a separate email account for work related items and not give that address out to family and friends. Look over personal email when you’re taking a break or when you are finished working. Having separate accounts will not only limit the temptation to reply to personal email, it will help you save time by not having to sort through personal and business items.
Surfing
It is really easy to get caught up in surfing, even if you started out looking up something that pertains to work. Getting sidetracked can waste a lot of time and before you know it, the day has gotten away from you. If you come across an interesting site that isn’t work related, bookmark it for later viewing and jot down a quick note to remind yourself.
Video Games
Playing a few quick rounds of a video game may be a great way to unwind for a few minutes between tasks, but games can easily become addictive. If you take a break and start a game, it is advisable to set a timer and stop when it rings whether the round is finished or not. “Just one more game,” can lead to hours of unproductive time.