Time is probably one of the most precious things we have. However so often we waste time on the smallest, most insignificant things in life.
The society we live in, the grind, the hustle, often makes you forget that time is not abundant. It is limited. We are happy exchanging time for money, forgetting that time is our most valuable currency. And every moment that passes is a moment you can never get back.
I wanted to write this post to help you step out of that myopic, narrow vision of life and reconsider what truly matters in the end.
I hope that by the end of reading this post you will have a different perspective and you will no longer waste time sweating the small stuff. I hope you will begin living your life to the absolute fullest, treating your time as your highest asset.
If you have not yet read it, I truly recommend the book Top 5 Regrets of The Dying – by Bronnie Ware.
“Bronnie’s delightful memoir is a courageous, life-changing book that will leave you feeling more compassionate and inspired to live the life you are truly here to live.”
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#1 Waiting for inspiration
If you wait around for inspiration, you will never get started with anything
People often assume that if you are passionate about something then inspiration is just a guarantee. This could not be further from the truth. Inspiration is extremely fleeting, and it is affected by so many things that you may not be able to fully control. Even if you are doing something that you are absolutely passionate about, there will be days when you are simply not in the creative zone.
With that mindset, it is very easy to just keep putting things off until you find that muse.
But how long are you willing to wait…
Wait too long and you could miss the opportunity. So do not waste time waiting for inspiration that might not come for a long time.
Remember that sometimes the hardest thing is getting started.
Inspiration by definition means “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”
You need to get yourself mentally stimulated. This will not come from thin air. So just get started and you might find the inspiration you need. Take one small step forward at a time.
#2 Worrying about what people will say
The sad truth is that people will always talk. I think accepting that fact can be extremely liberating because you let go of the need to control it. So often we get hung up by what others will think of us, so much that we end up living our lives according to them. Oftentimes without realising.
I truly believe that if any time someone judges you for what you are doing then in reality, they are projecting their unresolved issues onto you. Maybe they are envious, maybe they feel less than, maybe they do not think they would succeed so they want to jeopardise it for you, maybe they are unhappy with themselves, maybe they are not willing to understand it, maybe it’s not what they know.
Whatever the reason is, I hope it is apparent that going against yourself, will only negatively impact you.
So do not waste time worrying about what others will think or say – any judgments do not reflect badly on you. It reflects on that person.
You know what you want, so never be afraid to go after it! The right people will be by your side all the way.
#3 Avoiding difficult tasks
I am a master procrastinator – or at least I used to be. I always feel this initial inertia to starting a difficult task. It would put the task off and it always backfired.
There is no avoiding difficult tasks – they’re not just going to go away. The longer you put them off, the harder it will be and the more stress they will cause you. That can be extremely counterproductive.
The difficult tasks often take the longest time. If you end up doing them last you run the risk of spending too much time on the easier tasks and not having enough time for the challenging ones.
You will be wasting time by avoiding difficult tasks, so make yourself a promise to always start those first. It’s not easy, you will have to have a lot of discipline, but I promise it will become easier once you get going and you will be so darn proud of yourself after.
Also, no task is too big if you split it into smaller actionable steps. So, take a look at the task and try to split it into smaller chunks, focusing on one small step at a time.
#4 Always complaining
Complaining for the sake of complaining will solve absolutely nothing. You may feel a momentary relief at having let the fumes out but at the end of the day, the thing you are complaining about will still remain a problem.
Talking to someone about it and sharing your feelings is a bit different. Firstly, talking can be constructive as people are more likely to listen and they could try to offer some advice. Secondly, talking things through in a calm way can help you reach a conclusion on how you can solve the problem.
When something annoys you or is overwhelming you or makes you angry, try to get back into action mode. Take control and rather than getting more worked up over it, determine if there is anything you can do to make it better right now or in the near future.
Taking back control will help to ease your mind.
#5 Multitasking
As nice as the idea of multi-tasking is. It is a fluke. Tried and tested.
The only time it works for me is when I watch Netflix while exercising. Actually – it helps the exercise part!
Numerous studies have shown that in fact rather than focusing on several tasks at once your mind quickly switches from one to the other. And this act of switching takes more effort, is distracting, takes away your concentration, and increases the time it takes you to get back into focus on a task. So basically, it is a no-no. You lose focus and you lose concentration, and each task ends up taking more time.
So to stop wasting your precious time – focus on one task at a time.
#6 Trying to please everyone
You have to first and foremost do what is right for you.
When you try to please other people all the time, you are essentially putting them first above yourself. Your feelings and wants and desires will go second, and this will over time lead to a lot of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and even resentment.
There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first
You have to take care of yourself first before you take care of anyone else. Because trust me that unless you do no one else will. Few people are willing to put others above themselves so you will be at a continuous loss.
Stop wasting time and energy trying to please people and start taking care of yourself. Anyone who has a problem with it, either benefited from you putting them first or is simply not meant to be in your life.
#7 Watching too much TV
There is nothing wrong with watching TV or having a Netflix binge session from time to time. But if it happens repeatedly and it becomes a habit then it becomes a problem. If it is keeping you away from working on your dreams or goals, then it might be time to re-think if it is worth it.
I am sure you have been in the Netflix loop. You start watching a series promising yourself it will just be one episode and all of a sudden, you’ve finished the entire series in a week while all you wanted to work on was put on hold.
The best advice – just do not start if you have an important goal to work towards! It is hard to get out of that cycle once you are in. Put Tv/Netflix on hold while you focus on what is worth your time. Netflix will always be there, and you can catch up in a month. If you put your goals on hold, you will be delaying them.
#8 Comparing yourself
You are unique and you bring your own set of values to the world.
The problem with comparing yourself to other people is that you shift all the focus on what the other person has, that you may not. You completely forget about all the amazing things that make you, you!
The comparison game is so dangerous because it is impossible to win. There will always be someone who is better at something than you or is more attractive or more skilled. If you only focus on that, you will always feel like you are lacking
Make that mindset shift and start appreciating the amazing things about you.
Try writing them down and if that feels uncomfortable try writing down what you think your closest friend and family would say about you.
#9 Repeating the same mistakes
You know the saying…
“Once is a mistake, twice is a choice”
I stand by that quote so much. The first time is never a mistake, it is a lesson. It is up to you what you take from it for the future.
Without a doubt, you will be in similar situations in the future. When you do find yourself in these situations again, it is up to you to tap into your past experiences and adjust the outcomes accordingly.
Life will keep throwing the same lessons at you over and over again until you learn from it, don’t waste your precious time making the same mistake more than once.
#10 Expecting perfectionism
Perfectionism will eat away at your time.
I think so many of us struggle with this or have done it at some point in our lives. It can be a major cause of unnecessary anxiety which is one of the ways in which perfectionism will cost you your time. Often when working on a task, it is important to know when enough is enough. There comes a point where spending an extra day on something will not be worth the time investment. The outcome will have been the same even if you had left the task where it was the day before.
Perfectionism also has a tendency to lead to procrastination a.k.a. TIME WASTER!
I think in many cases perfectionism stems from self-doubt or low self-esteem and the best way to address it is at its core. So, try to focus inwards and decide why you are striving for perfection. Is there a core wound that needs addressing?
#11 Lack of priorities
We live in a hectic world, where our attention is constantly being pulled in all directions. It can get so overwhelming that it becomes counterproductive, and you end up not being able to focus and get things done.
Prioritising is the answer!
It is essential that you are able to prioritise and assign your time accordingly. When it comes to the areas of your life – your priorities very much depend on you and your circumstances. You know best what is most valuable to you. Just make sure that you choose these priorities for the right reasons and all external expectations aside.
When it comes to daily, weekly, or monthly tasks, I recommend getting everything down on paper and just ordering it in order of importance and urgency. And do not be afraid to delegate if you can.
By setting priorities everything will slowly start falling into place.
#12 Not enough sleep
I mean we have all been there. And we all know that those days when we have hardly slept the night before – well they are pretty much a write-off.
You will lose focus, you will not be able to concentrate on any task, you will be miserable, irritable, and quite possibly even dangerous to the poor person that steps on your toes that day.
Invest in your sleep like your life depends on it. Because it in a way it does. Your time and health are precious and a bad night’s sleep, especially if it is a constant occurrence, is not worth it.
#13 Fear of failure
Fear of failure can be paralysing. If you allow it, it will keep you away from amazing opportunities.
Not taking these opportunities could be the difference between you achieving your dreams, goals, and full potential now or years down the line.
Take every opportunity that comes your way and does not let that fear of failure stop you.
You have the power to learn anything you set your mind to, so even if something is outside your comfort zone trust yourself enough to know that you can learn how to do it along the way.
#14 Not saying no
Set those boundaries where necessary. People will not respect your time if YOU do not respect your time. Be comfortable with saying no when that something will be counterproductive and cost you too much energy or time.
That’s not you being difficult – that’s you executing your right.
There will always be people who push your boundaries because these people care about their interests. You need to take care of your interest and know where to set the boundary. Whether with a colleague, your boss, your partner, family members, or friends.
#15 Waiting for the right time
There is never a right time. There could be a better time, but there is no guarantee that that time will ever come and there is no clue as to when that time is. You have to be willing to take the plunge and have faith that whatever happens things will work out.
I think that it is a symptom of the society we live in, that we constantly feel there is a certain timeline that we have to follow. That life is just a tick-off box for the next milestone and the next.
Focusing too much on following that timeline, can keep you away from some amazing things. Because sometimes the most wonderful opportunities and the ones that most align with who we are and what we truly want, are not on that timeline – they are off track. But few people are willing to step into that unknown.
You will never have the guarantee that it is the right time for you, with any decision you make. That’s partly what makes life so beautiful.
#16 Not living your life to the fullest
You get one life only, every minute that passes by is a minute you will never get back.
So make sure you live your life according to you and you only.
Try to think forward to when you are 100 and looking back on your life – is there anything in your life right now that you would change from that perspective? Would you make different choices? What would you regret the most?
Make sure you are living your life to the fullest so you can look back at your life and know that you have no regrets.
If you have not yet read it, I truly recommend the book Top 5 Regrets of The Dying – by Bronnie Ware.
“Bronnie’s delightful memoir is a courageous, life-changing book that will leave you feeling more compassionate and inspired to live the life you are truly here to live.”
On a final note.
To summaries…
The 16 things you should not waste time on:
- Waiting for inspiration
- Worrying about what people will say
- Avoiding difficult tasks
- Always complaining
- Multitasking
- Trying to please everyone
- Watching too much TV
- Comparing yourself
- Repeating the same mistakes
- Expecting perfectionism
- Lack of priorities
- Not enough sleep
- Fear of failure
- Not saying no
- Waiting for the right time
- Not living your life to the fullest
Please let me know your thought. I always love hearing from you.
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