We’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 Time Killers based on the percentage of people spending between 1 and 2 hours a day on each non-productive activity.
Emails
33% spend between 1 and 2 hours per day attending to their emails.
22% spend more than 2 hours per day checking their emails.
Internet surfing
27% spend between 1 and 2 hours per day surfing the Net.
8 in 10 people spend more than 2 hours per day.
Watching TV
26 % spend between 1 and 2 hours per day watching the box.
16% watch more than 2 hours a day of TV.
Procrastination
19% spend between 1 and 2 hours per day putting things off.
1 in 10 people don’t procrastinate; they’re super productive.
Meeting
18% spend between 1 and 2 hours a day in meetings.
7 in 10 people spend up to 2 hours per day in meetings.
Non-business related conversations
16% spend between 1 and 2 hours per day in non-business-related conversations.
3% don’t spend any time involved in idle “water cooler” conversations.
Travel time / commuting
13% spend 1 and 2 hours a day travelling.
31% say they spend no time at all travelling. Presumably they work from home.
Social networking
11% spend between 1 and 2 hours a day on social network.
75% spend up to 2 hours a day on social networking sites.
Cell phone / texting
10% spend 1 and 2 hours a day on their cell phone or texting.
1 in 10 also spends more than 2 hours a day with their phone.
Dealing with red tape
8% spend between 1 and 2 hours a day fighting through red tape.
25% don’t spend any time at all.
What type of time waster are you?
Three-fourths of workers believe negative emotions such as stress and boredom are the leading contributors to time-wasting. However, Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago, identifies three different types of procrastinators, each with different motives.
Thrill Seeker (Last-minute procrastinator): Thrill seekers feel they can procrastinate, as they enjoy the feeling of working against a deadline. Constantly set and adjust deadlines so that you still get the adrenaline rush, but are using your time more effectively than procrastinating.
Avoider (Fear procrastinator): Avoiders prefer to procrastinate as a means to avoid being judged, whether it’s from success or failure. Success is a good thing and nothing to be ashamed of. Failure is a way to learn and improve. Focus on doing the best job you can do and not on what others think.
Indecisive (Decisional procrastinator): Indecisive people are often prefectionists but procrastinate to shift responsibility from themselves. Not everything has to be perfect so try to take small risks and use your intuition. Mistakes may mean you learn something new. Try to split the task up into more manageable parts.
How can you combat time killers?
The best way to combat time killers is to gain an awareness of the time you waste and its value. The more time you waste, the more potential profit (or career-advancement) you squander. The only effective way to know where you spend your time is to track it.
Why do people use time tracking?
52% need to know where their time is effectively used.
55% It helps me to be more productive.
70% It provides better invoicing (and revenue).
