Time Management Time Drains

I have worked with over a thousand people across all jobs and roles on time management in the last couple of years. As I’m writing my book at the moment on this topic, so I decided to share with you my time drains identifier which I use to help people pinpoint where we need to focus.

How To Identify Time Drains that Hurt Your Productivity

After close to three years of research, this is the ultimate list of time drains. All reasons why we delay action can be slotted into these twenty boxes. The good news is that it is a finite and well defined list. The bad news is that even one of these time drains, can seriously delay or even derail people’s careers, success and happiness. Pinpointing what is eating into your time is the first step in improving how you use your time.

So here is my list:

1. inadequate planning
2. lack of delegation
3. committed time to other work
4. lack of resolve
5. stress
6. too many meetings
7. poor prioritising
8. no clear goals
9. disorganisation
10. too much socialising
11. procrastination
12. not completing tasks
13. interruptions
14. attempting too much
15. ineffective communication
16. paperwork and e-mail
17. feeling overwhelmed
18. lack of motivation
19. control over work involving others
20. perfectionism.

Look through these one by one and think about it. Circle all the time drains that apply to you right now. That’s your target! If you have a number of circles, identify the top one. Think about how to best tackle the key time drain.

What would be different if it was no longer a problem? How much money, time you would be saving? What would you be achieving? In one session with me you would be developing a bullet proof strategy to leave your time drain behind for good and most importantly devote your energy and skills towards something far better: your success!

Build Better Habits

One way to put a stop to your productivity time drains is to build better habits. If you’re looking for 1-to-1 coaching, then get in touch right away! Together we can start building better habits and time management into your life.

For those who prefer to work alone, check out our 14 Day Habit builder online course. This is a self-guided online course to help you build better habits, improve your productivity and put a stop to those time drains.