Time Stealers, Time Wasters
Time for Action

If time is a pressure for you, then note this:

20% of all your activities = 80% of the meaningful results in your life.

Time to work smarter don't you think? If you arrived here via my Happiness Pirates page I promised you ammunition against those 'time stealers.'

Here are 9 ways to foil the time bandit and claim back what is rightfully yours.

1. Prioritise
   - make your time work for you. Concentrate on the most important priorities. You will achieve a lot more in less time.

   Classify your intended activities as one of these four.
   FIRST tackle the IMPORTANT and URGENT, then it's your choice between Important or Urgent.

   Important AND Urgent	NOT Important, NOT Urgent
   Important, NOT Urgent	Urgent, NOT Important

2. Say NO
   - It's difficult at first I know, but with practice you'll get better at it.

   Buy yourself some time by responding to requests with 'I'll get back to you.' Chances are they'll do it themselves or find someone else to help them out.

3. Delegate
   - Do you really have to do EVERYTHING yourself. Is that best use of your time? You've heard that saying 'Jack of all trades, master of none.'

   Know your own strengths and play to them. Otherwise - delegate or pay someone else to do it. Isn't it just amazing how little time it takes an expert?

4. Organise YOURSELF and your SPACE
   - How much time do you waste looking for stuff? Time to sort a few things out. Don't go overboard all at once - that could waste time by distracting you.

   De-clutter - keep a diary for important events, plan your day, build in QUALITY PERSONAL TIME. Remember, shared spaces (home, work, workshop) will need some negotiation, so start with your own private space.

5. Know yourself.
   - Are you a morning or an evening person, or even a night owl. What days are best for you? You are most productive at these times.

   Your energy levels vary on different days of the week. Plan your time around these biorhythms and energy cycles. Time stealers are stealthy you know.

6. Think/plan ahead.
   - Have some idea of what you might want to do BEFORE you get up in the morning. And Mums, decide what the younger kids might wear...saves all those arguments in the morning.

   Do small things like topping up with fuel in the car before you are critically low. The same goes for bread, milk and fresh foods - extra shopping trips take time...and maybe fuel. It all adds up.

7. Do it NOW
   - Procrastination, putting things off - is one of the biggest time bandits in my opinion. I know, it was one of my weaknesses. What part of 'it' can you do right away?

   Identify the 'most unpleasant or least rewarding' job on your to do list and do that first. Everything will seem easy after that.

   If its a really long job, then plan to tackle it in small bites and allocate 15 minute time slots until its done.

8. Complete tasks
   - Satisfaction comes with completion and a job well done. Another of my past weaknesses.

   Finish off what you have started. The alternative - you are surrounded by half-finished projects that will one day will need your attention and YOUR TIME.

9. Perfectionism
   - For the master craftsman - yes. It's important to have pride in what you do, but are you creating a backlog by demanding too much perfection.

   Focus more on results than on how you get there. Result - more free time to perhaps ENJOY a hobby where you can be as perfect as you choose.

CARE TO SHARE your success stories with our readers, of how you tackled your time stealers and WON! To get in touch please fill in the form on our contact page.

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