How to Be Efficient at Work and Deal With Your Time Thieves?

Have you ever wished for a couple of more hours to be added to your day so you can finish one or more tasks? We know how that feels.

Being an entrepreneur means that you will constantly get involved in various projects, also aim to achieve several goals. You will have many busy days and a lot of tasks pending. There will be days when you would give anything for a few extra hours, especially if you are working with deadlines. Regardless of the industry, entrepreneurs live in a hurry, with so many things on their minds to finish. So, how to be efficient at work?

TIME is the most valuable resource you have! Time can cost you so much as an individual or already set up a business. And the sad part is - you cannot control time.

However, there is one thing for sure that you can do. Identify what takes up your time during the day. Let’s call them “time thieves” (since they are stealing your time, right?!). When you identify your time thieves, you can avoid or reduce them, so in that way, you can be efficient at work and get an extra hour or two to work.

First, we would like to divide these time thieves into two groups: external and internal. Let’s start with the external group first. These come in different forms and constantly bombard you, typically they will make you less efficient. We are pretty sure you can already think of several examples, but here are the most common ones:

External time thieves:

· Unexpected calls

· Unscheduled visits

· Pushing yourself without clear goals

· Inexperienced co-workers

· Colleagues and unnecessary breaks

Do any of these sound familiar? We know that you have probably met with at least three time-thieves listed above. They are so common and can be annoying. However, the upside is that once you identify them, you can control them and be efficient at work. To build up, let's discuss the other category:

Internal time thieves:

· Unclear goals or shifting goals

· Inability to say NO

· Lack of order

· Inability to delegate tasks

· Procrastination

Do you find this list of factors relatable, or some of the reasons listed are the main reasons for not having enough time and being less efficient during the day?

Do you want to know how to be efficient at work and keep these time thieves at bay? Don't fret. We will share some tips on how you can avoid them and maximize your efforts so that you are as productive as possible during the day. Let’s dive in:

First, set up your goals

It is essential to define your goals from the very start. If where you want to go and what you want to achieve are clear, deciding between what is worth your time and what is not will come more easily. Focus helps you set your priorities straight.

Organize your day and tasks

You would be surprised to know how much time we are spending on tasks that feel urgent, but are not important for us or our business. That is why it is essential to organize yourself and your day.

As an entrepreneur, you must learn to be good at planning. Additionally, you need to set aside quality time to sort out your tasks and define which are important and which are only urgent for implementation. Organizing helps you be more productive and efficient at work.

Prioritize your tasks according to their importance

It may sound basic to you however, a lot of people don’t find time to do this regularly and then wonder where their day has gone. Our suggestion here will be to make a-to-do-list. Preferably the night before, or first thing in the morning, this way, you will be super-efficient.

Plan for unplanned work

We are living in a complex and unpredictable world, so you should be aware that there will always be unplanned work to do. Things will pop up! So, plan! Plan ahead for unexpected work. Prepare by leaving time in your schedule. As a result, you will have time to finish your tasks. And if it turns out that nothing unplanned happened for that day, then yay!! You have some free time! Use it wisely.

Isolate yourself

Sometimes, the only thing you can do to be productive for the day is to isolate yourself. TURN OFF WHATSAPP! If you are working remotely from your home, create a workspace if you don’t have one. You could rearrange your schedule for the tasks so that you can work when the people you house with (if any) are out. If you still get interrupted, another solution is going to a library or co-working space with your work tools.

Communicate clearly

It is essential to have great communication with everybody around you, be it friends, family, or co-workers. Make sure that people truly understand you. Clear communication and mutual understanding are crucial to entrepreneurs, employees, and contractors to be efficient at work. Let them know what weakens your work productivity, and if they respect you, they will give you space and time to work.

Learn to say NO

Lastly, you have to learn to say NO. It can be challenging. However, it is very doable. Everybody needs to have and communicate their boundaries. The trick is knowing how to do so without making people feel disrespected. So, how to deal with your time and be efficient at work? Say NO to someone.

To round-up

Time thieves are many, in most cases, we are not aware of how much time they are taking away from us.  The key is setting boundaries and creating balance. Then, you can focus more, reduce distractions and define your rhythm and productivity.

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We hope you will find this post helpful and start implementing some of the advice points mentioned to get the most out of your day and be efficient at work! Stay productive!

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