Have you ever had this happen to you? You wake up with a list of what you want to accomplish for the day, start in a fine manner, but are soon sidetracked by a retinue of other distractions: a quick check of social media, catching up with friends, another funny video to watch online, highlights of yesterday’s football matches, and another hour of the latest music videos.
By the time you are done, there’s no hope you will accomplish all on your list for that day, and you wonder where all the time went! Well, between me and you, we know where it went. So, to help you manage your time better, here are four ways to help you stop wasting time.
1. Turn Off Social Media Notifications
Close out the program on your mobile phone. If you want to get more done, you cannot possibly surround yourself with irresistible distractions that are sure to disrupt! Instead, choose to go through those messages when you are done with your tasks or when taking a break from them. Remember to discipline yourself not to go beyond the scheduled time allotted to it.
2. Take Advantage of Free Time
You may use the time in getting to school or some other place, to work through something that can’t be rushed. You could read a few pages of a book (I often do this), write down your thoughts for an essay, check your social media messages, or give deep thought to that niggling Maths problem which answer remains elusive.
This forced isolation for a set time period takes away the pressure to figure things out super-fast and it’s a time that’s nearly distraction-free. Less pressure, more thoughtfulness.
3. Set Tough But Realistic Deadlines
We all wish we could have extra hours added to our day, but 24 hours is enough for whatever thing we want to achieve if we are prudent enough. Of course, you cannot control people around you to move at the same pace as you, but you can try to get more control over yourself and how you do your own work.
When you finish one task, move on to the next. Don’t be tempted to take a break before you have scheduled one. If one project gets too difficult to complete, move on to the next and come back to it when you are fresh. Always ensure to wrap up for the day at a point that will be easy to pick up the next day.
4. Reflect On How Well You Have Done
At the end of each week or month, take a cold, hard look at your calendar and how you spent your time over the previous week or weeks. Are you proud of how you used your time? Did you get a solid return on investment from what you chose to do? Are you following the suggestions in this article to stop wasting time?
Even the best intentions aren’t enough to break old habits. If you are serious about this, monitor how well you have been doing. It’s one of the best ways to get anything done. Don’t just say you are going to stop wasting time, or assume that you are, but check and make sure.
Like many of the most important things in life, stopping yourself from wasting time isn’t brain surgery. It’s a combination of common sense and a healthy dose of personal discipline. It really isn’t more complicated than that — which means there’s no reason why you can’t make it happen.
This article was adapted from BBC Capital
See More: Why You Need To Stop Procrastinating Now!
