You don’t want something so rigid that your system is itself a problem. Sometimes there’s a more streamlined process you can use (like showering or shaving the night before), whatever works for you – you ultimately have to live with this system so make sure that firstly you’re happy with it and also that it’s flexible. Other tweaks may include changing the order that you do things in. Total time saving with these minor tweaks? Over half an hour! That allows me to happily have an extra 10 minutes in bed without worrying, sort my hair out properly (rather than my usual half-arsed attempts!) and catch up on the news headlines on T.V before heading out for the day – neat! Factor in the 10 minutes I’d take to get my clothes sorted (I’d mentally budgeted 5) and I was setting myself up for a time-keeping disaster – and all of this was ignoring the 10-15 minutes I regularly lost each morning whilst “just quickly checking” social media Why You Should Be Concerned About Time SinksĪs someone with a reputation for being late a lot (and I mean a lot), figuring out what was taking all of this extra time really opened my eyes as to where I was losing time and what I could do about it.Īfter you’ve noted down the actual time each task that you do before your “late time” look at what each task is, whether it’s totally necessary and how you can improve on it.įor example, in my case I sort my clothes out the night before (saving 10 minutes), Banned myself from social media until a suitable time (saving 15 minutes) and I’ve also bought myself a coffee machine that I can set a timer on so I can wake up to the smell of lovely fresh coffee (saving 12 minutes). When I actually timed the job from start to finish it was closer to 15 minutes than 5 – 12 minutes 32 seconds to be exact! No wonder I couldn’t figure out why I was running late when I was adamant I’d left enough time to get a coffee, get dressed and get to where I had to be on time. This usually meant that I ran late and had to forgo my much needed caffeine jolt. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve underestimated the time you spend on each task.įor example, I was getting up every morning and making a cup of coffee thinking “It only takes 5 minutes so I can have a little lie in”. The best way to find out what’s sucking up your time is to note down the activities you’re doing during the period you’re struggling with, and how long you spend doing each of them. In the examples above I’ve used things that revolve around getting ready to go out but a time sink can also stop you starting or finishing a project, meeting up with friends or even making a certain meal – the list is practically endless. Simply put, a time sink is something that sucks in your productive time (or energy) causing stress, lateness and procrastination.Ī time sink can be anything from spending too long singing to Britney Spears in the shower, getting lost playing Candy Crush whilst on the toilet, making a pot of coffee with freshly ground beans, or just trying to decide what outfit to wear to the the office.Ī time sink is, essentially, an activity that takes you away from what you should be doing to achieve your goal. Sound familiar? You’re not on your own! What Is A Time Sink? The next thing you know it’s 5 minutes after the time you should have left and what should have been a reasonably calm commute becomes a frantic rush of clock-watching and trying to get to your destination on time. You know the drill: You have somewhere to be at a specific time so you make sure that you’re up and out of bed on time and begin to get ready.
#Define time sink download
Update: Added Link to my free download FlipTimePlan Daily Time Tracker and Planner
#Define time sink update
Update 18th May 2016: Added New Time Management Resource
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