Time is your most valuable resource in today's fast-paced society, but it's startling to see how much we undervalue it. The average American spends six to eight hours a day watching TV and using their phones, did you know that? That is nearly 120 days in a year! This emphasizes how simple it is to waste our time.
It was a big yet liberating decision to make the audacious choice to stop using Facebook and Twitter and to lose almost 80,000 followers overall. When I looked through my feeds in the early stages of the epidemic and the 2020 election cycle, I realized that my energy and mental state were not improving. That action greatly decreased my stress levels and restored several hours I had previously lost to aimless browsing. I spent a lot less time when I reduced my usage of social media from four to just two (Instagram and LinkedIn).
2. Let go of the binge-watching culture:
By this point, you may only be reading because you're fascinated (or annoyed) by my suggestions to cut out wasted time. I used to really enjoy coming home from work, taking my shoes off, grabbing the remote control and relaxing on the couch for some television. How many hours did I spend watching TV? No idea.
A conscious decision was made to unsubscribe from the never-ending news feed in order to prevent the overload and negativity that the round-the-clock news cycle may bring. Finding appropriate, less invasive ways to stay up to date on global events without letting them take over our lives is vital, but so is staying informed. It appears that news coverage has shifted over time to emphasize alarmism and inciting anxiety and terror. Pay attention to how much time you spend getting drawn into the negative news stories that depress you on a regular basis.
7. Delegate to boost your efficiency:
Investing in highly competent assistants and team members and delegating tasks that don't necessitate your direct involvement is life-changing. You've got to be willing to let others help you by doing things for you, even if you're good at whatever the task is.
By trying even just a couple of these seven strategies above, you'll cut back on your wasted time and create a more intentional and rewarding lifestyle. Managing your attention and deciding how to spend your time is the ultimate difference between success and regret. Embrace the idea of removing some distractions to see the benefits of judiciously allocating your most valuable resource: your time.
You shouldn't spend a third of your day staring at screens because life is too short and your relationships are too important. This piece, which draws on my own experiences, examines seven strategies for reducing time wastage that can result in a more contented existence.
1. Take caution when using social media:
1. Take caution when using social media:
It was a big yet liberating decision to make the audacious choice to stop using Facebook and Twitter and to lose almost 80,000 followers overall. When I looked through my feeds in the early stages of the epidemic and the 2020 election cycle, I realized that my energy and mental state were not improving. That action greatly decreased my stress levels and restored several hours I had previously lost to aimless browsing. I spent a lot less time when I reduced my usage of social media from four to just two (Instagram and LinkedIn).
2. Let go of the binge-watching culture:
By this point, you may only be reading because you're fascinated (or annoyed) by my suggestions to cut out wasted time. I used to really enjoy coming home from work, taking my shoes off, grabbing the remote control and relaxing on the couch for some television. How many hours did I spend watching TV? No idea.
And that's the point. It's so easy to binge-watch shows and later realize we didn't actually do anything at night that we intended to do. The last TV show episode I watched was in 2013, the final episode of The Office with Michael Scott. I felt like nothing could be better than the legend Michael Scott and decided I'd retire from television.
According to Neilsen's State of Play report, between February 2021 and February 2022, 817,000 individual TV programs were available to choose from, and Americans watched almost 15 million years — yes, you read that right, years — worth of streaming content. That's in one year alone. Think about what important life moments were missed during that 15 million years of time spent in just 12 months!
3. Schedule personal priorities:
By prescheduling workouts, reading sessions, time with my wife and children, and other personal priorities in my phone calendar, I make sure the things that matter to me actually happen. If it's scheduled in your calendar, you're more likely to make time for it. Don't leave the important things to chance.
4. Silence the noise: Turn off unnecessary notifications
The incessant buzz of notifications can severely disrupt your focus and productivity. According to a Meyer study, even mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40% of someone's productive time. I found that once I silenced all alerts — except for essential phone calls and texts — I significantly reduced distractions and got a lot more quality work done in less time.
This may sound extreme, but limiting my movie-watching to roughly one per year (if that) was a personal choice that dramatically freed up my schedule. I know, you probably think I'm weird for this one. But this decision was another one that I made over a decade ago, and I haven't looked back with regret at all.
Yes, I'm left out of all the conversations about the new movie that just came out. And truthfully, I've never seen anything on Netflix or logged into a Netflix account in my life. I realized how much time people spend talking about movies and sitting around for hours watching movies and decided this wasn't something that was leading toward reaching my goals, and my life would be just fine without it.
6. Strike a balance when reading the news:
According to Neilsen's State of Play report, between February 2021 and February 2022, 817,000 individual TV programs were available to choose from, and Americans watched almost 15 million years — yes, you read that right, years — worth of streaming content. That's in one year alone. Think about what important life moments were missed during that 15 million years of time spent in just 12 months!
3. Schedule personal priorities:
By prescheduling workouts, reading sessions, time with my wife and children, and other personal priorities in my phone calendar, I make sure the things that matter to me actually happen. If it's scheduled in your calendar, you're more likely to make time for it. Don't leave the important things to chance.
4. Silence the noise: Turn off unnecessary notifications
The incessant buzz of notifications can severely disrupt your focus and productivity. According to a Meyer study, even mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40% of someone's productive time. I found that once I silenced all alerts — except for essential phone calls and texts — I significantly reduced distractions and got a lot more quality work done in less time.
You also feel more in control when you check your different apps and messages on your own schedule rather than reacting to a continuous stream of notifications. Fun fact: I'm writing this article from the patio of a nice beachside hotel in Florida and have ironically been interrupted at least 10 times by friends (from the conference I'm attending) walking by and stopping to talk.5. Don't go see every new movie that comes out:
This may sound extreme, but limiting my movie-watching to roughly one per year (if that) was a personal choice that dramatically freed up my schedule. I know, you probably think I'm weird for this one. But this decision was another one that I made over a decade ago, and I haven't looked back with regret at all.
Yes, I'm left out of all the conversations about the new movie that just came out. And truthfully, I've never seen anything on Netflix or logged into a Netflix account in my life. I realized how much time people spend talking about movies and sitting around for hours watching movies and decided this wasn't something that was leading toward reaching my goals, and my life would be just fine without it.
6. Strike a balance when reading the news:
A conscious decision was made to unsubscribe from the never-ending news feed in order to prevent the overload and negativity that the round-the-clock news cycle may bring. Finding appropriate, less invasive ways to stay up to date on global events without letting them take over our lives is vital, but so is staying informed. It appears that news coverage has shifted over time to emphasize alarmism and inciting anxiety and terror. Pay attention to how much time you spend getting drawn into the negative news stories that depress you on a regular basis.
7. Delegate to boost your efficiency:
Investing in highly competent assistants and team members and delegating tasks that don't necessitate your direct involvement is life-changing. You've got to be willing to let others help you by doing things for you, even if you're good at whatever the task is.
- This approach not only streamlines your workflows but also frees up time for more significant personal and professional endeavors. You simply can't do it all by yourself.
By trying even just a couple of these seven strategies above, you'll cut back on your wasted time and create a more intentional and rewarding lifestyle. Managing your attention and deciding how to spend your time is the ultimate difference between success and regret. Embrace the idea of removing some distractions to see the benefits of judiciously allocating your most valuable resource: your time.
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