15 Total Time Suckers You Absolutely Do Every Day
“Time is what we want most and what we use worst.” - William Penn
Oh my goodness… Do you feel like you wake up in the morning, go through your whole day doing what you need and have to do – yet when it comes to bedtime, you lie there awake feeling dissatisfied, like you didn’t achieve enough or reach any of your goals…
This is definitely a bit of me on many occasions!
But do you want to get more done, feel better about yourself and take charge of your time?
When it comes to being a mumpreneur, TIME is THE ONE thing that we just don’t ever seem to have enough of.
You could get up super duper early and go to bed super duper late (I don’t advise this at all, as we need sleep mamas) yet we’d still want more.
We could have a 48 hour day and somehow, there would still not be adequate time to get everything we as mums and entrepreneurs need to do.
What we need is to be more aware of what we’re doing with our time!
I can pretty much guarantee you’re wasting a lot of the time you have in the day.
Whether you know it or don’t want to believe it…
As busy mums, every moment is vital and precious, so we don’t want to be wasting any of it.
So let’s take a look at the 15 total time suckers you absolutely do every day…
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Stop Regretting Wasting Time
Before we kick this post off, I wanted to start by saying this…
Do not sit there regretting the time you’ve already wasted.
We’ve all done it as we’re human, but the thing is – we can’t go back and change it!
There isn’t a magic time machine to take us back…
Don’t waste another minute thinking about how you didn’t research that blog post yesterday because you sat and watched an episode of Selling Sunset… Let it go…
Just think about the present and concentrate on what you need to do now and today!
So with that said, let’s not waste any more time and get into the grit of this post…
How to Avoid Wasting Time?
The art to being productive every day and avoiding wasting your very precious time, is to have some kind of a plan!
I’m not saying you have to have every single thing written down to a t… I’m just saying that you need to have some idea of what you want to achieve and get done.
It comes back to that age old saying by Benjamin Franklin “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”…
With no clear direction on your day, you’re almost guaranteed to venture off on a tangent, working on a bit of this and a bit of that and there’s no real focus and goal!
I always sit down in the evening (sometimes early in the morning if I didn’t get a chance the night before) and I write down a microscopic “to-do” list!
The reason it’s microscopic is because I only ever have 2-3 items on it.
I’m a busy mum and I DO NOT want to be looking at and dealing with an enormous list of things every day.
It’s overwhelming and gives me a dreaded feeling of not being able to complete it and accomplish the items I set out.
Having a simple plan avoids me sitting and staring at my laptop for hours, wondering what I should do next.
I’ll let you in on something about me. I get so unbelievably distracted!
I can be doing one task and something will catch my eye and boom – I’m distracted and my attention is drawn away.
I used to wonder how I got anything done…
I manage it a lot better now because with an easy task list, I don’t need to be distracted.
I concentrate on the 2-3 tasks I’ve set for myself and just get on with it.
So now we know how we can avoid wasting time (by having a simple “non overwhelming” plan), we’ll look at 15 total time suckers you probably get drawn into everyday and they’re costing you a ton of your valuable time…
#1 - Social Media (the BIG one)
I could not start this list off without putting social media at the very top!
There’s nothing more distracting and time wasting, than scrolling your Instagram feed and checking out the latest Tik Tok vids…
Yes, we all love to do it, but it isn’t a 5 minute thing!
Before you know it, you’ve been sitting scrolling for hours on end and there goes your productive day.
How to Stop: The best way to beat the social media life suck, is to put your phone completely out of sight and into another room while you’re working.
When it comes to your computer – use an extension such as BlockSite (if you’re a chrome or Firefox user) to block websites for the specific times you’re blogging…
Allow yourself 10 minutes to check social media and respond to messages etc, a couple of times throughout the day, but that’s it…
Try these things out because they will help you out and stop you scrolling mindlessly.
#2 - Procrastination
Next on the list is procrastinating…
Another big one we all do and need to stop!
Sitting and thinking about what you need to do, or worse, thinking about how you can do something better you’ve already done is such a waste of time.
Procrastinating causes such a lot of anxiety and stress and we don’t have an unlimited supply of time in which to do everything we need to.
It also saps you of much needed energy.
If you have bigger, more complex tasks to carry out and you just can’t seem to face them, here’s what you can do:
Break them down into smaller tasks
Split those smaller tasks into a schedule over a few days, so you aren’t trying to do it all at once
Take time out – if it’s really causing you to stress out, just take a 10 minute break when it starts to get too much and then go back to it
Prioritise them and do them first. I tend to carry out hard and complex tasks first thing in the morning when I have the most energy
How to Stop: Stop putting off what needs to be done and just do it.
Break big tasks into smaller ones, get it done and then move on. Do one thing at a time and don’t overwhelm yourself with hundreds of “to-do’s”…
These simple tips will help you to stay sane and motivated when blogging!
#3 - Overthinking (everything)
I am a massive overthinker and I hate it!
I can worry myself sick because I overthink every single situation.
When I’m creating content and social graphics, I completely overthink whether it’ll be ok, does it sound ok, shall I change it…
When really I should just post it and be done!
If you’re an overthinker, it can feel super overwhelming and like you’re never completely finishing a task.
How to Stop: This is where brainstorming and jotting down notes can come in really handy because it can free your mind of all the things floating around your head.
When you’re doing anything for your blog, make some initial notes and/or outline and then carry out the task and be done with it!
Don’t keep going back and revisiting it over and over – you’ll drive yourself nuts…
#4 - Watching YouTube
OMG, I freakin’ love watching YouTube videos!
I get super sucked in, watching video after video after video…
Trouble is, it wastes a ton of time I don’t have and I can’t just watch one and be done with it.
It spirals out of control and I end up going down a rabbit hole and before I know it, it’s 3 hours later…
How to Stop: Block YouTube on your laptop and move your phone out of the room, so you eliminate the distraction all together.
Give yourself a specific time (maybe while you’re eating your lunch or having a snack) to watch a video and try and watch things which are inspiring and make you feel good, so it doesn’t affect your mood and mindset.
#5 - Bingeing on Netflix
Who doesn’t love Netflix!
In fact, I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t have a Netflix account.
BUT… Netflix has got to be one of the biggest suckers of our time!
It’s so easy to squeeze in an episode in between things and with such a huge variety of shows, you’re never gonna get bored.
How to Stop: Other than blocking the website on your computer, hiding the remote for your TV and keeping your phone out of the room – in order to not sneakily watch Netflix – you need a bit of self-discipline…
I try to limit Netflix to just one show in an evening (which can be really hard when they’re so addictive) and I don’t watch it immediately before bed.
If I’m blogging, I don’t go anywhere near Netflix because if I do – that’s it, my day is a complete write off, as I’ll literally sit and binge watch a whole box set or show season.
Oh Netflix, I love you, but you have the ability to totally take over my life if I let you…
#6 - Staring at your Screen/into Space
Let’s be honest with each other – how many times do you just sit there staring at your computer screen or into space…
This is probably one of the biggest time wasters there is for me when I’m at my laptop!
Because I get so easily distracted, just staring at the screen comes all too easy.
I start thinking about other stuff and drifting off into another world lol 🙂
How to Stop: Giving yourself a simple schedule for the day will really help with this.
Oftentimes, it’s boredom or not having a plan which causes you to start staring off and become distracted.
By having a plan or simple list of things to do, your mind is focused and driven to get things done.
#7 - Having too many Tabs open
Another massive time waster, is having tons of tabs open on your computer and then flitting between them all.
This is so, so distracting and really does waste loads of time!
It’s all too easy to have tabs open for everything and not only does this slow your computer down, but it also causes you to lose concentration.
How to Stop: It’s super simple – just have the tab open you’re working on.
If you need to have more than one (such as when you’re writing a blog post and you need to research) then just have one research tab open and then close that one before opening another…
#8 - Criticising Yourself
This is such a damaging and dangerous thing, but we all self-criticise…
Having a negative view of yourself can be detrimental to your health and if you’re really self critical of the work you do, you may find you’re not getting anywhere.
Criticising yourself can come in many forms:
Body Image and the way you look
Mum Guilt
Feeling like you’re a failure at something or everything
Feeling like you’re not good enough
Comparing yourself to others
People don’t realise how much time in a day is wasted on criticism, whether that’s on yourself or towards others (which is never a nice or good thing).
Spend more time being kind and in a positive frame of mind and you’ll notice a massive difference in how you feel and by the amount of time you’ll save!
How to Stop: Next time you go to say something critical of yourself – DON’T!
Try and talk to yourself like you would your best friend – with encouragement and kindness.
If you make a mistake or do something wrong, don’t bash yourself for it. Look towards making it right and fixing it and then move on!
Self-criticism causes self doubt, self-esteem issues and can lead to anxiety and depression. It will also seep all your energy away, so you owe it to yourself to be kind and give grace to yourself when things aren’t going your way.
#9 - Worrying about what others think
Why do we always worry about what others think of us?
Not only does it waste time, but it wastes our much needed energy too!
We shouldn’t care about what others think, except it’s not that easy right…
I know for me, since becoming a mum, it seems to have gotten worse.
Now I worry whether people think I’m a bad mum or whether they’re criticising every little thing I do – I mean WHY!!!
I think it’s human nature to worry about how people perceive us, as we all just want to be liked, but what’s the constant worrying costing us!
How to Stop: You have to stop worrying about what others think or you’ll go stark raving mad!
At the end of the day, if someone doesn’t like you – that’s their problem!
You can’t change or control what people feel about you. You can only control what you feel and how you act.
The only person you’re actually hurting with all the worry is yourself.
Most of the time, people aren’t even fussed about you and what you’re doing. We’re all so wrapped up in our own worlds, that it’s often just paranoia and fear making you worry what others think!
At the end of the day, if you’re being kind to others and treating people with respect, then you’re a good person and if people can’t see that, then that’s on them – not you!
Try and think positive and bring happy thoughts into your life!
#10 - Not Setting Boundaries for Yourself
How many times have you said YES to something, when you really wanted to say NO?
How many times have you taken too much on?
How much time have you spent on others, when you should have been spending it on yourself?
I can 100% guarantee you’ve done all of the above, several times over!
When you don’t set boundaries for yourself and within your life, you end up wasting so much time.
You only have so much time in the day in which to do things and that time should be spent wisely.
It’s very easy to get taken advantage of and there can be a lot of taking and not giving. (I’ve been there and done that – trust me!) Not only does it feel crappy, but it’s not a good use of your time at all.
As mums, we’re dedicating a huge chunk of time to our children, so with the time we have left, we need to be doing things that are productive, that make us happy and that bring joy to our lives…
How to Stop: Setting boundaries is not a bad thing and it isn’t about pushing people away or shutting people out. It’s about making people aware that you have limits and what those limits are.
The people in your life need to respect those boundaries and if they don’t, then maybe you need to back off a little and take a step back from them for a while.
Decide what you want to do and what you’re not willing to do and start saying “No” more.
It can feel daunting and like you’re letting people down at first, but you need to put yourself first and your time is just as important as everyone else’s.
#11 - Spending Too much Time on One Task
It can be really easy to spend too much time on one task!
Take creating social graphics as an example…
How long could you spend creating beautiful graphics for Insta? – ages is the answer…
But you really don’t need to spend tons of time on a task to get it done or make it look fab!
How to Stop: You need to set a time and a deadline for every task you do.
If you set a timer or use something like the Pomodoro Technique, you can be much more organised and be more productive with your time!
People seem to be under the illusion that the more time you spend on something, the better it will be and that’s simply not the case.
I find I work much better when I set a deadline or give myself a specific time to finish something.
Going back to the social graphic creation, I only allow myself one morning a week to create my social graphics and that’s it.
Knowing I only give myself this few hours, I can really focus and push out my graphics for the week ahead…
If you haven’t tried setting yourself a deadline, I highly recommend you try it and see how much time you end up saving…
#12 - Talking Too long on the Phone or Texting Too much
Do you find you answer a call and before you know it, you’ve been nattering away for a good hour…
Yep – we’ve all done this one.
If you want to know where you can get back some of that wasted time – I bet you’ll find it by limiting the phone calls and texts.
We live in that digital age now where we’re literally glued to our phones.
Our whole life and kitchen sink is on those things…
How to Stop: If you know you’ve got things to do, then it’s ok to let the call go to voicemail and if it’s urgent, you can call back!
Same with the texts! You don’t have to respond immediately. It can wait and it doesn’t make you a bad person for doing that.
#13 - Avoiding Things
The good old “avoidance” tactic comes around a lot!
When you think about not wanting to do something enough, you’ll end up wanting to avoid it all together.
But avoiding certain tasks and situations only ends up causing you to not only waste unnecessary time, but it tends to cause you more stress and anxiety too!
How to Stop: The best advice I can offer on this is to face the things you don’t want to do head on and get them done first…
By tackling the “avoidance tasks” first thing, you can get them done and dusted and not spend an entire day worrying about them.
Doing this is much better for your productivity, but also for your mental well being too which is extremely important.
I actually find that once I get into said “avoidance task”, it’s nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be and I wonder why I was trying to avoid it in the first place.
Dealing with the things you may not want to, but have to and by doing them first, will make you feel a lot better in yourself, so go get them done and out of your head.
#14 - Not Asking for Help!
This is a BIG one for me personally because I am absolutely rubbish at asking anyone for any help.
I always think I can do it all myself and in doing so, I’m often a grumpy stress head!
We don’t need to try and do it all and by doing it all, we’re making ourselves ill and not getting the fullness out of our lives that we want and deserve.
It’s OK to ask people you trust and who care about you for help!
You can ask for help with things such as:
Having the children for a couple of hours if you need to go to an appointment or need to get some blogging time in
Chores and things that need to be done around the house
Maybe your partner/a grandparent can watch the kids or help out to give you a break
Getting the groceries…
These are just a few examples, but if you feel like your time is being wasted on all these things and you’re not being fulfilled in other areas of your life that you want and need, then you’ll be surprised at how asking for help can make a difference.
Plus you’ll realise people do actually want to be there for you and help you out!
How to Stop: Sometimes, asking for a bit of help when you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you have too much on your plate can do you the world of good!
It doesn’t have to be all the time and it’s not admitting defeat!
I mean come on lovely mama, we’re mums and it’s the darn hardest job EVER…
We need help from time to time, so we avoid burnout and total destruction of ourselves.
Ask and see what happens…
#15 - Obsessing
I’m sure you obsess about something every single day.
Whether it’s being obsessed with keeping the house constantly clean and tidy or about looking good all the time…
Whatever it is, obsessing over things can waste your time, energy and make you feel bad about yourself.
We live in a society where we feel like we always have to compete, or be a certain way.
You feel like you’ve got to look good all the time, have a sparkly clean home and make a perfect dinner every night.
Life just isn’t like that though (at least not for 99.99% of us) and I’m fed up seeing people feeling ashamed or down because of societal expectation…
How to Stop: I feel that you need to do what’s right for you and what makes you feel good and happy.
I like my home to be clean and tidy, but I don’t obsess over it, hoovering and dusting daily.
Don’t you think you can spend your time a lot more wisely than just cleaning every day!
Of course we have to do certain things, to remain hygienic and safe, but life’s for living and we shouldn’t waste it by becoming obsessive over anything.
My mum always used to say “the dust can wait, but life can’t” and it’s so true and as she’s no longer with us anymore, I think about this all the time.
As soon as you dust something, it comes right back anyway, so what’s the point lol 🙂
What I’m trying to say is, it isn’t healthy to obsess over something and to give yourself grace and room to breathe.
We’re not perfect and neither should we want to be.
We should accept our perfect imperfections and live our lives the way we want because we’d be a lot happier if we did…
Let’s Wrap things up!
So that’s it for this post!
I’m sure you do or have done a lot of these things because I know I have…
When I was sitting writing this post, I realised how much time I do actually let flit by!
It’s made me make a conscious effort to take my own advice, be more mindful of what I do each day and take a step back and look at how I spend my time.
The amount of time wasted on some of these things almost seems ridiculous, but it’s the way it is sometimes.
Time is very precious and we never know how much of it we have, so it’s really important to not waste it and to make the most of every day.
So stop wasting your time and energy and decide what’s important for you to do each day and what’s not, so you can eliminate anything unnecessary…
