I bet you’re frustrated over never having enough time to get everything done in the day. There are only a fixed number of hours in the day, and no matter how hard we wish for it that will never change.

Unfortunately, most people find they have too little time to get everything done because they have several time killers in their life - things that take up much more time than they should. Here are 5 common time killers, as well as tips on how you can avoid them.

Poor Equipment

Have you ever had to wait for your computer to start up, or a file you need to open, or even a photocopier to make the copies you need? Or maybe your computer constantly crashes, meaning several restarts (not to mention a high level of frustration) each day.

Many times these problems are caused by not maintaining equipment properly, or trying to cut costs by buying the cheapest option. Both of these are false economies - you may save a few dollars to begin with, but the amount of time wasted later on vastly outweighs this “saving”. Fix or replace any such equipment as soon as possible.

Telephone Calls

The telephone is a two-edged sword. When you know how to manage your use of it, it can save you lots of time. But at times it can be another time killer.

Always know exactly what you are going to say before you call someone. Once you are talking to the right person quickly identify yourself, cover what you need then hang up. No casual chatting!

If you are receiving calls, and/or have a mobile, decide on fixed times when you will and won’t answer the phone. For a normal phone you can screen your calls. For a mobile, simply turn it off and let the calls go through to voicemail. Then pick a later time to go through all the messages, and only answer the ones that are important.

People who won’t stop talking

We all know them - people who love the sound of their voice so much, they just won’t shut up. Unfortunately, saying you have to go rarely works. Your best bet is to avoid them where you can. If you receive calls from them, screen your calls (perhaps using caller ID) so you don’t have to talk directly to them.

Traffic jams

Everyone who has lived (or passed through) a city has experienced the joys of traffic jams at some time or another. Unfortunately there isn’t any magic solution for getting through a traffic jam any quicker, but you do still have a few options.

Consider leaving earlier (or later), to avoid the traffic. If that’s not possible, investigate public transport options like the subway. Finally, if it’s not possible to avoid a traffic jam, try to multi-task - perhaps get a lift with someone else so you can do work while they deal with the traffic, or listen to a training CD/MP3 while you wait!

Meetings

Meetings can be a huge time sink, especially meetings where there is no fixed agenda ahead of time. If possible, avoid going to meetings that you don’t have to attend. If the meeting is unavoidable, encourage the meeting organizer to use (and stick to) an agenda so everyone knows what will be covered. This allows people to (hopefully) gather their thoughts ahead of time, and will limit off-topic conversation.

We all suffer from time killers in our life. Successful people know about these time killers (and others), and take steps to avoid them. And if all else fails, sit down and relax with a nice cup of coffee made by Chemex coffee maker. Or for a slightly fancier cup of coffee, try the Nespresso Essenza c100.

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