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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 have time killers in their life that take up a lot of their time, leaving little time left to get other (more important) things done. 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. It’s a false economy to do either – the few dollars you save is vastly outweighed by the cost of the time you lose. Fix or replace any such equipment as soon as possible.Telephone CallsThe telephone is a two-edged sword. When used correctly, it can be a great time saver. At other times it can easily kill a huge amount of time.
Always know exactly what you are going to say before you call someone. Quickly identify yourself, and once you are talking to the right person cover what you need to and 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. If you have a mobile, leave it turned off and just let all 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’ve all met them – they love the sound of their own voice, and just won’t stop talking. 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. While there isn’t any way to get through a traffic jam any faster, you do 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 huge time killers, especially if there is no clear agenda for the meeting. 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. The people who are successful know how to identify those time killers, and how 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 c100 Essenza.