Time Bandits and How to Overcome Them; Effective Productivity and Time Management

If you ever feel like there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish your tasks, then you are not alone. It is even worse when feelings of being unproductive or overwhelmed accompany this. Time Bandits are often described as the many distractions and interruptions that make demands on our day. It confidently steals our attention and our precious time.

It can be horrifying when you look at your phone and see those little metric bars saying you spent 40% of your time on social media this week and 3 -7% on creativity and productivity. And though their accuracy is questioned, it still holds high significance. Besides the many notifications we often receive throughout the day, this heightens the demand for our time and attention.

Most people we speak to about this admit that they are overwhelmed and that emails at work and endless meetings are becoming a big distraction and affecting their productivity. One employee described how they could no longer cope with the long daily huddles and endless meetings, 90% of which were repetitive and a complete waste of time.

A famous saying says: “Procrastination is the thief of time.”

If one In 5 workers procrastinate on important tasks, this can negatively impact performance and drastically lower productivity. Employers and employees should be concerned and fight back.

Fighting back against the Time Bandits

Here are some tips you can adopt to reclaim time:

1. Prioritise your tasks

This way, you can focus on the most critical tasks first and minimise the impact of distractions. There is a range of ‘to-do’ apps you can access for free that will do a great job. We tend to recommend Microsoft to do. But by all means, find what works best for you. Another way would be to break down the most important tasks into chunks to make them more achievable and less overwhelming. Be very careful if you are going to multitask, as it could create a lack of concentration to complete the project with full attention, especially where you need to produce your best work. It is more beneficial to focus on one task at a time.

2. Limit distractions

Turn off those notifications on your devices, close email and social media apps, and eliminate any other source of distractions. This way, you can focus on your work without being interrupted, but most importantly, you will be in control when you check your emails and socials. It is essential to have clear rules and restrictions when checking emails. We advise working around 3 critical times when to check your emails and no more. Having theme days can also go a long way. We observed that employers who come to us have benefited from our theme day planner and have helped employees minimise distraction by 60%.

3. Take breaks

Short, focused breaks can help refresh your mind and keep you motivated. But be very careful about taking fake breaks; they are known to be the most significant time bandits. Going on social media, emails and even the one-sided conversation during your break can still be exhausting and unproductive. You can benefit by doing a time audit to observe where you switch and spend your time. But your break should be a break. Rest, rejuvenate, have a healthy conversation with friends, colleagues or family and hydrate.

4. Overcoming procrastination

It is crucial to start working towards completing tasks instead of delaying them. You can achieve a lot, which is a vital investment for gaining some time back. A one-week deadline offers plenty of room for procrastination, especially if the task can be completed in 24 hours. Set realistic goals by all means but to focus your energy and effort set deadlines that help you achieve them sooner rather than later.

In Conclusion

Diligence goes a long way to fighting back these time bandits; it is never too late to be productive. It is essential to take practical steps to minimise the impact of these bandits and reclaim your time to be more effective.

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