Have you ever noticed that the things that matter most often get pushed aside for less important concerns? Sometimes it seems that everyone and everything conspires against us and prevents us from achieving what we really want. Events we never anticipated take us by surprise, demand our attention, and distract us from what matters most. These events control us, and when that happens, our productivity drops and so does our self-esteem. Because these events divert us from what we should really be doing, they are very expensive.

The following list of time thieves is not exhaustive, but it may help protect you against influences that can steal your most precious asset, time. Not all of these time thieves are avoidable. Some, like equipment failure and meetings, may be out of our control. But most of them just creep into our lives and steal from us without us noticing. Suddenly our time is gone, we have spent our daily allowance and we don’t know where it went. We could easily say that the opportunity cost of these time thieves is very high, especially in terms of event control, personal productivity and self-esteem. As you read through the list, identify the time thieves that present you with the most difficulty. Assign a ranking, from one to ten, and then carefully consider how you might eliminate them.

Thieves of time imposed on us

_____ Breaks

_____Waiting for answers

_____ Unclear job definition

_____ Too much work

_____Bad communication

_____ Changing priorities

_____Equipment failure

_____Red Ribbon

_____ Conflicting priorities

_____ Low business morality

_____ Untrained staff

_____ Demands from peers/staff

_____ Lack of authority

_____Error of others

_____ Revised deadlines

self-inflicted time thieves

_____ Do not delegate

_____ Meetings

_____ Personal disorganization

_____ Distraction

_____ No listening

_____ Indecision

_____ Socialize

_____ Tired

_____ Lack of self-discipline

_____ Leaving tasks unfinished

_____ shuffle paper

_____ Delay

_____ Cultural workplace

_____ Unclear personal goals

_____Perfectionism

_____Poor planning