Whenever I think of wasting time at work, I picture time spent idle — lingering at the coffee pot, checking social media, or having prolonged discussions with coworkers. Our time-wasters aren’t always obvious, though. I think it’s easy to target habits of procrastination. What is harder to pinpoint and correct are our internal habits that waste time and stunt our careers.
There’s more to success than hard work and long hours. No, real success comes when you cut out all of the things that are holding you back. Eliminate these big time wasters. You might not even realize you’re caught up in one!
5 Insidious Time Wasters That Kill Your Potential
1) Jealousy
There’s a popular saying: jealousy is the thief of joy. I think it’s true — nothing causes discontent quite like seeing that others’ have it “better” than you do and wanting what they have. Jealousy comes naturally to all of us. We see others who’ve cracked the code, found success in life and relationships: they seem to have it all together (and so easily) while we struggle. It doesn’t seem fair.
That said, we know that the image we see of others — images of perfection — is never the full story. We’re missing out on the struggle and sacrifice that got them there. And even then, let’s find inspiration in the successes of others rather than jealousy. If you use their success to spur on your own efforts, you’ll find it drastically more motivating than jealousy.
Bitterness doesn’t serve anyone well. Leave jealousy behind and be happy for what you have and what you’ve accomplished. Press forward in earnest not because you want to be better than someone else or to have what they have, but because you want to fulfill your own potential.
2) Fixating on Your Downfalls
Let’s be honest — all of us make mistakes. We don’t always perform to the top of our ability. There are a lot of reasons behind the why and the how of our downfalls. There is a healthy way for professionals to deal with mistakes. When we sit down and take in the situation, we can’t allow it to become a game of guilt and “if only” laments. The situation and the consequences of poor judgment are reality. What’s healthy is for us to get back up, dust ourselves off, and work on a game plan. Keep the mistakes with you insomuch as you learn from them to be better. Don’t let past failure define you future success.
3) Trying to Do It All Alone
In the immortal words of Scottish poet John Donne, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;”
What this means is that we, as people, are all connected to one another. Not only that, but we need one another. We have a tendency to fall into the myth of self-sufficiency and self-reliance that our American culture is quick to laud. However, I’ve seen in my own life that people need people. I could try to do it alone, but it wouldn’t bring me to outcomes I desire. I could not ask for help when my experience is lacking. But I would never get it done or it would be done poorly.
If we want successful careers, we have to be willing to recognize what we don’t know and can’t do and humble ourselves enough to ask for help from those that do and can. When we don’t, we end up spinning our wheels in a cycle of unsure unproductivity.
4) Fitting Square Pegs Into Round Holes
I know what it’s like to want things to work out. All of us do, whether it’s something big or small. That said, sometimes it’s obvious that something isn’t going to work. Some of us are so committed to our vision or so deep into a gambler’s fallacy that we refuse to change course — even when staying true to your path costs you time, money, and energy. It can even ruin a career.
Things won’t always come easily. That much is true. But we can make it a lot harder on ourselves if we fail to recognize when something just isn’t going to work. Be critical of your plans, methods, and goals to avoid trying to make something work that just isn’t going to.
5) Chasing One-Sided Relationships
So much of business is networking and making connections. There’s something to be said for this. It’s helpful, for sure! But on the other side of the coin, networking relationships can be shallow and self-serving. Even when it comes to clients, the relationship can be one-sided as we put in the effort to serve and do well but don’t receive the type of relationship we value (a trusting, mutual relationship, for example).
This isn’t just about business relationships, either. Our personal relationships can be unbalanced and one-sided in a way that is exhausting rather than uplifting. Examine your relationships. Are they really what you want? Do they positively influence you and vice versa?
If a relationship is unhealthy, don’t waste your time on it. They will drain you financially and emotionally.
What habits waste your time? Share how you pushed through and found your potential in the comments.