5 Habits That Waste Your Time and Drain Your Energy

From morning till night, you have a lot going on; it often feels like there aren't enough hours in a day to get everything done.  To keep up with it all, you need to be focused and on your game.  That means avoiding those habits that wind up wasting your time and draining your energy.
 
The following five habits are easy to fall into, especially when you’re busier than usual.  But they’re not helpful. These habits distract you from the things you really should be focused on. 

​When the pressure is on to get things done, you’ll want to protect your time and your energy by steering clear of these habits and behaviour patterns.  

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1. Striving for perfection.
 
Wanting to do and be your very best is a good thing.  But there’s a difference between striving for excellence and striving for perfection.  Perfectionism can easily become a huge waste of time and a drain on your energy, as you wind up devoting far more time and energy to situations than what’s really needed. 

You can also wind up being overly critical of yourself when you don't meet the high standards you've set for yourself.
 
There’s no need to swing to the opposite extreme of being careless or reckless. (And let’s be honest:  if you’re inclined to be a perfectionist, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find yourself diving into “careless” or “reckless” territory!)  Look for that healthy middle ground, where you assess how much effort and care a situation truly warrants and proceed accordingly.  While some areas may indeed deserve a little extra care and attention, very few areas require absolute perfection.
 
 
2. Chronic complaining.
 
Everyone needs to let off a bit of steam once in a while.  But have you noticed you've been complaining a little bit more than usual?  That's a sign you need to pause and take a step back. 

While venting and getting things out of your system may feel good at first, complaining at length without taking action doesn’t achieve anything useful.  It doesn’t change anything or make your situation any better.  All it does is waste your time and drain your energy, with nothing gained. 
 
What would be a better use of your time and energy?  First, assess what’s going on and why it’s bothering you.  Next, explore what you can do to improve the situation.  You might be limited in terms of how much control you have and what you're able to do.  However, you can probably identify areas where you do have some control and the ability to make meaningful changes. 


3. Leaving tasks unfinished.
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What happens when you have an unfinished task you know you should be attending to?  It sits there at the back of your mind, nagging at you while you’re busy doing other things.  It becomes increasingly difficult to give your full attention to the moment at hand, because you have something lingering in the background that’s distracting you. 
 
The solution?  Commit to getting on top of all those unfinished tasks you’ve been putting off.  Set a specific time when you’ll take care of things, so you know exactly what you’ll be doing, and when.  If you have a particularly large or unpleasant project to deal with, break it up into smaller chunks and schedule in your starting task.
 
 
4. Comparing yourself to others.
 
Comparing yourself to other people isn’t just a time waster and energy drain.  Engaging in this habit can destroy your confidence, skew your self-image, and leave you feeling lousy.  Not good!
 
You have a unique blend of strengths, positive traits, and accomplishments that are entirely yours.  Take hold of all that and be confident in it.  As for the people you’re comparing yourself to, go ahead and admire them for their strengths, positive traits, and accomplishments—but don’t waste your time and energy comparing yourself to them. 

Remember:  you're one of a kind.  No matter how wonderful someone else may be, they don't bring that special essence to the world that's uniquely yours.
 
 
5. Beating yourself up for past mistakes.
 
Beating yourself up for past mistakes won’t change or undo what’s already been done.  Along with being a waste of time and a drain on your energy, this habit drags you down and keeps you from being your very best in the here and now.
 
A better approach?  Be honest with yourself, acknowledge where you’ve had your missteps, and learn from the past.  That’s how you extract value from those past mistakes, and you become a wiser person in the process.  

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Image Credits:  Photomat from Pixabay
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