I was doing a little channel surfing Saturday morning and came across a movie I’ve heard about over the years but never had the occasion to see. The movie was none other than the 1950’s sci-fi classic, Attack of the 50-Foot Woman. It’s low budget special effects, cheesy story line and questionable acting kept me watching for an hour and a half. It was kind of like a train wreck. As bad as it was, it was just too hard to look away. My wife got caught up in it as well about midway through and by the end we both looked at each other and realized that’s time we can never get back. Unfortunately this probably won’t be the last time I waste 90 minutes.
Before you read any further and start wondering if reading this post is a waste of time, here’s the point. We all waste time here and there. But the key is to realize the time waster before it takes 90 minutes or more of your work day. It’s bad enough to waste time on a weekend that only affects you. It’s even worse to waste 30, 60 or 90 minutes of your employer’s time that affects not only you but those around you as well. What’s your time waster??? It could be time spent taking a call an hour from your spouse while at work. It could be time spent playing Words with Friends on Facebook. It could be time spent chatting with others in the office about everything other than work.
Whatever “it” is, take time this week log “it” down and track “it”. You might be shocked how quickly you can spend 90 minutes in a day on your very own 50-foot waste of time. The business office in America is often one of the most unproductive places there is. Make sure you’re not a 50-foot contributor to the waste but instead an enabler for remarkable and efficient performance.
