Your Biggest Time-Stealer Of 2008...?

[LavelleC]

Looking back on 2008, where did you waste most of
your time and see the least of amount of return for
your business?

For me... it's doing my own graphics and designing my
own sites. I suck at graphic design (so I take too long)
and I'm really good at web design (so I like to do my
own work).

Definitely more outsourcing in 2009.

BTW, I wandered off into too many political conversations
too. I don't think that'll change though.

[Allen Graves]

That's easy...

Your soaking in it.

Actually, I guess the WF isn't really a time-stealer since I get so much out of it.

So I take that back and I'll have to say:

http://www.addictinggames.com/

AL

[Caroline Middlebrook]

Studying (instead of doing). I spent far too much time just absorbing information rather than putting it into practice - reading blogs, ebooks, taking courses, watching videos etc.

[D Ambrose]

Originally Posted by Allen Graves

That's easy...

Your soaking in it.

Actually, I guess the WF isn't really a time-stealer since I get so much out of it.

So I take that back and I'll have to say:

Games - Play Fun Free Online Games at AddictingGames.com

AL

Allen... what have you done to me!!!???

I never knew about that site.. until now!

[Allen Graves]

Sorry bro. LOL

I'm on Elite Forces right now. LMAO
AL

[Daniel Deegan]

Forums and my current but temporary work enviroment...

[Joseph Ratliff]

My biggest time stealer of 2008 was my own Gmail account...because I observe so many marketing processes with a Gmail account, the good ones sometimes "suck me in" and I don't plan that time very well...

So, the remedy would be to plan this time into like one day a month or something...and pay closer attention to other parts of my business around that day.

[Diana Lane]

Learning the ropes with new methods and software apps. A lot like Caroline says really, but I do actually do the things that interest me and don't just read about them. It seems like a waste sometimes when I look back and see how much it's de-railed me from the current project, but it's surprising how often I end up utilizing the knowledge a bit further down the line, so I've come to see it as more of an expertise investment rather than a time stealer.

I'm lucky in that I don't play computer games at all, apart from an addiction I once had to 'Paperboy' on the Amstrad CPC. This must have been getting on for at least ten years ago, but it was so out of character for me that even now my sons still won't let me forget it

[Devan Koshal]

developing every single idea i get. its anoying i cant stick to one thing!

[tess47]

Trying to do too many things at once, and spending WAY too much time here when I should be writing - like right now! SEE YA

[RevenueRabbi]

Biggest Time Stealer? For me it's...

DRUDGE REPORT 2009®

[Buildingfutures]

I suppose signing up under a 'guru' or two who have yet to keep up on their stuff.



I should know better by now. lol

[sylviad]

I would have to say "second-guessing" is the biggest time-stealer for me. It happens when the path I'm on begins to not make sense, so I try something else until that doesn't make sense, etc. etc. It makes no difference how solid and proven the plan is.

Something clicks in my brain and the logic that was there when I started gets fuzzy. I guess you could say it's an inability to hold onto one idea long enough to see its completion, and having too much knowledge and too many options.

Sylvia

[skydivedad]

2 surgeries! Rebuilt the Achilles right leg and IT Band surgery on left leg quad!
Still it could have been worse even if I did lose most of the skydiving season here up north!

[Christie Love]

I would have to say... spending time chasing the wrong people in IM....searching and studying the WF...spending 3 months so far recuperating from an illness...working at my j.o.b.

I've learned a lot in 2008. Next year my days will be spent diligently following a strict plan to reach my IM goals.

[Jenni Mac]

My time stealer is not focusing on one project at a time and jumping around from one to another. If I had just stopped and worked ONE plane for ONE project, I would be much further along than I am now.

2009 is about ONE wall planner, ONE diary, ONE highlighter pen and ONE project at a time!

[Michelle Strait]

I wasted a lot of time on Twitter. I have to set a daily time limit.

[Addie]

I jumped around way too much...project to project....too many things going on. Now I know to concentrate on 1-2 and perfect those and then move on.

[NewbiesDiary]

All of the above!

[yesacpow]

Signing up for everyone's free report and not getting anything done for myself.

That will have to change for 2009 though. strict rules will apply.

[OMI]

Not staying focused. Developing new products when I should have been promoting what I already had.

[Cash Blasters Online]

The biggest time stealer is the country going down the drain, I think most of us have spent so much time trying to over sell in bad times, that sometimes it's better to sit back and let a few months pass, and then get back into selling. The truth is people are scared to buy right now.
If you don't believe then simply go out and look at all the Christmas tree lots. Here in California, maybe 3 or 4 trees have sold on many of the lots, these guys are stuck with trees, geeee they can't give them away.
It's an unbelievable sight seeing trees on lots and no one shopping, maybe there will be 2 out of 20 homes with a tree........who knows, but from what I see, I'd say 2 out of 100.........hard times rule right now.

[derekwong28]

Logging into my various accounts to check the stats

[Lifechanging]

Lack of focus! Imagine this...

I go online with a particular purpose of checking a PPC campaign with the intention of tweaking it a bit. Of course I check an email or two first, and hey that looks like an interesting product some guru is going to launch. I read the sales page trying to work out what he is really selling by cutting through the sales pitch and trying to work out what his product really does. Them I'm off seeing if I can do the same thing, without purchasing. Suddenly I'm off setting up a load of Twitter accounts or something and trying to automate daily postings.... before I realise I've wasted a few hours, not done anything of value, its late and I still need to amend my PPC campaign....

But hold on, there's another interesting email thats just popped in...

I need to be wired up to an electric shock machine that sends me a spark everytime I get distracted by something!

So for me, 2009 is about planning my time better and focusing on the task in hand. If that means I've got to close my email, log out of IM & Skype, switch off the phone, I've got to do it.

[Joseph Ratliff]

Originally Posted by BizBooks

Biggest Time Stealer? For me it's...

DRUDGE REPORT 2009®

Interesting site.

[Jason Pereira]

FIFA 2009

[Michael Lee]

1) Checking emails every few minutes.
2) Waiting for my wife for hours while she's shopping for new clothes.
3) Taking in too much information and applying only very few of what I've learned.