Your Biggest Time-Stealer Of 2008...?

26 replies
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.
#2008 #2009 #biggest #outsourcing #time management #timestealer
  • Profile picture of the author 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
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    Every day I check the obituaries. If I don't see my name there, then I know it's going to be a good day!
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Ambrose
      Originally Posted by Allen Graves View Post

      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!
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  • 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author Allen Graves
    Sorry bro. LOL

    I'm on Elite Forces right now. LMAO
    AL
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    Every day I check the obituaries. If I don't see my name there, then I know it's going to be a good day!
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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Deegan
    Forums and my current but temporary work enviroment...
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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
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  • Profile picture of the author Devan Koshal
    developing every single idea i get. its anoying i cant stick to one thing!
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  • Profile picture of the author 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
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  • Profile picture of the author BizBooks
    Biggest Time Stealer? For me it's...

    DRUDGE REPORT 2009®
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  • Profile picture of the author 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
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  • Profile picture of the author 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
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  • Profile picture of the author 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!
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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    • Profile picture of the author 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!
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  • Profile picture of the author Michelle Strait
    I wasted a lot of time on Twitter. I have to set a daily time limit.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author NewbiesDiary
    All of the above!
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  • Profile picture of the author OMI
    Not staying focused. Developing new products when I should have been promoting what I already had.
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  • 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    Logging into my various accounts to check the stats
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Pereira
    FIFA 2009 :p
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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