The Five Major Time Wasters
Spreading yourself too thin by trying to do too many things at once. Suggestion: You must set priorities for each day and, if necessary, each hour. Get the most important things done first.
Being afraid to delegate. Suggestion: Convince yourself that it's not necessary to do everything yourself. You can still be certain things are being done the way you want them to be when you delegate.
Not wanting to say "no" to requests. Suggestion: You can't say "yes" to everything without getting in over your head. Decide what you must do -- and want to do and say "no" to all other requests.
Being tied to the phone. Suggestion: Have others screen your calls. Use an answering machine when you don't want to be disturbed. Schedule a telephone hour to return calls. Watch the clock; limit your conversations to 10 minutes.
Procrastinating. Suggestions: Get those unpleasant chores done first if they're important. Divide large tasks into smaller ones. Reward yourself when you accomplish something.