Today we’re going to talk about how to stop wasting time.
Time is one of the most valuable resources that we have in life. Like so many, I’ve been guilty of wasting it on things like overthinking, scrolling on social media, procrastination, and binge watching tv shows.
This has been a case of self-sabotage and distraction at its finest. If you’ve been in this cycle or one similar, then you’ve clicked on the right post.
Today I will be giving you some effective strategies to manage your time better.
This post is all about how to stop wasting your time.
Are you ready? Let’s geaux!
Why Is Time So Important
Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV-There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under Heaven.
God chose to take us out of eternity and put us in a realm governed by time. Time is the only currency that you spend and you won’t get back.
You can always tell what someone values by what they spend their time on. What is it that you spend the most time on? Where is your heart?
How are you spending your time?
Did you know that Blissful-Faith has a podcast? Our episode “It’s okay to start again” is the perfect episode for you to get back to the basics. Take a seat, listen, and receive encouragement from one bestie to another. Click the image below to check out the episode.
10 Things That Waste Your Time
1. Procrastination
“I’ll start on Monday”. Does that sound familiar to you? Procrastination is delaying and putting off tasks that you know you should be doing now.
It’s a way to temporarily avoid your responsibilities and distract yourself with something that could give you instant gratification.
Honestly, it’s really a form of self-sabotage that can delay you from being who God create you to be in this life.
Tip To Overcome Procrastination: Ask yourself aloud: What am I waiting for? Then proceed to do the task for at least five minutes.
2. Overthinking
How often are you in your head about things? Spending time thinking and obsessing about anything will leave you tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, and overstimulated.
When you overthink, you’re unable to make rational decisions. Even simple decisions become hard to make in this state.
A huge way to identify overthinking is the “what if” thoughts. Overthinking is very similar to worry which can be caused by the next thing we’ll discuss.
Tip To Overcome Overthinking: Pray to God and ask Him to help you focus on the present moment.
3. Scrolling On Social Media
It’s very easy to lose time on social media. Scrolling pass pictures and videos can eat away at your entire day if you allow it to.
Social media should be used as a tool to get your message out there or for a specific purpose. It’s not supposed to be an escape from your reality or a place where you spy on others.
When you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling, begin to question why you’re on there.
Tip To Overcome Scrolling On Social Media: Remind yourself that you have a beautiful life to create in real life and train yourself to only go on social media for a purpose.
4. Perfectionism
There are many reasons why you may feel that you need to be perfect all of the time. Maybe you had parents with high expectations or maybe you’re simply afraid of failure.
I want to let you know that I get it, but perfect doesn’t exist in this realm. Everything around you has been made with imperfections on purpose because of our need for God.
Don’t let “perfection” rob you of the beauty of being perfectly imperfect.
Tip to Overcome Perfectionism: Identify the root of the perfectionism.
{RELATED POST: What To Do When You Feel Stuck}
5. Waiting For The Perfect Opportunity
This can go along with perfectionism, but I felt that it needed its own little section. There will never be “a right time” for anything.
Waiting for the right time only results in missed opportunities. You don’t need what you think you need to start.
Use what you have especially if God is the one who called you to it. Plus if it’s His vision, He’s the one who has to fund it, OKAY!
Stop waiting, just start.
Tip To Stop Waiting: Remind yourself that all you have is all you need and God will provide the rest.
6. People-Pleasing
Let me ask you a question: Who creates opportunities for you? Is it God or people? You can’t keep putting others needs before yours.
It’s okay to be kind and help others, but don’t feel the need to please them because it’ll only result in you feeling bad about yourself.
You deserve happiness, love, joy, peace, and all the things God has for you at NO COST. When did you start feeling that you needed to work for love and validation?
Tip To Stop People-Pleasing: Figure out when people pleasing began in your life, get to the root issue, and set some boundaries.
7. Binge-Watching Shows, Movies, And Videos
I love a good binge-worthy show like the rest of us, but we all know that this wastes time.
Tell me this, are you using TV to escape something?
Tip To Stop The Binging: Plan your for your binge, but make sure all of your responsibilities are fully taken care of. You can also prop up your phone while doing chores or work if you’re not easily distracted.
8. Eating
Food takes up more of your day than you probably realize. Most of us don’t meal plan or eat because we’re actually hungry. We eat out of habit and some of us emotionally eat.
Just because it’s routine to eat everyday at a certain time doesn’t mean that you have to eat. If you’re not careful, eating can easily be another thing that wastes your time.
Tip For Eating: Try to eat when only when you’re hungry. If you want to eat just because think through your reason for wanting to eat.
9. Multitasking
Multitasking involves working on more than one thing at a time. While multitasking you may feel as if you’re getting a lot done at once, studies prove that our brains are not designed to handle multiple tasks like we believe it can.
Some studies suggest that multitasking can hinder your productivity, reduce your ability to focus, and cause unnecessary stress. Check out this article for more information about this topic.
Tip To Stop Multitasking: Devote your attention to one task at a time. You can set a timer for ten or twenty minutes for each task.
10. Overcommitting
It’s always best to understand what you’re capable of and not take on too much. When is the last time you said no?
Just because you feel that you can doesn’t mean that you must. It may be time for you to learn how to set some boundaries.
Tip For Overcommitting: Practice saying no to others.
Bonus: Sleeping In/Hitting Snooze
Why don’t you get up when the alarm goes off? I get it, the bed is warm and comfortable and you don’t want to go to work. But what about your dreams?
Your dreams don’t care if you’re tired. They don’t care if you spent your time lollygagging.
Your dreams are looking to get accomplished so what will you do?
Tip to Stop Hitting Snooze: Sleep with your phone or alarm clock in another room. When you get up, immediately splash some water in your face and then turn off your alarm.
Just the other day I was convicted about holding onto guilt. The truth is….I had been wasting time and I felt sooooooo bad for it. Turns out…I had to get forgiveness from God and give some of that forgiveness to myself. If you have found yourself wasting time and you’ve realized it….then it’s time for you to do the same. The Forgiving Yourself Mini Bundle can help you jumpstart your forgiving yourself journey because it is a process to forgive yourself. If you would like this mini bundle, I encourage you to grab it by clicking the image below.
How To Stop Wasting Time
Pssssssst, the first three tips are the most important tips. Don’t miss them!
Here are 9 tips on how to stop wasting time:
1. Seek The Kingdom
Matthew 6:33 NIV-But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
God is the reason for our existence. When we prioritize His Kingdom first, it sets up our day better than we could do on our own.
Set a time everyday for 10 min to get in God’s word. Pray and ask for him to reveal the Kingdom and righteousness to you.
2. Start Learning About God
1 John 1:5 ESV-This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
If someone were to ask you to describe God’s character, what would you say? Would it be something generic and common?
Or would it be something that indicates that you have a close and intimate relationship with God?
Getting to know God is a beautiful thing even if it’s you letting Him know that you’re angry with Him.
It’s all about the relationship that will develop into a partnership because you are destined for greatness!
3. Start Learning About Yourself
Genesis 1:26 ESV-Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
You won’t be able to understand who you are or live a full, abundant life apart from God. Remember you were created in His image after His likeness.
You are His junior. Allow yourself to yield to God’s direction so that He can show you who you are. He knows best.
4. Figure Out What You’re Giving Your Time To
Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV- Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but a wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
What has your attention? By taking a step back and observing what you’re giving your time to, you’ll be able to get a clear picture of where you’re time is going and can begin to get to the root of why you’re actually wasting your time.
5. Get To The Root Of Why You Waste Time
Proverbs 23:7 KJV-For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Getting to the root of anything helps you to understand how to move forward and what boundaries need to be put in place.
Most people think that boundaries are only needed for relationships with others, but they’re just as important to have with yourself.
To get to the root of why you was time, it can be helpful to reflect on these questions:
- Are you afraid of something deep down?
- Do you think that life is unfair and God owes you something? (This was a huge reason why I wasted time for a few years. I was very entitled, but I had to be honest with myself and God)
- Are you valuing others more than you value yourself and what’s going on in your life?
- Do you struggle with depression and anxiety?
- Are you tired and exhausted?
- Or is it something else?
Once you get to the root of why you waste time write it down, pray, and brainstorm ways to resolve the problem.
6. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV-for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
The place where we’re most comfortable is typically the place where we waste the most time. Getting out of your comfort zone can help you to grow while pushing you to take action and increase your efficiency.
Next time you’re working on something, try to switch up your environment and see how that effects how you utilize your time.
7. Begin To Understand That Your Time Is Valuable
Psalm 90:12 NIV-Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
There are many things that you can get back, but time isn’t one of them. Your time is valuable simply because it was given to you by God.
Do you understand that time is a gift and you’re one of the many who has received it? Value the time you’ve been given by utilizing it effectively.
8. Realize Your Worth
Colossians 1:27 ESV-To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
A huge reason why some of us waste time is because we don’t realize our self-worth. When you truly understand who you are in Christ and your God-given abilities, you naturally begin to prioritize your time.
Do you know how valuable you are?
9. Structure Your Day
Psalm 5:3 NIV-In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Structuring your day holds you accountable. It helps you to gain control over your time and seize the day. A structured day helps you to eliminate wasted time by prioritizing important tasks, minimizing distractions, and building better habits.
Do you have a specific way that you want to structure your day?
Although there are many more tips on how to stop wasting time, I hope you found these helpful. Feel free to comment down below with any tips that we may have missed.
This post was all about how to stop wasting time.
If You Enjoyed This Post, You’ll Love These:
Accepting God’s Forgiveness: 6 Keys To Your Personal Healing
How To Overcome Guilt And Shame
Why Is It So Hard To Forgive Yourself
Forgiving Yourself: 5 Steps To Forgive Yourself God’s Way
What To Do When You Feel Stuck
Before You Go…Let’s Recap
A quick recap of things that waste your time:
- Procrastination
- Overthinking
- Scrolling on social media
- Perfectionism
- Waiting for the perfect opportunity
- People pleasing
- Binge watching show, movies, and videos
- Eating
- Multitasking
- Overcommitting
- Sleeping in/Hitting snooze
Rereading this post has me in a choke hold. God speaks to me through my own writing and it’s always a SHOCKER to me. I have been wasting more time than I realized and it’s time to change that. What about you? Which one of these distractions have you been giving your time to? Comment down below. Let’s talk about it.
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Always remember that you’re destined to win because He got up!
-Devyn Janae
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