Your time is a precious possession, are you giving it away unknowingly? Do you feel that your time is being wasted, but you are too stressed to be assertive to communicate your needs?
You do not have to let others waste your precious time. Here is how to recognize and deal with time wasters.
Some people have no understanding, that others are stressed or perhaps they just do not care, as long as their needs are met. Perhaps they are unconsciously trying to unload their stress on to you.
These people needlessly interrupt you, get in your way, and seem to engage you in small talk and other wise make total nuisances of themselves. Perhaps this is their definition of communicating. Wasting time in this way is not productive for anyone.
The people who do this most often are people you work with or worst yet people close to you, family members for instance. You are put in a very stressful situation because you do not want to offend or hurt their feelings.
Solution: Be polite, be diplomatic, but be very firm in conveying the articulate message that you are much to busy to serve their needs just now. You can express your sympathy for their situation quickly and effectively. Perhaps by saying "You wouldn't believe how swamped I am," or look at your watch or the clock and say firmly, "Please, you will have to excuse me."
If these messages do not work, simply ask them to help you! That is right, Ask for their help, this will usually get rid of them or even better, they just might help.
In any case use your integrity, ingenuity and always have a good evasive strategy ready.
