Five Compulsive Time Wasters: Personality Traits that Cause Us Problems

There are certain type of personalities that are likely to cause problems in “self-management” of their time and are prime to be time wasters. These are:


Type I. “Hurry Up”

• needs stimulation, excitement, attention, newness

• generally gets it negatively

• tends to get scattered, overly-committed, forgets things

• can’t say “no”


Type II. “Be Perfect”

• wastes time on trivia because of perfectionism

• procrastinates and avoids work because of fear of not meeting self-imposed high standards


Type III. “Try Hard”

• expects rewards for effort, no results

• works harder, not smarter


Type IV. “Be Strong”

• doesn’t rely on others for help

• can’t delegate

• may have a need to control


Type V. “Please Me”

• doesn’t want to hurt others or damage morale

• hates to give bad news; procrastinates

• uses extra time smoothing things over

• gives unclear messages; has to repeat and explain self


Why do some people manage their time more poorly than others. Some obstacles include messages we have learned or seen modeled in our families, and our personality traits, habits or practical realities. These include carrying too many burdens when we were small, placing too many demands on ourselves, not giving ourselves permission to let things go, or have unrealistic expectations of outcomes on us by others.


Let’s take an example. What do you think might be going on with your friend who is well known for always being late? What are the

reactions of others? What do they do – the infamous “We tell him to be at the movies ½ hour earlier than it really starts”. If you are really a friend, what benefit would he gain if he were able to be on time? Do you think this might carry off to other aspects of his life?


Here are some words of advice to help cure this time waster.


Lateness

• Begin planning your day

• Set your watch early

• Focus on your leaving time, not the arrival time

• Estimate your time needs

• Start on time

• Avoid the “one last thing” tendency

• Allow for the unexpected

• Ask for help

• Reward yourself when you are on time!

http://www.workwondersnow.com/2011/08/09/five-compulsive-time-wasters-personality-traits-that-cause-us-problems/