Cheapskate Digest

Time.  Once it’s gone you can never get it back.  Yet every day we all waste time on tasks that generate no benefits of any kind and in some cases have costs.  Why do we do this?  Sometimes it’s a way of avoiding doing something we don’t want to do.  Sometimes we do it because we’re acting mindlessly instead of mindfully.  Sometimes we actually fool ourselves into thinking we have a limitless supply of time.  We don’t.

So – what can we do about this time wasting problem?  The down and dirty answer is – stop doing it.  Really.  Just stop.  Instead, before you begin any task – no matter what it is – think about it.  What is the benefit of doing it now?  Is there a benefit to doing it at all?  Is there something else you could do instead that would yield a greater benefit?

Perhaps defining “benefit” might be helpful.  Does it make you feel good?  Does it generate income?  Does it help you or someone else?  Is there a penalty or cost to not doing the task now – or ever?