Do you make the most of your time and feel satisfied when the day is over?  Do you have “to do” lists and are you crossing things off on them?  Are the things that are most important to you given the time they deserve?  Or, are you wasting your time?

I waste my time more than I care to admit.  So, each day now, I work on doing things that make me feel satisfied and fulfilled.

There are still days I need a push, but for the most part, I’m starting to see some progress.

I’m hoping this article will give me another boost to keep going in the right direction.

*Note:  This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

 

THINGS TO DO INSTEAD OF WASTING YOUR TIME

 

1.  Break A Bad Habit – Start Another Good One In it’s Place

Breaking bad habits is hard to do.  We develop routines and find it hard to change the things that we find comforting and familiar in our life.  Some of our habits, if changed, will help us move forward though.  I’ve been able to stop a few bad habits such as, quitting smoking and I’ve stopped drinking soda.  There are many more goals I have that I’m trying to achieve so I’m not wasting my time and so I’m making my goals happen.

 

2.  Make A Bucket List

Are there things you hope to do in your lifetime?  In order to achieve our goals, we need to know what they are.  Make a list of all your dreams and goals and make an effort to reach them.  When we waste time, it prevents us from doing the things in life that are important and fulfilling to us.  I love the feeling of having a goal and being able to cross it off, as silly as that sounds.  It shows me that things are moving along and my efforts are not wasted.

 

3.  Clean Your House or Apartment

Let’s face it.  We’d rather be doing other things than cleaning.  When done right though, it will give us great satisfaction.  There have been many times I’ve sat around and played video games all day or watched countless TV shows.  After though I thought, I could’ve scrubbed my floors or dusted the furniture in some of that time and got something done.

Below is my daily cleaning schedule.  Print it if you are looking for a routine to keep your house clean.  You can read my the entire daily cleaning schedule article here.

Cleaning Schedule – Day & Month

Cleaning Schedule – By Room

 

4.  Learn A New Word

Taking the time to learn a new word has so many benefits.  It makes us smarter by learning words we didn’t know.  It broadens our vocabulary and it keeps our mind active.  Depending how motivated you are, set the goal for; once a day, once a week or once a month.

 

 

5.  Read More

So, once you learn all those new words, reading books will be more enjoyable.  Another idea is to start a book club with a group of friends and meet up once a month.  This is a great way to stay in touch with others and give you all something interesting to talk about.

 

6.  Put Away Your Cell Phone

There have been times I’ve been out with a friend and they can’t stop looking at their cell phone.  When this happened, I felt I was wasting my time hanging out with someone who was more interested what was on their phone than spending time with me.  For emergencies, keep your phone on but tucked away out of sight so it’s not tempting to look at.  Enjoy the time with the person your with and keep phone use to a minimum when with others.

 

 

7.  Limit Time Playing Video Games – Play Games To Help Your Mind

Right now, this is probably the most wasteful thing I do, play video games.  I have been addicted to Candy Crush for a couple years now.  The picture shows I have completed the Otis levels which is 665 boards.  For the other set of levels I am on level 1992.  This shows I waste a lot of time playing Candy Crush and need to try and cut back.

If video games are your thing and you can’t see cutting them out, try and cut back on the amount of time spent on them.  Another idea is to play games that are beneficial for your mind.  Sudoku and Luminosity are some great choices.

 

8.  Have Either A No Distractions Day Or Night – Turn The TV & Phones Off

When the TV is on and our phones are out for us to watch continuously, other important things don’t get done.  Therefore, wasting our time.  Start out by turning off these devices once a week and see how it goes.  See if doing this motivates you to do other things you wouldn’t of been able to get done.  From there, add more time or days depending if this is something you found useful.

 

9.  Pick a DIY Tutorial To Make At Home

There’s something rewarding when we learn how to make our own gifts or projects around the house.  Take a look at some DIY tutorials from Wildly Organic – Wilderness Family Naturals we think you will enjoy.

 

10.  Lastly, keep in touch with close friends and family

There are so many things to do with our families or friends.  Exercise together, grab a bite to eat.  Shopping trips to the mall and so much more.  This is a good way to stay close with the important people in your life and to do something other than waste time.

Of course, at times, we are going to need some “doing nothing” time but don’t let it take your entire day away.