Most people tell me they don't have time to do all the things they want to do in business.  But, I can comfortably bet £20 with everybody who tells me this because I know you have around 1-2 hours of wasted, dead time per day that achieves nothing.  I might lose the odd £20, but for every 100 people, I reckon I'll win at least 90% of the time.

How do I know this?  As a business coach I see the symptoms in new clients all the time.  Here's my top 10 list of time-eaters – because by stopping you getting stuff done, you're never going to get where you want to be…

1. Taking unsolicited calls any time of day – letting others dictate when you can do work is never a good policy.  Schedule meetings with yourself in your diary to keep some time free for project work and business development.
    
2. Reading junk mail – that's why we call it junk mail – throw it away!
    
3. The News.  What real impact does it have on your life and how do you change as a result?  Exactly – it does not help you live your life or achieve more.
    
4. TV soap operas – don't kid yourself that it's "unwinding" or "relaxing" – they're not – they are full of bitterness, despair and pity.  Listen to some great music, play a sport or read a book to unwind.
    
5. Responding to emails as soon as they come in.  Why?  Set aside a few times during the day when you can follow up your emails and discipline yourself to use time more wisely.
    
6. Not having a daily To-Do list – if you don't know what you need to do, you will go around in circles all day long.
    
7. Not taking care of yourself first – you're the boss, you need to look after yourself – exercise, walk the dog, go jogging.  Never let yourself get squeezed out of your schedule.
    
8. Instant messaging to friends on the Internet – talk to them properly later, don't be distracted by interruptions every five minutes!
    
9. Browsing the Internet – too easy to become engrossed in something that has no value to you – probably my own worst distraction.  Close your browser window when you're done to signal to your brain that you need to concentrate.
    
10. Doing 2 things at once.  While the female of the species is better than the male at multi-tasking, doing your most important task with your full attention will always get it done faster.

 Make a plan to eliminate 1 of these time wasters from your life today and get more done.