Week 53: When Others Waste Your Time – #AlphaFemaleFriday

Week 53: When Others Waste Your Time – #AlphaFemaleFriday

 

“ WEEK 53 / 133 – 133 WEEKS TO SUCCESS ”

Last week, I discussed the importance of carving out time for yourself. This week, I’m thinking about the dangers of letting other waste your time. You can schedule time for interruptions because they’re bound to happen nine times out of ten. Some interruptions are more welcome than others, and that’s when you have to be smart to recognize when people are reaching out for valid reasons or just shooting the bull because they’re trying to drag you into their way of killing time.

 

 

Don’t let it happen. Time is the most precious resource you have that, no matter how successful you are and how much money you have, you can never buy or use your persuasive prowess to get more of it. Besides making time for yourself, you must also make time for others.

 

 

You cannot be that selfish, self-absorbed person who only has time for yourself and cannot stand it when others get in their way. Even if you detest small talk with a fiery passion that burns with the white hot intensity of 1,000 suns, you must continue to at least acknowledge those you work alongside with, giving them at least a smile and greeting. (You would be surprised at how many people don’t follow that simple mannerism—and that’s coming from someone in the hospitality industry! I mean, aren’t we getting paid to be people people?)

 

 

A rule of thumb for knowing when someone is wasting your time is when they come to you out of the blue and just begin rattling on about their problems—sometimes work related, other times their own personal grievances. Acknowledge their feelings because they’re still a human being after all, but don’t let it drag on longer than a few minutes—if that. Surround yourself with positivity. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, such as if you are a life coach or therapist whose job it is to listen to people’s challenges.

 

 

If someone wants a solution from you, if appropriate, help give them your two cents. If someone just wants to rattle on about all the latest and greatest woes and adventures going on in their life, then that’s the time to politely but honestly redirect their chatter elsewhere. That being said, I’m writing here and assuming that you’re not the Chatty Kathy in this dynamic over here.

 

 

If you’re being the Chatty Kathy, then now is the time to reevaluate and ask yourself why you feel the need to monopolize other people’s time like that. Whether you’re in the work place or having cocktails with your friends, don’t be that person who monopolizes the whole conversation for half an hour and then, after spilling it all out, asks, “So what’s going on with you?” We can all name one person we have met who acts like that, but don’t let that person be you or a problem for you in the future! Respect your time and others’ time.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Kelly

@AlphaFemSociety tweets by @KellyRGonzales      

                                                                            

About:

Each week, I take a tip from Lois P. Frankel’s book, Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office, and explore how each of these tips affect myself and other women in similar positions on the road to becoming the women we want to be. There are far and few between who are a few steps behind me, and many more who are far advanced. I found that Lois P. Frankel’s advice applied to novice, intermediates, and experts alike. It helped me see that I was already doing right, served as a reminder to keep on doing what I was doing and how to keep that momentum going. The book also showed me areas where I could improve, and gave realistic tips to jump on board. There are a total of 133 tips, and explore one tip per week in a program I call: 133 Weeks to Success.

 

Join the movement using the hashtag #133WeeksToSuccess with posts which are posted every #AlphaFemaleFriday.