Time Thieves

Time thieves are things that steal your focus.

Work towards limiting them to become more productive:

• Too much work in progress. (WIP)
  • Limit what you are working on to only a few (ideally 1) items at a time.
• Unknown dependencies.
  • Poorly documented processes will turn a seemingly simple task into something complex.
• Unplanned work.
  • Unstable systems/applications or “just do this quick thing” will eat up your day.
• Conflicting prioritization.
  • Multiple people saying different tasks are critical.
• Neglected work. (partially complete)
  • Focus and follow through tasks before handling someone's next critical item.

Tools such as kanban boards can help with prioritization and focus on a few tasks at a time.