Time Management Statistics That Back Up Hard Truths of Time Management

When coaching, I often whip out time management statistics to illustrate some hard truths of productivity. (And it helps me remind myself. . . )

We find ourselves so addicted to email and seemingly "urgent things" it usually takes these tough blunt statements to get the message across.

Below you'll find some of the tough messages I often deliver to time management clients, as well as some recent statistics I use to illustrate.

(Quick note about time management statistics: "There are lies, damned, lies, and statistics," as Mark Twain says. And, then there time management statistics, which usually have no source and no legitimate research to back it up. Whether well-intentioned or not, self-help gurus too often craft maxims to make points, and these somehow later get taken as legitimate time management statistics. The quotations below all at least have a source, although I can't speak to their research methods. Time management statistics is clearly an area for greater credible research.)

Multi-tasking is a myth. You are not being productive.

"Preliminary research shows some people can more easily juggle multiple information streams. These "supertaskers" represent less than three percent of the population." (1)

I don't mean to be rude, but if you're wondering if you're in that 3% of the population . . . you're probably not. Otherwise you wouldn't be on a time management page :)

Stop Wasting Your Time

"At home, people consume 12 hours of media a day on average. That compares with 5 hours in 1960." (1)

"Computer users visit an average of 40 websites a day." (1)

How much of all that consumption is important? Or even interesting? How much can we attribute simply to email and web addiction?

Learn to Focus. Learn to Say Powerful Words, Like, "No."

"Computer users at work change windows nearly 37 times an hour." - New York Times (1)

"People interrupted by email reported significantly increased stress compared to those left to focus." (1)

On a typical day, office workers are interrupted about seven times an hour, which adds up to 56 interruptions a day, 80% of which are considered trivial, according to time-management experts. (2)

It Never Takes "Just a Minute."

In 2007, a group of Microsoft workers took, on average, 15 minutes to return to serious mental tasks, such as writing reports or computer code, after dealing with incoming email. They wandered off to reply to other messages or browse the Web. (3)

Put Your Crackberry Away. You're Missing Your Life.

• 15% of Americans say they are addicted to email.
• 59% of those using portable devices check email as it arrives.
• 43% of users sleep near their email unit to hear incoming messages.
• 40% consider email accessibility when they plan a trip.
• 83% check their email once a day while on vacation.
• 43% check their email first thing every morning. (4)

Stop Rushing. Again, You're Missing Your life.

About 40% of American adults get less than seven hours of sleep on weekdays, up from 34% in 2001. Almost 60% of meals are rushed, and 34% of lunches are choked down on the run. To avoid wasting time, we're talking on our cell phones while rushing to work, answering e-mails during conference calls, waking up at 4 a.m. to call Europe, and generally multitasking our brains out. (5)

Manage Your Stress or It Will Manage You

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state unequivocally that 80% of our medical expenditures are now stress related. (6)

Look at How Much Money We Waste. What's More Important Than Money? How Much of That Do You Waste?

Unnecessary meetings cost U.S. businesses approximately $37 billion each year. (7)

If you these statistics sound like your life and you want to do something about it, check out my step-by-step e-system: Rescue Yourself! Time Management Strategies to Take Your Life Back.

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REFERENCES

(1) Richtel, Matt. (June 20, 2010). "Hooked on Gadgets and Paying a Price. New York Times.

(2) Wendy Cole, TIME Magazine, 10/11/2004, as reported by http://www.keyorganization.com/time-management-statistics.php

(3) New York Times, 3/25/2007 as reported by http://www.keyorganization.com/time-management-statistics.php

(4) AOL, Opinion Research Corp., study 7/26/2007, as reported by http://www.keyorganization.com/time-management-statistics.php

(5) Business Week, p. 60, 10/3/2005, as reported by http://www.keyorganization.com/time-management-statistics.php

(6) Fast Company Magazine, p. 88, 2/2003, as reported by http://www.keyorganization.com/time-management-statistics.php

(7) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005, as reported by http://www.keyorganization.com/time-management-statistics.php