Waste: use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.

When is a waste of time, a good waste of time?

Almost sounds like a joke, right!

Wasting time is often viewed as not being productive or spending time on activities that do not provide any value. It can also be akin to doing trivial activities instead of working, procrastinating or doing activities that does not provide learning or any benefit.

But can you waste time and still do good and beneficial things? We say, Yes!

What Is a Good Waste of Time?

There are some things that can be equated to good time wasting.

You can spend ten minutes in front of the office cafeteria talking about yesterday’s basketball game. This may be considered a waste of time.  However, it can been as a good waste of time if you consider:

• workplace dynamics – creating a sociable environment at work
• mental alertness – recalling aspects of the game can boost flow to the brain (yes, did you see that shot! or no, we were robbed, that call was wrong!).

Time wasting can be beneficial when the perceived value is changed. It might offer no immediate results, but it’s an exercise investing in future benefits.

Positive Time Wasting Activities

1. Start A Hobby

Activities that looks like diversions can actually make you more productive.

Your passion for the arts or other areas aside from your work can drive creativity and productivity in your life.

2. Learn Something New

Whether it’s a work skill or a life skill, you’re going to gain from it.

A good investment of time and money will teach you new things that you can use later.

3. Invest in Positive Relationships

Nothing beats a quality time with people you actually like.

Invest more time with people who inspire you, or make you happy when you’re around them.

Avoid toxic people who drain your energy or make you feel unhappy.

Hanging out with the right people creates positivity and energises you.

4. Recharging

Tap into the power of downtime.

Log off. Switch off. Have some alone time. Go and meet that friend who makes you laugh. Listen to music. Read a book. Have a swim. Take a bath.

Having these moments can clarify situations and give you time to plan and prioritize your next move.

So next time you think something may be a ‘waste of time’, see if you can reframe it to be beneficial to you.

If it’s not, then don’t do it! Try to choose something that you will feel revived from.

Need More Help?
7 Days To Better Productivity & Time Management

If you need more help with your time management skills then check out our 7 Days To Better Productivity & Time Management program.

Perfect for anyone who wants to:

1. Spend your best time on your top priorities
2. Set up a radically effective time-management system
3. Learn better habits for working productively and for avoiding distractions.