Three Time Management Mistakes

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Effective leadership requires efficient time management. Our biggest productivity killers often come from what we’re not doing rather than what we are.

Mistake #1 Working with a Messy Desk Studies show people with cluttered workspaces spend an average of 1.5 hours daily looking for things or getting distracted—that’s 7.5 hours per week of lost productivity.

Mistake #2: Starting Without a Plan Beginning your day without a clear plan means you’ll spend it “responding to the loudest voice,” working in defensive mode and reacting to others’ demands. You’ll work hard but may not accomplish the right things. Time management isn’t about doing wrong things faster—it’s about doing the right things.

Mistake #3: Skipping Lunch Breaks Contrary to popular belief, working through lunch doesn’t give you more productive time. After several hours of work, we naturally “dull out.” Even a short 15-minute break recharges your batteries and helps you handle afternoon challenges more effectively.

Peak productivity comes from intentional habits: maintaining an organized workspace, starting each day with a clear plan, and taking breaks to recharge. These simple practices can reclaim hours of lost time each week.