You’ve only got 24 hours in each day. And so do I. So the trick is to use those 24 hours to drive the most positive results in both your business and your life.

One way to do this is by focusing on the things that waste your time and developing a plan to eliminate them. Here are a few to consider.

5 Time Wasters to Eliminate

1. Failing to capture ideas.

Have an online folder and/or a notebook to capture great ideas as they move through your head. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself wasting time thinking, “Wait. What was that million-dollar idea I had?”

2. Failing to put things away.

Unless you put things away in a consistent place, you find yourself spending time looking for them later. “Where did I put those keys?”

3. Cleaning up other people’s work.

If you feel that you’ve got to regularly come behind someone to check on what he’s done or make modifications to it, you’ve either got the wrong person in that role, or you’re a control freak. Either way, you’re wasting your time doing something that you’ve already paid them to do.

4. Answering the phone every time it rings.

Here’s a different way of looking at it: Your phone is there for your convenience. Unless you’re expecting an important call, don’t feel obligated to answer the phone every time it rings.

5. Eating junk food.

You might not think of this as a “time waster” but eating that donut or candy bar not only wastes your time, but negatively impacts your body, as well. If you’re going to take the time to eat something, make it a healthy snack.