Time Waster: Deciding what to wear

The problem: The average woman throws away 16 minutes of her morning dithering between different outfits.

The solution: "Pre-plan your outfit the night before," says time management expert Julie Morgenstern. "It takes less time than in the morning because you're less rushed and thinking clearer."

Plus, by planning what to dress for - that big meeting or office lunch - you're mentally preparing for the next day.

Time Waster: Dead-end meetings

The problem: Studies show workers spend nearly an hour a day in meetings that don't contribute

to accomplishing tasks.

The solution: Stick to a "no agenda, no meeting" rule. "Establish the results you need before the meeting starts," says psychologist Maria Gardiner. "Get mundane business out of the way first, and keep track of decisions that need to be followed up on as they're made."

Time waster: A disaster-zone desk

The problem: A whopping 30 per cent of our workdays are spent trying to find misplaced documents.

The solution: "Implement a 'velcro fingers' policy," says time management expert Hugh Kearns. "Don't put a document down until you've assigned it to one of the three 'Ds'," he says. "If it can be done quickly, just 'do' it. If it requires more time then 'diarise' it and put it in the relevant file - not back on your desk. Otherwise, 'ditch' it."

Time waster: Over-checking email

The problem: The email habit is a powerful one. "We're addicted because we like to feel needed," points out Gardiner. But it takes 15 minutes to get back on track once we've been interrupted - and we're sidetracked around every eight minutes.

The solution: "Completely avoid email for the first hour of the day," advises Morgenstern. "Instead, focus on your most critical, concentrated task." This allows you to use your freshest brainpower to do your most important work.

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