Time Management Statistics and Facts That Will Surprise You

The working day only has so many hours – and those hours aren’t infinite. That’s what makes time management a crucial part of being successful. It makes sense that so many tests and studies have been done on the subject. It also makes sense that there are hundreds of time management statistics books on the market.

While these books might sound like a bore, they contain fascinating statistics that are nothing short of mind-blowing. To get an idea of what we mean, take a few minutes to read the statistics we’ve highlighted below – you won’t be disappointed.

Time Management Statistics and Facts

• Of eight telephone calls placed, one will be repeated due to missing information.
• The average manager spends three hours per day handling unforeseen interruptions and problems.
• Employees, on average, work the hardest from 9 AM to 12 PM. After this time, productivity tends to drop significantly.
• If you spend 10-12 minutes planning your day, you’ll save up to 2 hours of time that would have otherwise gone to waste.
• The average person has tried and/or uses 13 different methods for managing their time.
• A typical office worker checks their email 50 times and their social media platforms 77 times per day while they’re at work.
• It’s proven that 66% of people check their emails 7 days a week. They also expect to receive email responses the following day.
• Harvard University did a study and found that American companies lose roughly $65B. This is because their employees are suffering from a lack of sleep
• 70% of people use a to-do list to ensure that they get all their most important tasks done.
• New ideas, concepts, and suggestions will be criticized in under 8 seconds.
• When it comes to planning allotted time for tasks, we underestimate how long a task will take almost every time. Most tasks take twice as long as we think.
• Those who work at a messy or otherwise unorganized workspace spend 1 ½ hour (on average) looking for misplaced items.
• Full-time employees generally work 8.5 hours per day Monday-Friday and 5.4 hours per day on the weekend.
• A 2012 study done by the New Economics Foundation, London found that employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more productive.
• Workers receive, on average, 7-8 disruptions per hour. This equals 50-60 per day – most of which are unnecessary.
• Of every 10 people who attend a meeting, 9 will daydream during it.
• Every day in America, there are roughly 17 million meetings.
• Florida State University discovered that a worker’s performance peaks when they work undisrupted for 90 minutes.
• Nearly half of all employees in America believe that meetings are the number one source of wasted time at the office.
• Employees spend, on average, 31 hours per month in meetings. This means that they spend an hour per day.
• Of the time given to a workday, 80% is spent doing tasks with little to no value and only 20% is spent doing something important.
• Within the last 20 years, the time that a person works has increased by 15%, while the same person’s personal time decreased by 33%.
• A person who gives themselves one thing to do in a day will generally take all day to do it. If the same person gives themself two things to do, both will get done. If someone adds 12 tasks to a to-do list, most people do not get all 12 done but will get at least 7 done.
• 62% of full-time workers report work-related aches and pains. 38% report pain in the hands, 44% eyestrain and pain, and 34% report difficulty sleeping due to stress.

The time management statistics above show how effective adequate time management is. It also proves how important it is for the success of both companies and their individual employees. Without time management techniques, companies suffer from lost productivity, loss of revenue, and an increase in health deterioration among employees.

Helpful Strategies for Time Management at Work

Valuing your time is the key to being successful in your time management journey – the more you value your time, the better you’ll be at managing it. Time management will help you in every aspect of your life but will be particularly helpful because it will put you on a clear path. This path will help you to gauge how much time and effort is needed to succeed.

Time management strategies are tools that help you complete tasks within a specific timeframe and with a steady workflow. Failing to manage your time effectively can lead to a host of stress-related problems, poor job productivity, and loss of business.

What are the best time management strategies? Let’s check out a few.

5 Time Management Strategies That Are Backed By Time Management Stats

Learn to prioritize

Prioritization is one of the main strategies taught by self-help professionals – and for good reason. By prioritizing your daily tasks, you ensure that you spend your time where you should be: that is, on tasks that are crucial and important. The most important tasks should be at the top of your to-do list and come before any other tasks that could stand to wait just a little bit longer.

Maintain a clear focus

Before getting started on your to-do list, you should always sit down and determine your main focus for the day. Figure out what you want to achieve that day and which tasks need to get done.

Get the worst done first

We understand that when one of your most important tasks is boring, dull, or difficult, it can be hard to get the motivation to do it. But try to remember that this task is important for a reason and, even if the ask isn’t of any real importance, it still needs completion. So, bite the bullet and do the least desirable task first – get it out of the way so you don’t have to worry about it.

Get rid of interruptions and distractions

As the time management statistics above show, interruptions and distractions are counter-productive. When you’re trying to boost your efficiency, take time to figure out your distractions, and find a solution for getting rid of them.

Have an ever-evolving task list

Although you sat down at the start of your day and made a task list, other tasks will likely come up during the day. Don’t be afraid to add these tasks to your list! Add them right away and, as you complete your tasks, cross them off or otherwise mark them as complete. Update your list and stay on top of it.

Time Management Stats for Work: The Conclusion

When you learn how to increase productivity and get more tasks done in less time, you become less stressed and enter a healthier state of mind. With so much hype surrounding the idea of time management, you’re likely wondering: do the recommended changes actually have a benefit?

The answer is yes!

Time management is getting the right things done, which is an effective way to tackle every important item on your to-do list.

For businesses that provide service, appointment scheduling is a huge part of every business day.

It’s also time-consuming – but there are a few ways to make it go more quickly while proving the negative time management statistics wrong.

If you enjoyed reading this article with time management statistics, you should read about why time management is important.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like time management systems, using a time management coach, the time management matrix, time management courses, time management quotes, time management strategies, and techniques.

Do you want an app for that? We also selected the best time management apps, but also free time management apps for tight budgets, and if you’re looking for a time tracking app, we picked the best of them.

Needless to say, we are really into time management and we don’t like to waste time because we know how poor time management can affect us. You might also want to give a chance to a time management coach.