Who's stealing your time?

I reached a shocking conclusion the other day - I can't do everything! (Yes I know. I bet you're as shocked as I am).

That means that I have to prioritise what I want or need to get done and then get around to the little things that don't really matter or don't have an impact on the business as and when.

But it also does mean that I have to be a lot firmer with my time and recognise when people are trying to steal it. Have a think about all the things you're involved in right now. All the things you volunteer for or are happy to do because you're a nice person. Well, I've had to be ruthless and ask the question "Can I justify this person/this activity using up my time?"

To be honest, it's not something that I like doing - I like getting involved in things and I like being helpful. But I also do recognise that if I want to take ET to the next level, I'm going to have to cut out this "helping" behaviour and say "no".

So, my question today is who or what is stealing your time? Are you happy to continue to let people or things steal your time and if not, what are you going to do to stop it happening?