5 Symptoms of Poor Time Management at Work

In today's fast-paced world, time management has never been more challenging.  Technology, for all its glory, has made it easy to constantly stay connected.  The downside is that this same technology has made everything urgent in the form of phone calls, text messages and emails.  And because everything is urgent, it has pushed the really important things to the back burner.  We have more and more information constantly streaming to us.  What kind of impact do you think this is having on you and the people around you?  Below are several symptoms you may recognize:

1. Lack of focus
   When everything is an urgent fire to put out, it's very easy to lose sight of your really important priorities.  You may not have thought about your most important priorities for this month, this week and today.  When this occurs, you will focus on the urgent, not important, activities.  No time is spent planning how to prevent crises in the future.  As a result, the crises just continue and may get even bigger.
   
2. Missing deadlines
   It can be hard to keep up with important deadlines when you're constantly putting out fires.  But when you notice you're missing deadlines consistently, you may want to ask yourself if you planned well enough to accomplish this task by the deadline?  Are you procrastinating until the last minute?  Do you feel everything is equally important and so have not really prioritized the ability to get this done?
   
3. More disorganized
   When you don't feel in control of your time, your desk can pile up with paperwork.  Your to-do list expands.  It's harder to find things when you need them.  Not finding time to get organized is kind of like not finding time to fill the gas tank in your car.  If you just think you're too busy to do it, you will definitely pay the price.
   
4. Overlooking details
   When you're moving too fast, and feeling stressed to get it all done, it's easy to overlook the details that are important.  In some instances, this can lead to significant errors.  It's a bad reflection on your professional ability.  It's definitely not the impression you want to make with the co-workers who depend on you.
   
5. Strained relationships
   Other people can feel frustrated with you if you are missing deadlines, disorganized or overlooking important details.  But as your work load is piling up, you can also become more frustrated with them.  You may find yourself being more irritable than you normally would or more likely to express your frustration.  This can place a strain on relationships if it's not addressed.

These are just some of the symptoms of poor time management at work.  What other symptoms do you think could occur?  How is it impacting you or other people around you?