Reprinted below is a list of the top ten most low-value uses of time, according to Richard Koch, author of The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less.

1. Things other people want you to do
2. Things that have always been done this way
3. Things you’re not unusually good at doing
4. Things you don’t enjoy doing
5. Things that are always interrupted
6. Things few other people are interested in
7. Things that have already taken twice as long as you originally expected
8. Things where your collaborators are unreliable or low quality
9. Things that have a periodic cycle
10. Answering the telephone

This is a great list for geeks — especially if you have a bit of flexibility in your work life to implement some of the above strategies.

List © Richard Koch. If you enjoyed it, you can purchase his book here.