Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote:

Old Time, in whose bank we deposit our notes,
Is a miser who always wants guineas for groats;
He keeps all his customers still in arrears
By lending them minutes and charging them years.

Makes you think, hmm? Especially since we've entered a fresh new year. The slate is clean. The path is clear. All things are possible. It’s a time of cleaning out file cabinets, pinning up calendars, charting new courses and ... receiving tax forms that remind us how much, or how little, we were paid to write last year. It's also a time to reevaluate that output and, more often than not, resolve to increase it. Which doesn't necessarily require more time, but better use of the time we have.

It's altogether fitting then to guard against the Top 5 Things That Suck Time From Our Writing:

Preparing To Write. A successful writer is a savvy writer, so reading how-to material is always a good thing. And thanks to the Internet, we have unlimited access to forums, blogs, newsletters, entire websites devoted to the business of writing. Why, information is so readily available, we no longer have an excuse not to be published. Still, that knowledge is no good unless we put it to use. 

SUGGESTION: 
Stick to a writing schedule by sticking a timer in the face. 
When we're aware of the minutes ticking away, we’re much more
 apt to focus on constructive endeavors. By the time it finally dings, 
perhaps we'll be so engrossed in our work, we'll rewind it.

Rewriting The Same Scene. An insecure writer starts out each writing session by re-reading and re-editing that which she wrote the day before, convinced it must be perfect before she can move on to the next scene. 

SUGGESTION: 
Let's bear in mind we’re creating something out of nothing. 
And the nothing won’t be something until it is complete. 
Therefore, let's plow through that first draft as quickly as we can. 
It’s a draft—nobody will see it but us. Print it out. Hold it in the hands. 
It's something! Now we can tweak and refine to our heart's content. 

Waiting For A Response. No writer can deny the breathless thrill of sending out a query letter or a manuscript. What we do afterward, however, separates the amateurs from the pros. 

SUGGESTION: 
Forget about it. Immediately begin another writing project. 
Don't waste a minute sitting on the thumbs, counting the days,
 firing off subtle nudges or irate withdrawals. If we haven't
 received a response in a reasonable amount of time, let's move on
 to the next agent/editor on our list. They snooze, they lose.

Obsessing Over A Response. In the beginning, most writers receive some variation of the old standard: "After careful consideration, we feel that your project is just not right for us." Sometimes, handwritten notes are scribbled at the bottom of the page and, like a love-starved dog, we lap up every word. What, oh, what do these really mean?

SUGGESTION:
Who cares? We could drive ourselves nuts trying to decipher
 the thoughts or hidden meanings behind a few simple remarks. 
Bottom line is they don’t want to represent our work. 
Let's find someone who does. 

Succumbing To Depression. All writers feel low now and then. But if we curl into a ball with each rejection that comes down the pike, our skin is just too thin for this business. 

SUGGESTION: 
Repeat the mantra: It isn’t personal. It isn’t personal.  
Rejections are a fact of a writer's life, but rather than let them 
whack us up side the head, let's be prepared. Have other queries 
and manuscripts lined up and ready to hit the mail at a moment’s 
notice. As soon as we receive a rejection, let's send out another
submission the very same day. Give it 5 to 7 tries. If we still 
spark no interest, our project needs work. So let's take the next 
step, and seek feedback. But not for a minute will we consider 
ourselves a failure. Every writer who's ever lived had to err 
a few times before he got it right. We will too.

IN A NUTSHELL
Only you can prevent Time Suckage.