Affiliate Time Wasters: The Things We Think Are Productive
You spent three hours designing a new logo… for your third niche site… that isn’t even live yet. Yep, we’ve all been there.
If you’ve ever ended a long “work” session with nothing published, no emails sent, and no new content to show for it—but hey, your folder icons are now color-coded—welcome to the club.
Affiliate marketing has a sneaky way of making us feel productive when we’re actually just… organizing ourselves into a very tidy stall.
Let’s break down the time-wasting habits that feel productive but totally aren’t—and how to know when you’ve fallen into the busywork trap.
The Sneaky Time Traps
We all have our thing. That task that makes us feel like we’re being productive when we’re really just tiptoeing around the stuff that actually moves the needle.
Here are some of the most common (and hilarious) “fake productivity” traps:
- Obsessively Tweaking Your Theme
You said you’d just “change the header font.” Four hours later, your sidebar’s in a new position, you’ve tried 11 color palettes, and your favicon’s now a coffee cup.
Meanwhile... zero posts were written.
- Designing Logos for Sites That Don’t Exist Yet
Sure, branding matters. But if you’ve got three Canva tabs open and none of your sites are live… You might be procrastinating in style.
- Rewriting Your About Page—Again
Nothing says “look busy” like endlessly editing the same three paragraphs. (Pro tip: your readers probably don’t care that you added the word ‘authentically.’)
- Reorganizing Your WA Training Folders
Yes, organizing is important. But if you’ve spent more time sorting your training than applying it, it might be time to hit pause on the color-coding and actually… implement something.
- Research Rabbit Holes
Spending hours comparing affiliate programs… but not actually joining or testing any of them. Ask yourself: am I researching or just hiding from action?
These traps sneak in because they look and feel like work. And hey, sometimes they’re necessary. But when they start replacing real progress? That’s when you know you’ve detoured into the “pretending to be productive” zone.
How to Tell If It’s Avoidance (And Not Actual Work)
Busy doesn’t always mean productive. So, how do you know when you’re crossing the line from intentional action into fancy avoidance?
Here’s a quick gut-check:
You might be avoiding progress if…
- You’ve spent more time “branding” than building.
- You can’t remember the last time you hit publish.
- You’re tweaking things no one else will ever notice.
- You’re always “researching” but never implementing.
- You feel busy, but don’t feel any momentum.
- You’re putting off the one task that makes you nervous.
And here’s the ultimate clue:
If someone looked at your task list, would they see movement—or a masterpiece of creative stalling?
When in doubt, ask: Is this moving me forward… or just keeping me busy?,
Confessions from the Trenches
Alright, here’s mine.
I once spent an entire weekend designing matching Pinterest pins for a site that had exactly two blog posts. I even made custom Canva folders by niche type.
Meanwhile, no one could actually find the blog because I hadn’t submitted the sitemap yet. (Yep. Oops.)
We all have our moments. The goal isn’t to be perfect—it’s to notice when we’re falling into the trap and course-correct with humor and grace.
💬 Spill It—What’s Your Go-to Fake Productivity Move? No Judgment!
Seriously, we’ve all got one.
The “I totally worked today” habit that secretly helped us avoid the scary stuff.
Drop your favorite fake productivity confession in the comments. Let’s laugh, cringe, and cheer each other on as we get back to the real work—the messy, meaningful stuff that actually builds something.
Recent Comments
13
I spend a lot of time "organizing". While it seems like I'm working toward my goals, in reality, nothing is being produced......the results just look nice.
~Debbi
Debbi, I felt that—"the results just look nice" should be embroidered on a pillow in every affiliate’s workspace! Organizing feels like progress, but yep… it’s sneaky. Here’s to trading a few pretty folders for a few messy wins!
Sonia
Keeps us busy for nothing.HAHAHAAAAAAAHAHHHHHA.Actually many things cost our time for nothing
You plan to do that?this comes in . your mindset is thrown into doubting
Many comes in but less comes out.especially here in Africa continent where by all the time people thinks of taboos.
Do they hate artificial yet God recommended human kind to co-create.
We need to think twice, thrice as we come with new ideas
#think beyond technology #
Rwenzori state invites.
The snow peak,
The hot springs
The waterfall
The natural creatures.
Stay safe
Be blessed
You’ve captured it perfectly—so much energy spent, and yet so little moves forward when doubt or distraction creeps in. I really appreciate your perspective, especially the call to think beyond limits and create boldly.
And wow… Rwenzori sounds incredible! Sending good vibes right back to you—stay inspired and keep building!
Sonia
Mine's easy - it's just faffing!!! I think I faff a lot!
... hope it's ok to admit that on here! :)
Haha, faffing is absolutely allowed here, Gail—this is a judgment-free zone for professional procrastinators! Honestly, “faffing with flair” might be the new productivity level we’re all aiming for.
Sonia
Well, I can definitely do that! Although my children's definition of 'flair' and mine may not coincide!
Yes! That's me. You might be procrastinating in style. It seems as if time is not on my side. You can’t remember the last time you hit publish. You got me thinking about what to do next. Thanks SoniaZ.
Haha, I feel like I just held up a mirror, right?
“Procrastinating in style” should honestly be a WA badge by now! But hey, realizing it is the first step—next up: publishing something that’s not just a new folder name. You’ve got this, Timothy!
Sonia
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"Reorganizing Your WA Training Folders"
Wondering if you could tell me a little more what you mean by that. Is it something you can do within the WA platform or you just bookmark or copy things into regular folders on your computer?
I know it wasn't the point of the article. LOL. Yes I am a Queen of procrastination. Still, you grabbed my attention with that subheading.
Haha I feel you on the Queen of Procrastination title—my crown is probably buried under a pile of half-finished drafts!
What I meant by “reorganizing WA training folders” was really just about using the favorites feature. You can star any training, and it gets saved to your “My Favorite Trainings” area so it’s easier to revisit. Not quite folders, but it helps cut down on the search spiral.
I also keep a little spreadsheet on the side when I’m feeling extra organized—totally optional but it does help if you binge trainings like I do!
P.S. Still not as dangerous as falling into the “choosing a font” rabbit hole… 3 hours gone and all I’ve done is make the title bold.