Do you ever wonder where the days vanish ? I did a time and motion study on myself at the start of the month and very quickly saw that things I thought took no time at all actually gobbled up ages. It won’t surprise anyone that the internet has far too many rabbit holes to fall down, or that I read a lot!
The surprise was how much time disappears on answering / reading emails that involve doing something first. Check your water bill, enter a reading for your energy meters, can so and so change an appointment with you, check your credit card statement, find information for your tax return, book the window cleaner. Honestly life really did seem easier when you just picked up a phone !
The benefit of the exercise was that I no longer beat myself up when I realise how little I’ve got done. One negative behaviour gone!
Meantime I reviewed all my regular activities to ascertain what I actually get out of them all. I thought the main benefit would be- Learn something new, get the little grey cells doing something. Turned out what I liked most was having a good old natter about the things I love doing and setting the world to rights! If I want to learn something new I am better off going to a workshop.
So all this introspection has helped me choose to drop two of the groups I attended and not join one I thought I might.
During July and August only two of my regular activities have continued what with summer holidays etc. This has given me more time at home which I have to say I am loving. We are having a typical British summer..sunshine and showers, It rains, the weeds grow, the sun shines I dig up the weeds. Indoors I get on with chores.. My son suggested that the freestanding shelving unit his Dad put up is superfluous to my needs and life in the utility room would be easier without it. He’s quite right it gets in the way of the freezer and the back door. When we were lockdown in you know what we had it stacked with supplies of this that and the other. I am gradually running these down and not replenishing them, trying to get out of that hoarding mentality. I’m nearly there.
And finally I am trying to finish things and not start anything new until September or I run out of things that need finishing.
OK , stop laughing because we all know I won’t be running out of things to finish for a very very long time!
So gradually the stuff is getting less. Yes I could go faster but it’s ok to pace myself, and finishing things is a Good thing, and knowing where time goes is another good thing, doing the things that need doing in a timely manner is also a Good thing. Just sitting in the garden with a book though, positioning myself so I can admire my efforts though is the best thing of all.
Joining with Carolyn for our one word reviews here- https://youronewordblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/31/checking-in-7-23/
nanacathy2
nanacathydotcom 
Comments on: "Divest- July update" (28)
Sounds like your time/motion study had some really helpful results for you!
a few months ago when my own health decided I needed to have more meds and help – I decided on “nothing mode” – other than taking care of me and home. It worked because I got certain things “mind wise” sorted – and when I decided to “do again” it felt much better. And I’ve understood the new extra stuff for me, I’m in a better place…
I recently reversed my usual trend of sending empty cardboard boxes out of the house. These days, I’m bringing them back in – to be filled! It’s really very satisfying to pull up outside the charity shop with neatly filled boxes and see their eyes light up when they realise it’s “good stuff”. The not so good stuff goes to the local tip shop to be repurposed or recycled. The rubbish is consigned to the outer darkness. I haven’t got to the point of Death Cleaning yet, but I’m looking at several empty shelves with great satisfaction. But first, I need to (finally) paint the bathroom…
I am with you on time lost to tedious admin Cathy. Like you I am trying gradually to make everything more efficient whether it is decluttering and reorganising belongings so I waste less time hunting for them, (though when I move something I waste time going to where it used to live and then having to remember where I moved it to!), keeping up with repairs and maintenance…..It is so hard to get the balance right between going out to be sociable and staying in to rest! Good Luck. We will both get there eventually
Thank you for the encouragement, I really appreciate it, and draw inspiration from your posts.
Sounds to me like you’ve divested yourself of A LOT this month, Cathy! Superfluous groups, pandemic stock, a behavior or two you didn’t care to hold on to — in addition to gleaning so much awareness of where your time + energy go…well, what a month. I can imagine how good it must feel! Your tracking exercise reminds me of when I read Laura Vanderkam’s 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. I tracked my time in 15 min increments (that, alone, too time!!). It was worthwhile; I still think back to that when I ask myself “Where’d the day go?”
It’s just so easy to believe something takes no time at all, when actually it does take quite a big chunk of time.. Spent rather longer than I thought possible this morning just shredding paper.. Finding a box to put it in, emptying the shredder, unjaming said shredder, sweeping up bits of fallen paper..half an hour gone on something I will have forgotten doing by bedtime ! I love how you have summed up my month, really helps me see progress. Thank you.
I often appreciate an outside perspective on the ‘inside’ of my doings! Sort of like your son’s observation of no longer needing the shelf!
Wow! Just Wow! What a month… you put words to thoughts that have been bumping around in my head… the time it takes to do the “stuff of daily living” the stuff you don’t think about, but if you don’t get it done… well it’s problematic.
What a great month for you, Cathy! 🙂
When I just jotted down the time I started a relatively straightforward task and when I finished I was pretty surprised. And all the ins and outs of it, well no wonder I feel tired some days!
I have learned this month that if I want to accomplish much during a day, I need to get up, walk Bandit, come in and do my yoga and 7 minutes or I fritter the day away AND don’t get the exercises done either! Add the hot weather and I just melt into a puddle! I have read a lot though, just not much else.
Your introspection is a great exercise, and caused me to think about how to reorder my days so I accomplish something!
I found I wasted time waiting for a computer to update itself, or recalling passwords, user ID, secret words, typing them in wrong, going back to the beginning getting secret codes on the phone a five minute job ending up taking an hour!
I needed to hear-read this. I just don’t know where the days go. One task leads to another, and so very often another and one of them at least takes much longer than expected. At home I get so much accomplished for the household and my own personal pastimes. When I go out I lose the day so I’m very selective.
The errands I ran in town took way longer than expected, you forget things like paying for a carpark, helpful machines that aren’t helpful a bit in banks so you have to queue for a person..
I really enjoyed this post, and it sounds like the time tracking had some solid benefits!
It did indeed. My original plan was to do it over a fortnight, but three days in I had my answers.
That’s what I call efficiency.
The biggest waste of time, in my opinion, is phoning banks/insurance companies/pension providers/etc Holding on, sometimes for almost an hour, then getting told they will transfer you to the ‘relevant’ person or department and, before you can beg them not to, they do it and the wait (and hold music) starts again. What happened to phoning you back? I know most have online services now but sometimes you need to ask a question that’s not in their FAQ.
😖
Rant over.
Enjoy your garden and your books x
Oh yes, those calls! At least they don’t all play Vivaldi any more. I usually prepare myself for those calls.. Cup of tea, good book, etc.
Internet rabbit holes take up so much time don’t they? It can take me several days to write a blog post if it contains a lot of information as I end up going down so many rabbit holes while searching for that info. I don’t beat myself up over things that don’t get done, especially if the weather is good and I go out somewhere. Nothing wrong with sitting and admiring your efforts in the garden, your flowers look very pretty 🙂
Thank you. I can imagine that your wonderful posts take time to research and write up.
Pacing yourself is good and you certainly have accomplished a lot so far. Sounds like you are having a lovely summer. I have to watch for rabbit holes (YouTube) that make time disappear so I can stay productive but I do allow myself time to indulge every so often 🙂
Congrats on considering removing the shelving that no longer works!
We do have to be aware of these rabbit holes for sure. Those shelves of mine really aren’t needed any more.
I agree that so much time is spent sorting things out via technology rather than speaking to someone and it is exhausting!
I too am trying to finish things – you encourage me with your determination and focus – thank you!
We all encourage each other I think. All those hills you hoofed up recently are truly inspirational.
xx
I do fritter away a great deal of time on things that accomplish nothing and also beat myself up for not enough exercise or getting things done. What a foolish waste of energy. You have done a good job of pointing that out. I’m glad your son will take out the extra shelves for you soon. Now that I’m back up and running (a little), I hope to do much the same. I have 3 projects (5 actually) that are waiting and will tick them off the list by order of date due or complexity. You are wise to see that you want more time at home just being you. I love that time. I have music playing in the background while I go down this rabbit hole but I get so much from it. You have opened my eyes to taking better control over my time. Thanks.
It’s quite amazing how time can just vanish. So Good to read of your recovery and that you are gradually picking things up again.