|
I have a friend who actually knows how to work all the functions on his
Ironman watch — you know, the timer, the split-lap timer, the alarm, the countdown timer.
I don't know if it's an obsession with him, or simply something he does to keep
himself amused, but he times everything. He can tell you how
long it takes his coffeepot to finish making coffee and how long a particular traffic light
stays red.
Perhaps with his example in mind, I've recently started looking
at how long certain tasks take — especially the ones I don't really want to do.
Not being as familiar with my (much less fancy) watch's functions, I take the
cruder approach of simply writing down when I start something, and then noting when it's
done.
It turns out, somewhat to my embarrassment, that I've been spending far
more time debating with myself over whether to do these tasks than it actually takes to
complete them once I get moving. For instance, my grumbling over the cat fur on the
floor may last for days before I finally drag out the vacuum cleaner and spend eight minutes
— eight minutes! — vacuuming the house. Mowing the lawn? Fifteen
minutes apiece front and back, with another fifteen minutes each if I edge and weed-whack.
Suddenly, my productivity horizons have opened wide. Why am I pouring
my valuable energy into procrastination and complaints, if it truly only takes a few
minutes to do what I'm fussing about?
As a nation, we are working longer and longer hours and — predictably
enough — accomplishing less and less. Work-life balance is suddenly important
enough that multi-million-dollar corporations are hiring external consultants and
trainers to conduct work-life studies and workshops, and featuring the results on the
human-resources pages of their websites. Time management and personal productivity are
long past being trendy; they've become so ingrained in corporate culture that
they're cliches. And as a nation, we continue struggling with overwhelm, stress,
and guilt — guilt that we're not doing enough for our families or our careers,
never mind how and if we're taking care of ourselves.
We all have a different tolerance for the level of overwhelm we can
handle. I'm certainly not suggesting that overwhelm would vanish if we eliminated
procrastination and grumbling (if that were even possible!). And I'm well
aware that a certain amount of procrastination is simply part of the creative process.
I do wonder, though, how much productivity is being poured into avoidance
rather than accomplishment. I know I'm certainly taking a closer look at how I'm
spending my time, especially on those days when my to-do list seems to be multiplying
alarmingly. And I challenge you to examine your day and ask yourself the simple question:
What one thing can I do right now
that will bring me closer to my goal?
Then do it! (And let me know how long it takes!)
"Action is at bottom a swinging and flailing
of the arms to regain one's balance and keep afloat."
Eric Hoffer, 1902 — 1983; American longshoreman, philosopher, and author.
If you liked this article, you can
sign up
to receive Grace's regular newsletter!
About the Author: Grace Judson is an
executive coach and business consultant with more than two decades of experience in
strategic planning, coaching, business planning, and tactical execution. She specializes
in corporate politics and culture issues, and is especially interested in gender politics
and the issues of women and gender role expectations in the workplace. For more
information, go to:
www.svahaconcepts.com.
© 2006 Grace L. Judson. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted here with permission
granted by the author.
«Back to top
Please close this window to return to the previous page.
| 
