Wasted Opportunity

on October 23, 2012
in 168 Hours

Like mother…

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Like son!

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Future heel clicker in the making.  (I have a thing for mid-race heel clicks as evidenced by this photo and this photo.)

 

Well, beyond working on our beautiful heel clicks, this morning is kind of a bust for not only Henry and I, but the Husband as well.  We planned to swap off baby care with workouts; however, we both opted to go back to bed during our allotted workout time.  It sounds nice, but I think it was one of those ‘we would feel just as tired regardless of whether we went back to sleep’ mornings.  Exercise would’ve energized me.  I should’ve sweated!  Ah well.

 

Baked apples over pumpkin oatmeal.  Yum.  My current favorite flavor combo.

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Initial Thoughts on 168 Hours

 

I’m currently reading the time management book 168 hours and, per the book’s instructions, logging how I spend my entire week.  Yes, it is tedious, but it’s also very illuminating (I’ll share my findings next Monday).  Last week on the blog, I asked everyone what they would do with an extra hour a day.  I said that funds were unlimited, so we had lots of silly answers like a massage a day (that was actually my answer!).  But people said they would go for runs, walk their dogs, spend extra time with their families, or engage in a beloved hobby during the 25th hour… stuff we really want and need to do. 

 

It really got me thinking… I’m sure I waste an hour a day doing, well, nothing of importance. So I asked myself what would I really want to do with ‘extra’ time if I managed my day better.  The answer was immediate:  Spend more quality one-on-one time with Henry, and work on my novel.  I really want to find time to do these things, and I know I can, I just been to be methodical about ‘discovering’ the extra hour.  It’s not about becoming a time hall monitor but just eliminating unnecessary activities – like TV!  I’m trying not to do anything differently this week as I log my hours, and I’m already amazed at how much time I blow on TV.

 

So – just something to think about.  What would you really do with an hour extra hour?  What are your biggest time wasters?

{ 29 comments }

 

  • lisa fine October 23, 2012, 11:02 am

    My partner and I are doing a “no television for five months” experiment. It’s mostly to be more intentional with the way we spend our time, and partly because neither of us find much to watch on TV anyway.

    While I still spend a lot of time reading and writing blog entries (though I have a mandatory turn off the computer time at 9pm), I’ve been reading and knitting a lot too. And when we want to watch something, we’ll watch a documentary on Netflix.

  • Ellen October 23, 2012, 11:15 am

    Doing cardiovascular exercise while being exhausted is a sure fire way to promote adrenal fatigue. Sleep is as important as eating and drinking, exercise isn’t. I’m glad you slept in. 🙂

  • Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries October 23, 2012, 11:16 am

    My biggest time waster would definitely be the internet/social media… I can spend wayyyy too much time on those and before I know it, hours have passed!

  • Nicole October 23, 2012, 11:18 am

    I would love to spend an hour with God each day. His Word, a journal and zero distractions. We almost ought to treat our days like school, with classes throughout. Right now is breastfeeding class, which is a lot like a snack break, really. Then there is blogging class, a reading class, fitness, cooking, relationships (hellooooo all focus on your spouse!), and Jesus time for me – I need that SO much.

    Humans lack discipline. And we love wasting time. The book you’re reading sounds awesome, I think I may look for a copy!

  • Stellina @ My Yogurt Addiction.com October 23, 2012, 11:21 am

    I don’t even know what I would do with an extra hour but definitely something that involved ME TIME! Hopefully run, pamper myself or maybe an extra hour of sleep!

  • Anne Weber-Falk October 23, 2012, 11:29 am

    Biggest time waster…INTERNET. I would get outside more. Be around real things like people and nature.

  • Rachel October 23, 2012, 11:44 am

    I think I would curl up with a book, guilt-free. I have two issues: 1) I don’t purposefully sit down and take time for myself — I feel I should always be doing something. And 2) I spend way too much time wandering about the internet, usually distracted from doing something productive (which was my excuse to get to the computer in the first place.)

    If I would just give myself permission to curl up with the book, I would actually make some progress on my To Read list. And it would prevent me from wandering the internet reviews and incessantly finding more books to add to my ridiculously long list.

  • Laura October 23, 2012, 11:45 am

    My biggest time wasters are over-checking email and my iPad. I feel like I would get more done if I checked email a few set times a day, rather than as a Pavlovian response to the sound of receiving a new message. I also use my iPad during times where I could be really relaxing and it makes me feel “on” in such an unnecessary way.

  • Kris October 23, 2012, 11:48 am

    I can’t believe how much time we all waste on the Internet. Time to unplug some and use that time for things that really matter like being with family, loved ones, exercise, relaxation, and enjoying the beautiful world outside.

  • Laine October 23, 2012, 11:50 am

    Learn (re-learn) Spanish! Which is what I’m doing. My niece and nephew (7 and 4) are in an immersion class and it really motivated me to get my Spanish back up to speed. So, I do the audio drills in the car, and then do 3 twenty minute reading/writing sessions in the evenings.

    I don’t own a TV, but I do get sucked into useless internet and Netflix stuff.

    I find that setting my timer for work v. wasted time works for me. 20 minutes of Spanish lessons, then 20 minutes of facebook, then 20 minutes of cleaning, and so on.

  • Cindy October 23, 2012, 11:51 am

    I’d say I’d use my extra hour for reading for pleasure, but I know I’d just end up wasting it watching tv. 🙂

  • Lauren Jamison @ The Barn October 23, 2012, 11:54 am

    We got rid of cable a few years ago after we realized we were basically just DVRing a show or two and only watching it during dinner. We have Netflix now and we generally pick a series and watch one or two episodes each night while we eat. I would love to say we eat at the table and talk but it’s really the only time my husband has to “turn off” during the day so I think it’s ok to blow an hour on it.

    Anyway, I’ve noticed since we did that TV has become less and less important to me. If the hubs is out of town I generally find myself at the kitchen table editing pictures or reading blogs and Facebooking instead of watching TV.

    Now, time spent on Facebook…that is most definitely something I need to cut.

  • Lisa October 23, 2012, 11:55 am

    Biggest time wasters: Twitter, facebook, netflix!

  • Christine @ BookishlyB October 23, 2012, 11:57 am

    I’d spend an extra hour reading, sleeping, or spending time with my husband.

    I’ve cut out most TV from my life (I watch a max of maybe 5 hours of TV and maybe one movie a week) and it has been awesome. I don’t miss it at all and have grown to actually dislike it in many ways- it doesn’t add anything to my life. I do understand how people use it to relax, though. I think we all have different ways of relaxing- for me, I’d rather read or cook or whatever.

  • Aerevyn October 23, 2012, 12:06 pm

    Creative goal-setting and intentional dreaming. I spend my time zipping from one thing to another, that I neglect to do this.

  • CJ @ Fill the Well October 23, 2012, 12:09 pm

    The internet is such a huge time suck. TV as well – not so much watching live TV, but online TV is the death of me! I crave time in my day for yoga, writing, and calling friends. I know that time is there – I just have to reclaim it from my bad habits!

  • Kristen L October 23, 2012, 12:12 pm

    My biggest time wasters are the internet & TV. I get sucked in at night when I could be doing something much more productive.

  • Colleen October 23, 2012, 12:12 pm

    If I had an extra hour I would sit and enjoy quiet time with my kids (20 minutes each individually) either reading books, playing on the floor, a game, etc. Right now, I am pressed for time I group them all together in 20-30 minutes and generally think about what else I could be doing. Bad I know, but it’s the truth. Need to work on that. Biggest time waster is the internet and the pressure on being available 24/7.

  • Annette@FitnessPerks October 23, 2012, 12:16 pm

    My biggest time waster is reading blogs & social media. Yes they are all great & fun, but it can ‘waste’ precious minutes that I could’ve spend making a better meal, stretching, or reading. I do have a mandatory ‘no Internet’ after a certain time, and that works well. I’ve cut back a lot, and it feels great!

  • Natalie @ Free Range Human October 23, 2012, 12:20 pm

    I would so read with an extra hour a day. I don’t feel like I get to do it enough. That being said, I can say with utter certainty that my biggest time waster is TV. Seems like the fix is a no-brainer!

  • Angie October 23, 2012, 12:23 pm

    I get up a few days a week at 4:30 am to swim with a masters swim group. There is never a day that I jump out of bed ready to hit the pool, but most days I feel really great afterwards. That said, I have been know to turn the alarm off when I really feel like I can’t do it…

    A thought on time. We have an antique clock that has been in a closet and we recently relocated it to the playroom (there was no clock in there and I want the kids to be able to read a clock with numbers and hands!), which connects to the kitchen. The clock chimes every 15 min and bongs on the hour; the clock has taught me that it is very easy to waste 15 min! Sometimes it chimes and I can’t believe that 15 min have passed! It has made me try to focus more when I hear it chime and can’t remember what I did with the preceding 15 min.

  • Kelsey Y. October 23, 2012, 12:30 pm

    What I would truly do with that extra hour is find time to read for myself. Whether it is a magazine, book, or a book on my Kindle, that’s what I would do. Between school and textbook reading, it just never really feels like there is time.
    My time wasters? My procrastination of sitting on the couch, watching one or two episodes on Netflix, THINKING of what I should be doing (instead of just doing it). *has lightbulb moment and has found the challenge of the week*

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats October 23, 2012, 12:32 pm

    I can’t wait to hear what you think about the book and what you’ve discovered on your time use. I know I waste a TON of time just messing around on my computer!

  • Mackenzie October 23, 2012, 1:15 pm

    I would love for you to do a post on writing. Writing is something I really enjoy doing, but it’s SO hard to find the time to devote to it (especially since I work ~55 hours a week). I’d love to know how you make the time, what environment you write in, any tips, etc.

  • Alicia October 23, 2012, 1:22 pm

    When I read your blog I really don’t get the impression that you waste time–in fact I read it for inspiration to stay active! These are really timely concerns for me. My son is 2 months old (today) and I need to accomplish some work at home before I really go back to campus in January (I’m a professor). I am doing relatively well getting back into my big independent project (a book) but I do feel a conflict in that I want to spend as much time as possible with my babe. He sleeps well at night but naps well on me but not in his bassinet during the day, so writing and editing is a little challenging. And tv, yeah, sometimes I just need to sit back and not think for a bit.

    I think it’s an eternal struggle for women to strike the child/work/spouse/home balance and if there were sure answers we’d find them. I’m going to check out that book, though, since I already tell myself that the most remarkable people have just as much time as I do.

  • Amber K October 23, 2012, 4:22 pm

    The Internet is definitely my biggest time sucker, and yet here I am again!

  • Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut October 23, 2012, 4:48 pm

    I seriously need to read that book! I always prided myself on not hunkering down on the couch w/ the remote after work and doing something productive instead. However, now that the temps are getting cooler, all I want to do is curl up on the couch! I hope this phase ends soon because even though it IS enjoyable, I don’t quite feel like myself!

  • Jillian October 23, 2012, 8:28 pm

    I would spend my extra hour cuddling my son.

    I went back into the office today for the first time since my son was born in July and having just 2 hours with him after work, just doesn’t seem like enough. I actually started crying when my husband was putting him down for the night because I just don’t feel like we spent enough time together. 🙁

    I look forward to your review of the book!

  • Brittnie (A Joy Renewed) October 24, 2012, 7:22 am

    My biggest time waster is getting on the internet to research x and then getting sidetracked. Before I know it 30 minutes has passed and I haven’t even accomplished what I wanted to in the first place.

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