In Search of Time

Satchi’s post “…efficient multitasker...” reminded me of this incident. Multitasker I definitely was and am, but whether the operative word “efficient” applies to me or not is a matter of constant speculation!:confused2:

It happened many years ago when I was a co-op student. With two active young sons packaged with demands of their own and an already busy multi role of chauffer, cook, house cleaner, launderer, home-work teacher, nurse, nutritionist, last-minute-rush-to-store-poster-board-buyer, and so on…… I had now added the roles of student-with-my-own-home-work and part-time-office-worker too.

I lived and breathed to-do lists using every time management tool I could lay my hands on! I would write down everything I had to do. Then I would separate them into priorities! Problem was there would always be a minimum of three to four items that were No. 1 priority!!! :bang

I was stretching myself to the max getting up at five am and going to bed close to eleven pm. Actually this was how I was most days! :drowning .Despite all these listing and prioritizing I invariably ended up moving two or three “to-dos” to the next day! :crazy

During one of our weekend trips to the library while the boys were engrossed in their favorite sections I wandered over to …yep, you got that right … the time management shelf! I spotted a book titled, “How to add one hour everyday”! How many days I have desperately yearned for that 25th hour! Here it was: liberation within hands reach!

You may all wonder how I could find time to read with all the things I had listed above. Every night just before switching off the bedside light, read I must! That was my night cap! I had a fixed schedule too. On Friday and Saturday nights I would read story books or light magazines.

From Sunday through Thursday nights I must read whatever heavy subject I was taking that semester. It was Economics or Philosophy or Psychology or Business Law, or…you get the drift. These were guaranteed to get me sleepy even before I was half page through! The more a subject made me think the faster it would induce sleep!:hide:

Coming back to my topic…talk of sleep and I go off into a dream world! Sleep seems to be so elusive these days!

After my family settled down and I was cozy in bed, I opened the book! The author went on about the importance of being organized and this and that. I was losing patience because till now I haven’t even had a glimpse of an extra minute leave alone a full hour!

Then finally about what seemed an eternity it was there. Reading the title I shut the book with a snap highly disappointed. Nothing more of what the author had to say mattered!

Thechapter read: “How to add an hour to your day: GET UP AN HOUR EARLY!” Duh! :rant
The next day I returned the book!

 

That made an interesting read Kamala.
Thanks Sabitha for your first feedback!

The lazy person that I am,
I don't think you are lazy at all! A person going to the gym in the wee hours of winter cannot be lazy at all!

I was expecting to read something like, "just drop a couple of activities, no matter what" and actually
Actually you are right; I was younger then and ws rigid about doing everything; now a bit older and maybe a tad bit wiser in the process I have learnt to let go.
Chores will always be there in some form or the other won't they?

had to cover the last line so that I won't end up reading that first - you had built up a nice tempo!
I made some changes to the article. I thought it was too long winded- so shortened it a little... and removed the BOLD lettering so others will not have to cover the last line . Hope it is okay now!

At the rate you multitask, add teh suggestion of the author - you can soon end up giving sleeping altogether. How about that?

You are right! Yes, that's was got me fed up - it was an eyeopener about these self-help books too! Anybody can write anything they want.

 

Thanks Satchi.
There can be no truer words said.
What I did not mention in my article (already it was long) is that it was last self-help book I read.
Nowadays I read biographies on those who achieved/discovered/ and invented and made a tremendous change or contributed to society. There is a lot to learn from their experiences; their perseverance and grit; and above all appreciate life.
My lists continue to be and I continue to carry over undone jobs...but I stopped fretting about it now.