Monday, October 13, 2008

Time Does Tell



What? Did you all think that I abandoned my little "where does all my time go?" project and as a result am too ashamed to surface here in the blogosphere? No such luck. Sorry. In reality, I have been consumed with little projects that are due in my classes this week. One down, one to go. Allow me to take a moment to divert from the primary purpose of this post to write about procrastination (ooooh...alliteration. I think.). If you learn anything from me, people, please learn that procrastination is not the way to go. It's not worth the fine lines and wrinkles that are sure to result from getting only 4 hours of sleep in one night. Yet, I don't know why I would change the way I complete assignments at this point in my life when I managed to make it through high school and undergrad just fine by waiting until the 11th hour. (What's so critical about the 11th hour anyway?) But it seems that during this past week of keeping track of my time that I have gained some insight as to why delaying the stuff that is inevitable probably isn't the best idea I've ever had. So the moment the masses have all been anxiously awaiting - the breakdown of how I spent 168 hours of my life. Well, more like 156 hours and 44 minutes...

Sleeping - 50:15 (one Sunday afternoon nap included)
Working - 40:01 (too bad I don't get overtime)
Sitting in Class/Studying - 9:59
Driving - 9:49 (all that time in the car and I didn't even get to see the ocean)
"Multi-Tasking" - 7:27 (any combination of getting ready, talking on the phone, playing with the dog, watching TV, eating)
Getting Ready - 6:38 (for the day, for bed, for the gym, to go out)
Exercising at the Gym - 5:47
Walking Cash/Playing with Cash/Taking Cash outside - 5:21
Quiet Time/Recreational Reading - 4:56 (Currently reading - The Shack, The B-I-B-L-E, and some Max Lucado devotional)
Talking on the Phone - 4:22
Watching TV - 4:20
Surfing (the Web) - 3:40 (reading Donna's blog...and others, too!, emailing, Facebooking...maybe I'll grow out of that one day)
Shopping - 2:20 (grocery store, pet store, Target)
Cleaning House/Laundry - 1:48
Eating - 1:10
Church - 1:10

As for the missing 11 hours and 16 minutes? Totally clueless. I would like to say that I took the Delorean over to Narnia or that I was off on some secret CIA mission that is completely classified in order to account for the missing time, but I can't. Or it would be nice to say that I was driving the Bookmobile (um, how cool would it be if I drove the Bookmobile?!?) or visiting some old people who have no family or gathering with others for a Bible study, but I wasn't. In reality I was probably just painting my toenails or paying bills or something equally as exciting like balancing my checkbook. How in the world did I lose 11 hours and 16 minutes? Of course I knew from the beginning that in no way would I be able to account for every single minute of every single day for 7 days straight...I'm not even that meticulous, but 11 hours? From this I learned three things: First, I feel like I'm selfish with my time. One hour at Church? Zero hours volunteering? Problem. Second, I understand how easy it is to lose track of time and end up wondering where it all went while feeling completely overwhelmed. I lost it when I was deliberately trying to keep track of it! Finally, even though I always manage to get everything done in plenty of time even after much procrastination, I'm actually wasting more time by filling my time with unnecessary tasks and acting busy in order to put off doing a project that I know must be done. Does that make any sense at all? Probably not, but I'm sleepy. So please forgive my deficiency of sense-making in that sentence.

You know, really, time is a resource. Just like oil and water. And like all other resources, if it is used irresponsibly, it goes to waste. Once it is gone, we can never get it back. It's not that I believe that we have to be able to account for doing "something" with all 168 hours we're given each week. I believe that God wants us to rest too. (This doesn't equate to being lazy bums or sleeping one's life away but to be still and quiet. Rest.) Personally, I know that when I am well-rested, I think more clearly, I worry much less, I'm a better daughter/sister/friend/employee/learner. I'm also a better listener and am more receptive to things that I need to hear.

Another thing that I am learning is that time is valuable. And when it comes right down to it, it's a gift. (as if there aren't enough cheesy and trite sayings in existence to support this idea already) When I really thought about how time is in fact a gift, I thought about special gifts that I have received throughout the years and how I deliberately take extra care of them. I take care of these things because I want them to last and also because I know someone else has worked in order to give me these gifts, and I want to show my appreciation to them. Now I understand that I should show my appreciation to the One who created time by making the most of the years that I have been given. I should probably get started...There's no time like the present.
(10.17.08: Edited to add the super jazzy pie chart - is that what they're called? - that Emily K. was so kind to send me the template for!)

3 comments:

Josh and Donna said...

i am just proud you stuck with your experiment! it was worth the lessons you learned and then humbly passed on to your bloggin' buds.

Unknown said...

i know where the 11 hours went...that's the time you spent thinking about and journaling where your time was spent...atleast - that's what would happen to me:)

Suzanna said...

Wow--you are good. I can't even keep up with the money I spend. Much less the time.