Thursday, January 19, 2006
I Need More Activity
I know why I am not moving ahead as fast as I would like. I need more activity. When we work for a boss on a job we are committed to being there on time daily. We are committed to working 8 hours (or enough to keep the boss happy) and we know that in order to keep our job, we need to do this 5 or more days a week.
So, why don’t we use this same commitment to our own personal business. I am not sure, but is it my problem. I know what I need to do. I have the material and knowledge to do the job. I just do not commit to working like I would at a “hated job”. We will work for a boss we do not like at a job we hate, but will not do the same for ourselves. INTERESTING!
OH, I hope you don’t fit my profile, but if you do, maybe it is time to take stock of yourself and what you really are doing toward making a better life for yourself.
Today, I started a time log to see where I am actually spending my day. I write down the time I start doing anything. I will do this for the next week and see what is going on with my time. One advantage of keeping track of your time, is that you focus on time use. This focus automatically make you more productive. If you are diligent about writing every bit of time down, you will see patterns develop.
Maybe you do not think you spend “that much time” in forums “learning” new stuff. Keep a time log and it may surprise you. Some time in forums is a learning experience. Too much time there is an escape from doing the work you know needs to be done.
Join me and make you own time log. See where you are using your time. You can use a notebook or a computer spreadsheet. I am using a spiral notebook. For me that is easier to quickly jot down what I a doing and the time it takes.
Once you see where you spend time, you can begin to make decision on what is the best use of your time. For instance I took a leisurely shower this morning. It took 27 minutes to shower and get dressed. I feel under the weather and the heat felt good. Maybe I could cut 5 or 10 minutes off of this. 10 minutes here and 5 minutes there and another 15 here soon adds up to a lot of time.
The whole idea is to become aware of your time usage. When you know how you use time you can make decisions on what areas you may want to change.
