I’ve just had a staycation. Every year I like to take a week off to focus on the things I want and need to do. Let’s call it personal and professional housekeeping. I find creating some kind of order from chaos at home makes me feel I have some degree of control in my life. I can then feel free to enjoy other breaks as actual holidays, having fun travelling or catching up with close friends and family. A few days off at home each year helps to to reset my dial.
However I found, as the week went on that the list of things I’d hoped to achieve quickly unravelled and I became frustrated and quite dispirited with the lack of progress I’d made. I reflected on why that was. What were my time bandits- and how could I avoid these when I take breaks in future?
1. Having too many things on my ‘to do’ list.
I was definitely over-optimistic in just how much I could achieve in a week. When I revisited my list I realised I’d created a vision rather than a list. Some of the things on my list were dependent on others’ availability or willingness to help. I’d not attempted to allocate time to tasks in the way I would have approached a work activity. But if I had, I’d have seen that I was simply never going to get everything done.
2. Not factoring in enough activities that were simply ‘fun.’
I’d been so outcome-driver that I’d not left room for calls to friends or simply stop to smell the roses/do nothing and enjoy the sunshine. It felt too much like being at work. I began to feel the joy seeping out of my break – and changed this by arranging to speak to two good friends, which cheered me up no end.
3. Technology (1)
Having too much choice can cause overwhelm, making it impossible to make a decision. One of my tasks was to buy a new laptop. I knew roughly what I wanted but I lack technical expertise. I tied myself thoroughly in knots, agonising over which model to choose. There were 14 laptops, all of which looked much the same- and that was just one supplier! In the end I did what I should have done at the outset- asked an expert. He suggested, based on my needs, 3 examples of what would meet them- I finally I felt confident to make my selection.
4. Technology (2).
I have to say whilst I love what technology can do for me, the technical aspects of technology drive me insane. I cannot tell you how many hours of my life I’ve wasted this week by simply trying to add and link a professional e mail address to an account. And it’s still not fixed! 6 attempts to have my problem solved initially by a bot and then (I think?) a human have all failed to help me achieve something that should be straightforward. So that one remains outstanding on my ‘to do’ list.
5. Technology (3).
Thwarted by my inability to achieve some of my tasks, in despondency I resorted to online scrolling, checking LinkedIn (too many times a day) and internet shopping. When I looked back to how many hours I frittered on the fairly fruitless task of trying to locate the perfect pair of linen trousers before remembering I had already bought a pair I’d not worn last summer- it doesn’t bear thinking about.
6. Complaining.
As a result of the grass not being cut since last year on the estate where I live, I tried unsuccessfully to locate anyone from the organisation responsible to organising this. Another hour wasted. As I was unable to get a response, I resorted to Trustpilot.
Tip: I have found that if at first you don’t succeed in getting hold of a human being that creating a One Star review on Trustpilot generally yields a swift response and apology. (Result: the grass has now been cut).
7. Going to see a really bad live act.
This was something on the list that should have been fun. However, the performance was frankly dreadful. My husband and friends had all unanimously decided by the interval that we’d prefer to have a drink and chat instead. The evening was much more enjoyable as a result.
What did I achieve in my week off?
I can confirm that I did in fact achieve the following. (I list them as a reminder to myself that I did complete a number of things on my list, rather than to impress).
- Booked a holiday
- Cleared out the garage
- Took a car load of stuff to the tip and charity shop
- Set up my new lap top without having a meltdown
- Wrote two blog posts
- Sorted insurance ready for when I move into Freelance work later this summer
- Found out some useful info about creating a website
- Went to the gym 3 times and went for 3 walks
- Bought and planted some flowers
- Read 2 books
- Cleaned the house
I can now go back to work feeling some sense of accomplishment. But also with a better understanding of where I’ve squandered the time I did have. I was unrealistic about what it’s possible to do in a week. And in future I will certainly be factoring in more fun.
Your time bandits
What are your time bandits? Do you have any tips on how you’ve tackled them?
If you enjoyed the time you wasted, then it wasn’t wasted time. John Lennon
