The time equation

We have had quite a lot of new subscribers to the Daily Dose of Motivational Medicine since I last spoke about the time equation, so for those of you who have heard it before I apologise. But it is also a good reminder, just how little time we actually have each and every day to spend on those activities we say are important to us….

So my serious students, are you ready to begin?

It is Autumn here in Perth, Western Australia, the heat of the summer has finally left and we can finally get to grips with the brown patches of earth that used to be lawns and gardens. I love Autumn, I love the fact that the mornings are cool, and the evenings are not yet too cold. We can sit outside and watch the wide screen views that come with living so far away from the city. I may grumble about the drive sometimes, but living away from all the light pollution does mean I get to “see”.

Autumn is also a great time to re-establish the priorities. What plans do you have for those wet winter months? Or are you planning to sit and watch the indoor plasma whiling away your lives watching other people live theirs?

We are about to start the next season of Big Brother – for me this is a good thing, it means that I definitely have a reason NOT to turn the television on. Whilst it is an interesting concept, that of being able to watch other people live mundane lives, I don’t want to spend my life doing it. But I know that for a lot of people, this kind of “reality” tv show becomes an extension of their own lives. They sit on the sofa watching other people sitting on the sofa….

We are all given 24 hours every day – no exceptions;
Take away the time that you are sleeping; Take away the time that you spend getting ready to go to work, travelling to and from work and the hours you are at work. And what have you got left? The answer is not very much.
24 hours ( - ) _________ (sleep) ( - ) _________ (getting ready for work, travelling to and from work, plus time spent at work) ( - ) ___________ (dinner preparation, eating, supervising homework, dishes and housework) =  _____________ (left to do what you really want to do).

Most people sleep about 7 hours a night. If you work a “normal” full time job you will get up at 6am, get ready, have breakfast and travel to your destination for an 8.30am start where you will stay until approximately 5pm. Then you go home, pick up the kids, supervise homework and cook dinner, which of course then has to be eaten. Dishes washed and all of a sudden the clock says sometime between 7 and 8pm. Which means that you have approximately 3-4 hours left of each day for you to work on your dreams and goals, usually broken up into tiny slots during a typical day. Of course you may decide that you can get stuck into your projects on a weekend, but how many of you actually do that?

So as you think about your weekend, I would ask that you spend a little time and work out your own time equation, and then once you have determined where you spend your time, ask that you ask yourself a question:

Is that OK?
 
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