dailyO
Life/Style

How I learnt not to rush and be productive

Advertisement
Koel Purie Rinchet
Koel Purie RinchetMar 04, 2017 | 12:20

How I learnt not to rush and be productive

Can you believe it’s March already? I just about said goodbye to 2016, then February comes along and steals three precious days away from me — days that I was counting on to get through all the things I didn’t in January. And before I can say wait, it’s March.

It seems like time is getting faster and faster and I’m always running to catch up. If you happen to see a crazy bag lady rushing towards you at break neck speed, holding one too many things, doing her make-up on the go, while ordering the latte that she really doesn’t have time for, then be a dear and jump out of the way.

Advertisement

The problem is I genuinely believe I have more time than I do, so I’ll take a detour to a museum or the bank or a walk-in massage parlour because I have seven minutes to spare. Per chance, someone calls to tell me they are running a wee bit late and I, for once, am on time, then instead of just arriving early and having a much-needed moment to myself, I will start a whole new activity like unpacking or trying out a new hairstyle or writing this article.

Yesterday, I forgot to eat lunch; actually I didn’t forget — I just had no time. I love my food (especially in Japan), also missing meals makes me cranky. But there are days where time starts slipping from the minute I wake and I have to cut corners to collect minutes by skipping meals and trips to the washroom (an annoyingly small bladder does not help matters) or sometimes combining them.

Don’t grimace like you’ve never done coffee on the pot. It’s not that I am doing too much, I’m sure I’m not, it’s just that there aren’t enough hours in the day. What bothers me is when I look around, everyone else seems completely nonplussed by being given these measly 24 hours. Some even manage an eight hour-plus sleep, unheard of in my life post-university, which ironically is when I needed it least.

Advertisement
koelbd_030417120729.jpg
The problem is I genuinely believe I have more time than I do.

I used to thrive on the pressure of rushing, truth be told. I didn’t really care about being on time as long I got the job done. Now being late stresses me out. I want to learn to allow myself to be early. When you’ve lived out half your allotted time, then you value it more I guess.

I no longer want to run into the cinema as the opening titles are finishing and feel happy that I made it in the nick of time, I want to leisurely buy my popcorn and watch the trailers. It’s time to un-rush myself. To do this I set a goal — get through all that I have to do this week within or before time and not keep anyone or anything at all waiting for me.

Of course, to pen this goal I have to repeatedly shout at my impatient husband, “Give me a minute, I am coming”. This is not a good start; he really needs to learn patience. I block out his pleas and persevere. I don’t claim to be a particularly organised person but I do have a system — make a list, start everything at the same time and then end up doing something entirely different.

Advertisement

Obviously, it has outlived its usefulness.

Henceforth, my list is categorised into:

1. “Drop-everything-to-do-this” (get daughter to school on time, start edit that is due in an hour); 2. “Can-wait-till-after-several-cups-of-coffee” (book tickets, prepare concept note for YouTube channel); 3. “Do-it when-you-can or blag-your-way-through” (research for the next story, menus for the week); 4. “Why-are you-on-this-list?” (start web design classes, have dinner with boring but helpful couple).

I will no longer multitask. I will focus on one thing, get it done, move on. I’m so charged that I have to tweet about it. No, no, no focus. “Yes honey, I’m coming. Two minutes.”

Once I have my priorities written out, I have to make myself get up and simply do it. Not in five minutes but now. Procrastination out of the door! Because with you around I always end up with less than half the time to do something and I’m done rushing.

I’m going to be strict and walk away from time wasters — I don’t need juicy gossip over juice after yoga or to answer a group message on my phone or clear out my inbox. It’s a dark vortex that’ll suck me in, I must not allow these drainers to interrupt my mission.

I make a pact with myself — when I finish the “right now” tasks I can treat myself to 10 minutes by the clock to all the rubbish that will help keep my brain mush. Ten minutes means 10, I feel like I’m talking to my daughter. But if that’s what it’s going to take, fine.“No the movie won’t start. Two minutes please.”

Many time-management books and blogs say don’t hold on to perfection, learn to delegate and allow for travel time. Well, now that I’ve created time I can be perfect and please the "Monica" bordering on OCD that lives inside me. I’m finally going to have time to sort that drawer out.

Delegating, I like — I’m sending my neighbour to dine with that helpful couple. Travel time? Please who needs it when you’ve got a mean machine electric cycle? I can just zip anywhere in 1 second and that’s why I leave home at the exact time I need to be at the place I’m supposed to be at.

Okay, this totally sounded better in my head. “Darling, if you are in such a hurry just go, I’ll catch you up”. There are still six minutes left for the movie to start and I’m sure I’ll make it.

(Courtesy of Mail Today.)

Last updated: March 05, 2017 | 17:22
IN THIS STORY
Please log in
I agree with DailyO's privacy policy