unique perspectives from six people

Monday, March 8, 2010

How Much Time Do You Waste?

#1 I Spend Way Too Much Time on Facebook

I’m not going to say that I don’t waste time. In the past two or three years I have given myself a schedule of cleaning so I can keep myself accountable to the rest of my family. As long as I do what I have scheduled  for that day of the week, then I don’t feel like the other time during the day has been wasted. Granted, I spend WAY too much time on Facebook. I am not addicted, but I do get on there quite frequently during the day. I do watch a good lot of TV. I don’t have dvr (thank goodness) or I might watch much more. Both TV and the internet are most likely a waste of my time, and maybe I will change sooner than later. I guess the real answer is: How much time do I actually use wisely?

Submitted by Amanda Bell.

#2 Walk The Middle Path

I grew up driven by a father who settled for nothing less than the best. In his mind, there was no call for "wasting" time. There were always chores, there were always jobs that needed doing. I learned from my time spent under rules like those. There are always going to be chores and jobs. Always. They aren't going anywhere. 

It took me a long time to deprogram myself. I used to get horrific headaches when I was doing anything that my father might label "wasting" time. It made it difficult for me to do anything for fun or relaxation. But I continued to push myself until I was able to take time for me, to do things specifically just for my entertainment - for no reason other than that I wanted to.

Now, I guard my free time jealously. It is important to "waste" time. One of the deep purposes of life is to enjoy living, to enjoy the process of life, to breathe in and out and smile. Your chores and jobs will always be there waiting for you.

Moderation in all things. Walk the middle path. Balance.

Submitted by Matthew Rohr.

#3 Let The Rationalizing Begin

Let the rationalizing begin. Define “waste”. I do agree that waiting in a line that isn’t moving, or spending three hours on a movie that I kept thinking had to get better, but didn’t, is a waste of time. Activities such as these that are not productive, not enjoyable or maybe even detrimental, I consider a waste of time. I don’t think I have much of this kind of wasted time. Eight hours of sleep when I could actually function on about five could account for three wasted hours daily, but I believe I function better and might possibly live longer because of it. The three to four hours I spend each week checking on a relative in a nursing home could be considered a waste of time, but maybe it’s more important than I think it is. Some would say the time I spend in church, praying and reading my Bible is a waste, but I think my life is richer because of the time I spend developing a relationship with my Creator. In general, I get more enjoyment when I “stop to smell the roses”. If I spend an occasional weekend in my PJ’s “vegetating”, I don’t consider it wasted time. We all need some “down time” in order to rejuvenate and repair. So ultimately, what is wasted time? Maybe like beauty it is in the eye of the beholder.

Submitted by Donna Buchanan.

#4 What Are You Supposed To Be Doing?

Everyone wastes a little time.  I think it's important to know that not everyone's definition of "waste" is the same. It also depends on what you are supposed to be doing with your time. If you're getting paid to write computer programs and you're playing around on Facebook, you're wasting someone else's time by not doing what your time has been intended for. In order to determine how much time we waste, we need to first ask ourselves, "What are you supposed to be doing?"

I am a housewife and a mother.  I don't have a set schedule.  I have a list of things I know I need to get done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, and I know that I have to allow myself the time to do those things.  If I know cleaning the bathrooms and doing the laundry is my job for Monday, I make sure I have the time to get that done.  If it takes me an hour, and that's all I needed to do for the day, then the rest of my time is mine. I can do what I want with it. If I choose to watch a 6 hour Hoarders marathon, that is my choice. It's not time wasted, it's time well spent.

Could I change the world in those 6 hours? Maybe. But I'd rather watch Hoarders.

Submitted by Lauri Lenox.

#5 Like People That Don't Use Keyboard Shortcuts

This is a dangerous question. Am I willing to be critical of myself and reveal all of the ways in which I fail? Because honestly, I always feel like I’m wasting time. I guess I assume that if something – which I may have completely intended to do – didn’t get accomplished…I must’ve wasted time.

Wasted time is like people that don’t use keyboard shortcuts. How much time have you wasted clicking on the “File” menu and selecting “Save”, instead of simply pressing ⌘+S? Or, for that matter, how much time have we all wasted by continuing to use QWERTY keyboards?

I am reminded of an often-quoted verse from the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” In the same way, I believe there is always a better way to accomplish a task – ways of which I am not yet wise… I could spend my life pursuing better ways. But then, my pursuit of better ways would become an infinite futility…inevitably the worst way to waste time.

Submitted by Jason L. Buchanan. Visit his Facebook Profile.

#6 The Amount Is Incalculable

I have ADHD.  To some those four letters are seen as an excuse, a cop out.  To them I don't have anything physically wrong with me.  I'm just disorganized...or better yet...lazy.  In the past there have been days at work where the only thing I can concentrate on is not working.  Throw in the daily commute for the icing on the cake.  How much time do I waste exactly?  The amount is incalculable, but it's more than I know I should.  Heck I've even wasted some time writing this paragraph.  Hopefully Jason's not waiting up for this.

Submitted by Neal Harkner