Time management is a real thing, isn’t it? I bet you have been thinking a lot about this COVID thing. Me too.
I’ve been mulling over the pros and cons of the whole crisis and as is my inclination, trying to concentrate on the best parts. Family, relationships, what’s really important, finding and filling the ‘get to it one-day’ to-do list. And that’s when the penny dropped. There is one very important question we all need to ask ourselves. Right now.
Have we capitalized on the extra time we gained this year?
You see, way back in the 1950s, acceptance and hunger for electric stoves and ranges, refrigerators, washing machines and dryers and dishwashers began to accelerate massively. Besides convenience from the older, more cumbersome models, they all had a very distinct advantage. They gifted the woman of the house – time. Time for herself, time for her family, time for her friends. In fact, time for her to do anything she wanted. Massive amounts of time were gifted.
All the time saved using these magical appliances was diverted to another magical appliance—the television. You see, as the time spent in the mind-numbing physical tasks declined, for the most part, the extra time gained was squandered away — with the mind-numbing activity of watching television.
Which got me thinking
At a minimum, most of us have gained two extra hours a day because of COVID. An increase of 8% in the amount of our available day. There are much less in-person interactions, so we spend less time on complicated personal grooming schedules. And far less commuting time – because traffic jams and snarls have almost disappeared with so many working at home.
The mail-order gardening businesses saw a revival as ‘getting back to the earth’ took on a new meaning for so many of us. There was an uptick in bread making and searches for the best comfort food recipes. The LCBO published reports on the 25-30% increase in home-based alcohol consumption. So from a personal environment point of view, many many of us rediscovered the joys of cocooning.
For years, we have all groused and complained we never have enough time. C0VID rewarded us by giving us back at least 2 hours a day. I call that a massive gift. Hoorah, right?
The reality is different
I have heard maybe a handful of people declare “I finally made a dent in my ‘get to it one-day’ to-do list”. I have also heard the occasional “for the first time in my life, I have enough time to complete just about everything I want.” Have you heard lots of these kinds of things? I’ll wager not.
Sadly, the two-hour window gained was spent on mind-numbing activities. Like television watching and social media surfing. The once in a lifetime 2020 gift was squandered.
I hope with all my heart, you are one of the smart ones. Able to see the incredible value in the COVID gift we have received this year. I hope you have maximized your extra hours with life-altering or mind-expanding activities. Should you answer no, consider having a chat with me.
To your success!
