work less, make more

But back in work after the holidays and intendng to work more effectively.

I successfully managed to run an experiment last week – getting into work for 8am. By 8.10am I had a big glass of water and started work clearing thru’ my email. By 8.50am, all emails sorted, I closed my email down to concentrate on two or three big projects. By 1pm I was ready for lunch – and I took the full hour.

As I’m normally ready to drop in the afternoon – concentration really low – I made sure I scheduled routine meetings and in the minutes that I had, cleared thru’ routine admin tasks that don’t take any brain power.

By about 4.15 I had completed my hours – but completed much more work than I normally do.

One big problem though – everyone in the office thinks if you’re in early you’ll leave at your normal time. Consequently I got sucked into mind-dumbing chats with colleuges as I tried to make it out of the door. I didn’t leave till gone 6, by which time I was dead like normal.

Thinking about it, the test routine did really work. The only failure was my failure to call it a day after 8 hours in the office.

So my task for the week ahead – is to try these new hours out – everyday – and make sure I leave on time.

Usually I wake up at about 7.30 and spend an hour or so lolling in bed. My partner doing the same. My partner’s routine takes a little longer than mine, so I am usually the first out of the house – after the quickest wash in the world, a tea or two, and maybe some cereal if I’m feeling pro-active.

I then hurry to work – cursing because by now it’s probably around 9.15. I get into the lift at 9.35 – 5 minutes past that pyschologically important 9.30. By the time I settle at my desk (with tea three) I’m usually feeling rushed and panicked. Consequently, I don’t plan my day (that’s wasting time). I just plunge right it, giving everything 75% of my attention and only 50% of the time it deserves – I was late that morning and so I’ll be ‘late’ all day. In fact I’m late every morning and late all day ever day. By about 3.30 I’m drained – and feel guilty because I haven’t got anything done. By 5.30 I’m no use, but will usually get dragged into something, before I can escape home to collapse – eat shite food – fret about not seeing friends, gym, cat etc. Then bed to prepare to repeat the whole damn thing the next day…