Time is Money

I’ll go with something non-academic that I learned in Organic Chemistry: how to think like a short order cook. I learned to set up the things that will take a while, and then start knocking off the smaller, shorter tasks while the long-burning one runs. It’s a useful mindset for cooking, cleaning the bathroom, and all kinds of small things that can save time in your life.

In that same class, I also learned not to waste time doing stuff that you’re going to undo. I remember meticulously cleaning and drying a piece of glassware one day, and the TA came over to me and asked me what I was doing. “Drying this flask,” I answered. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do with it when you’re done drying?” “Put in 50 mL of water. Oh…”

B.G. (Math teacher at my school)

My response: 

I love this. My one take away from Organic is that sure, washing your hands with acetone is a great way to get rid of any nonpolar residue, and you don’t have to dry your hands after. But are those conveniences worth soaking your hands in a known carcinogen?

I also learned that some things are only known *to the state of California* to be carcinogens. (https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-chemicals-substances/why-california-thinks-your-couch-will-cause-cancer-prop-65-a5957101345/)

More about budgeting your time:

It took me three years to get back to writing this stuff down. I don’t think I’ve learned much from BG’s comment. But, I think he is right on the mark here. I don’t think he’s talking about multitasking. I learned that when you multitask you just end up doing a lot of things poorly. His approach is more about creating your todo list in a way that uses your time most efficiently. You must allot time for different things which means that you need to anticipate how long things will/should take. That’s where I have the most trouble. Something that I thought would take ten minutes takes an hour. Now I’m late getting back to that thing I thought would take forty-five minutes!

I did a quick search about budgeting your time and got a few suggestions that were focused on that. Then the search results quickly started recommending ways to budget your money. This does make some sense where to most of us it does seem that time is money. As a teacher I spent a great deal of time preparing lessons, correcting assignments, meeting with parents, meeting in committees, …*  My view was always that I taught for free. I was paid for the things I feel took valuable time away- the aforementioned meetings, and lunch duty, too. 

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” This quote has been attributed to Confucious, Marc Anthony, Steve Jobs, and many others. I think it is wrong. I prefer my often repeated quote to my sons as they went off to bus dishes, cut grass, and to other jobs- “They wouldn’t be paying you if it wasn’t work!” Time is money.

So how can you budget your time correctly? One thing I know for sure is that multitasking is a very bad idea. Again, you just end up doing many things poorly. But it is so difficult to stay focused on one thing with so many other things coming to grab your attention. Why stay focused on writing an essay about budgeting time when I can easily get an immediate endorphin kick with a quick visit to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, … ? Or maybe watch a short video on Youtube? These apps are not neutral. Their algorithms are designed to interrupt you, pull you in, and then get you to stay there. So how do we focus on what is needed with so many other things pulling us along?

Remove yourself from loud, over-stimulating situations. It’s important to get into the right frame of mind from the get-go. Here are some of my favorites before I start a project.

• Go for a walk in the woods alone without a phone or headphones. Pay attention to the trail and the sounds of a quiet forest.
• Go for a swim. Try to focus just on your breathing. I find it easier to get in a meditative mood this way. But if you don’t have a pool or the ocean nearby, practice deep breathing or meditation.
• Write down what’s on your mind. Getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper clears mental clutter and helps you focus.
• Listen to calming or instrumental music. Background music without lyrics can help block out noise and create a focused mood. I find Canon in D Major by Pachelbel, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, or oddly enough, A Town Called Malice by the Jam especially calming. Calm can come in different forms and is relative.

Now what might help you while you are doing the task assigned?

• Start with a clear to-do list. This planning helps you assign time limits to the little things that need to be done as well as giving you the opportunity to cross things off a list.
• Turn off your phone! You can always put in “check messages every 45 minutes” onto your to-do list.
• Limit browser tabs and apps. Keep open only what’s essential to the current task. Every open window is an opportunity to grab your attention.
• Use noise management – Play low-volume instrumental or ambient music, or use noise-canceling headphones to block background chatter. Better yet, find a quiet space and learn to enjoy the silence. You can practice that by the aforementioned walk in the woods or swim.
• Take scheduled breaks, not impromptu ones. An impromptu break takes you out of the flow of your work. And work flows even when you feel stuck. Learn to suffer through that block until your scheduled break. Stopping when you feel stuck may be an excuse to stop focusing. A scheduled break is a treat held off until something is accomplished. Even if the accomplishment is that you have been thinking, trying, striving- yet not finished. The break should also be physical in that you get up and move around. Or close your eyes and focus on your breathing for two minutes. 

These suggestions all have a common theme. They are practicing single-tasking. Focusing on one thing at a time instead of many. It’s less stressful and a great deal more productive. Time doesn’t multiply because we divide our attention. It multiplies when we concentrate it.

*… “I spent a great deal of time,” Time even shows up as money with the verbs we use to describe it! We talk about “spending” time, “saving” time, “wasting” time. The language gives it away.